Pride and Popsicles: PreK Marathon Goes the Distance for Young Learners | News

May 14th 2025

It’s a sunny day on The Park School’s North Fields, and a contingent of athletes has gathered to train.

A course has been marked on the grass with bright plastic cones, and the group diligently completes their warm-up routines—but there is the occasional break in focus. One athlete has found what they think may be a marble and is cradling it carefully in their palm. Another wonders if someone could please hold his coat.

The students, the youngest at Park, are here for Tonnis James and Nick Alves’ PE class. On today’s agenda: preparing for the PreK Marathon, Park’s own mini version of the Boston Marathon.

“Try to keep going,” Tonnis says as he readies the students for their practice run. “But if you need to stop, that’s fine.” He explains how many laps to complete before heading to “Heartbreak Hill,” a grassy slope at the edge of the practice area.

As the session gets going, a few creative approaches emerge among the bunch. One runner decides, just for a moment, to lie flat and roll. A handful of students ask to get a drink inside. But most continuously jog the loop, occasionally walking to catch their breath, then starting up again.

“A lot of kids are doing well at finding their pace,” says Nick, who explains that this will help them succeed in other sports. “You don’t want to sprint 90 minutes of a soccer game.”

Eventually, the water fountain crew trails back out from the building freshly hydrated. “Come on, we need you!” Tonnis calls to them.

They, too, take their go at Heartbreak Hill. Not everyone finishes the same number of laps, but everyone finishes strong.

An enriching tradition

Park hosted its first tiny Boston Marathon for the PreKers in 2017, and the PE Department has repeated the tradition annually since. The concept was initially conceived to teach young learners the difference between slow, medium, and fast and to help them differentiate between a jog and a sprint.

What started out as a relatively modest affair—taking place in the gym with paper signs taped to the wall and a wedge mat representing Heartbreak Hill—has developed into one of the highlights of the Park calendar.

These days, the event takes place outside, offering ample space for both PreK classes to run together and plenty of room to accommodate cheering spectators. The pedagogical goals have also evolved over time.

For example, in practice sessions, students are now given a popsicle stick each time they complete a lap (about .07 miles). The class will then pool the sticks and tally the total. This helps develop number sense and conveys an important lesson about working together to accomplish a goal.

The Marathon is also the perfect vehicle for fostering a growth mindset, encouraging students to focus on their own skill development rather than measuring themselves against their peers. “Do your best and forget the rest,” is Tonnis’ go-to mantra.

As the kids put in the work each week, they notice the laps becoming easier. They also develop a sense of resilience. “Sometimes you fall, and you get back up,” said PE Department Head Michelle Young of the youngsters’ training experience. “Sometimes you didn’t do your personal best, and then you got up and did it again.”

And they’re off

On April 25, the big day, it rains. But around 11 a.m., race time, the sun peeks from behind the clouds, and a gorgeous outdoor course awaits the students. Green and white pennant banners rim the track, and shiny yard signs display names of cities along the actual marathon route—from Ashland, to Wellesley, to Newton, to Boston.

Around 100 spectators have gathered to show their support, including parents, administrators, and students from older classes. There are noisemakers and handmade signs. A crew of 8th graders has crafted 28 personalized posters, one for each race participant.

It’s a full circle moment for the PreKers, who often cheer the big kids as they board the bus for their sports matches. “It brings a strong sense of community,” says PreK teacher Yuka Terada. “ [There is the feeling], ‘We cheer for big kids, and they are here to cheer for us. We all cheer together here.’”

A hype song, “The Final Countdown,” blares from a speaker, and Tonnis ushers the runners onto the route in a staggered start. Then they are off, little feet pounding the field, pint-sized arms pumping. The crowd erupts with whoops of encouragement.

On the course, the mood is one of comparatively quiet focus. Some PreKers run in full matching tracksuits. Others attack the race in flower sunglasses, and unicorn headbands. The copious water breaks and distractions of practice are notably absent.

After about five minutes, Tonnis steers the kids out of the loop toward their grand Heartbreak Hill finale. They coast into the finish where they are rewarded with a medal and, of equal or more importance, a frozen treat.

I did do it

A great benefit of the Marathon, says PreK teacher Jared Penna, is the way it helps students build confidence to tackle new challenges. “A major goal in PreK is moving on from, ‘I can’t do it’ to ‘How can I figure it out?’” he explains. “We learn there is practice, planning, and putting in the work. Then you can look back and say, ‘I did do it.’”

“They are so proud of themselves [after the Marathon],” shared Kym Morris, also a PreK teacher. “In PreK, we say little steps turn into big steps. This is a big step.”

And what do the students themselves have to say about the experience? According to race participant Olivia, “The running was the hardest part.”

Classmate Maia shares a similar account, “I just kept running, running, and running,” she said. She also reports that the race almost made her laugh, “one hundred million times,” and that she successfully doled out “ten hand slaps” to the crowd.

JJ, who blazed through the course, had some words of wisdom for future participants. “Do pace,” he recommends. “And when you need a water break, just take a sip.”