At 9:50 Friday morning, students from Westside Elementary School in Cabot sat outside in a circle waiting for their guests to arrive. Many of the students had posters of encouragement for the visitors, and excitement mounted while the children waited.
Teachers peered across the schoolyard to the street in anticipation. When they got a glimpse of a police vehicle escorting a group toward the school’s driveway, the teachers told the students, and everyone knew their guests had arrived. Once the group of runners and bicyclists was visible, the crowd started cheering for the Inspiration Run participants.
As they ran and pedaled down the driveway to the school, the group participants waved to the students. Some of those participants work at the school, and their students held up signs encouraging them along the way. Cheers rang out for specific participants and the group as a whole.
The runners and bicyclists made several loops around the circle of students, high-fiving children and thanking them for their encouragement before continuing on their way. There were more schools to visit, but runners said they hoped their visit inspired students to be active.
Westside Elementary was one of 14 stops in the Cabot School District Inspiration Run, co-sponsored by the district and the Cabot Country Cruisers Running Club. Organizers said the goal is to show the community that being active and staying in shape can be fun.
“Our main goal [for the run] is to inspire the kids and their parents and the faculty by showing them how much fun running and biking are,” said Annette Blanton, president of the Cabot Country Cruisers. “We have a lot of fun. The thing about being fit and staying active is you can do something you love. We love to run, so that’s what we show them.”
The Inspiration Run fits right in line with the Cabot Country Cruisers’ overall goal for the city. According the the group’s website, the goal of the Cabot Country Cruisers is “to promote a healthy lifestyle in both adults and youth of our community.”
The Cabot Country Cruisers is a running, walking and cycling group that is a member group of the Road Runners Club of America. The group has more than 200 members who compete in Arkansas Grand Prix races, as well as marathons, half marathons, triathlons, duathlons, Ironman events, Ultra running and various cycling events across the country. The club meets on a regular basis, and members run through Cabot and encourage each other in races and events.
The Road Runners Club of America has tips for encouraging children to take up running as a way to stay fit, and “make running fun” is first on the list. The organization also suggests that instructors emphasize good technique, focus on participation and self-improvement, consider individual differences and encourage participation in age-appropriate running events.
At the event Friday, around 100 people from the schools and the Cabot Cruisers participated in the Inspiration Run, with 10 to 20 completing the entire 28 miles.
“We call it a ‘marathon,’ but it’s really closer to 28 miles,” Blanton said.
The Inspiration Run went to Ward Central Elementary, Cabot Middle School North, Cabot Junior High North, Cabot Freshman Academy, Westside Elementary, Central Elementary, Cabot Middle School South, Cabot Junior High South, Southside Elementary, Stagecoach Elementary, Eastside Elementary, Northside Elementary, Mountain Springs Elementary and Magness Creek Elementary. The run started at 8:15 a.m. and ended at 2:50 p.m.
Blanton said the Cabot Country Cruisers have been holding the Inspiration Run since 2007. The event started under Jackie Clinton, who was president of the running club at the time. Blanton has been president for four years, and she said it is important to carry on the Inspiration Run tradition.
Many district employees participated in parts of the Inspiration Run, and Angie Simon and Jennifer Bryant both said they enjoyed seeing students at different schools throughout the event.
Simon and Bryant both work at the Cabot Freshman Academy — Simon as a counselor, and Bryant as a special-education teacher — but they ran to several district schools as part of the run.
“It’s exciting to see all of the other schools,” Simon said. “It’s cool to see different age groups get excited for us as we go to each school.”
Simon and Bryant said they are starting a running club called the CFA Road Runners at the Cabot Freshman Academy. Presenting options like a school-based running club is part of encouraging students to stay active, they said, and pairing those opportunities with events like the Inspiration Run help faculty and teachers “put their money where their mouths are” when it comes to getting active.
“We want to promote health and get kids to exercise,” Bryant said. “It’s important for them to see people they see every day get out and do things to stay healthy.”
More information about the Cabot Cruisers can be found at www.cabotcountrycruisers.org. Another Road Runners Club of America group in the Three Rivers Edition coverage area is the White River Roadrunners in Batesville, with information at www.wrroadrunners.org.
Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or aspencer@arkansasonline.com.