BSI’s ‘Mighty Milers’ Compete In Coney Island Boardwalk Run At Brooklyn Half
![Courtesy of NYRR. (At the finish line of the 2015 Airbnb Brooklyn Half Marathon, Brooklyn School of Inquiry's 2nd graders, teachers, and parents are joined by incoming NYRR Co-Presidents Peter Ciaccia [far-left in blue polo shirt] and Michael Capiraso [far-right in jeans] along with NYRR staff).](/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/BK15_EH_1210-702x469.jpg)
The first-ever New York Road Runners [NYRR] Kids’ Boardwalk Run at the Airbnb Brooklyn Half drew hundreds of young runners from across the five boroughs to Coney Island’s Riegelmann Boardwalk on Saturday.
The out-and-back course started and ended at the half-marathon finish line, bringing runners close to the New York Aquarium. The boys and girls were staged in heats based on age, with races for children 7-10, 11-13, and 14-18 years.
Among them were 21 excited second graders from the Brooklyn School of Inquiry‘s [BSI] Mighty Milers programs, along with their coaches and parents — some of whom also ran the half-marathon. Supporters lined the boardwalk to cheer.
Celeste Ivers, a parent of Hudson, a 7-year-old Mighty Miler and second grader at BSI, described how one parent watching her child run from the bleachers was moved to tears.
“The race was very inspiring for parents themselves as the kids so clearly were glowing from the inside out,” she said. “Many of the parents were in awe of what their kids could accomplish physically outside of their practice at school.”
As soon as Hudson finished the race, he said to his mother, “When is the next race, mom? I think I can race two miles next time!”
This is the second year BSI is participating in NYRR’s Mighty Milers program and the second graders are now on their way to earning their first “Marathon of Miles” medals for cumulatively running 26.2 miles each during the course of the school year.
All 60 of BSI’s second graders are Mighty Milers and they run inside the gym every Monday before lunch. Bonnie Durgin, a second grade teacher at BSI who has ran the Brooklyn Half several times, says that the Mighty Milers program enhances the G&T elementary school’s physical education program immensely.
“Young children especially need to be moving–it helps them focus and makes them ready to learn and be more holistically present,” she said.
On Monday, Durgin focused her second grade class’ usual “share segment” on the race, asking the kids what the best part of the event was for them.
“Towards the end of the race my heart was beating so hard, but the cheering of the crowd made me feel so strong and happy, that I kept going,” said 7-year-old Axl Meza.
All participants in the inaugural boardwalk run earned a finisher ribbon as well as a set of bright green sunglasses. The top three finishers in each heat also received a medal and tickets to the New York Aquarium — just a half-mile from the race finish line.