WHAT:

2,000 NYC public school students who participate in NYRR’s free youth running program, Mighty Milers, will take part in a celebration of running at the Mighty Milers Fun Run as part of the Million Kid Run on Global Running Day. Youth runners in grades 3 through 8 will participate in a variety of races, games, and fitness-related acvitives.

First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray will join students in the celebration, and will present an official New York City mayoral proclamation declaring June 1, 2016, as the Million Kid Run and Global Running Day.

Three 2016 US Olympic team hopefuls, 2015 USA 5000-meter champion Nicole Tully, 2015 PanAm Games gold medalist in the 3000-meter steeplechase Ashley Higginson, and world record-holder in the IAAF/BTC World Relays distance medley relay Kyle Merber, will be there to cheer for the youth runners and help hand out finisher medals.

NYRR Strider and recent media sensation, 101-year-old sprinter Ida Keeling, who recently set a 100-meter world-record for women ages 100-104 years, will be participating in a senior walk that will culminate in handing out ribbons to the youth runners participating in the Mighty Milers Fun Run.

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WHEN & WHERE:

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

• 10:30 a.m.—Student running activities
• 11:45 a.m. – Official ceremony begins: National Anthem; Remarks from NYRR leadership, First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray, Deputy Chancellor at NYC Department of Education Elizabeth Rose, and a welcome to the 2016 US Olympic team hopefuls in attendance; Presentation of NYC Global Running Day proclamation  
• 11:55 a.m. – Teachers/coaches 100-meter races
• 12:05 p.m. – Group activity with all students
• 12:15 p.m. – Parade of schools

Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island in Manhattan
GPS Address
20 Randall’s Island Park
New York, NY 10035

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WHO:

• 2,000+ NYC public school students in grades 3-8 , teachers, and coaches
• NYRR President and CEO Michael Capiraso and NYRR President of Events and Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon Peter Ciaccia
• First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray
• Deputy Chancellor at NYC Department of Education Elizabeth Rose
• 2016 US Olympic team hopefuls:
  • 2015 USA 5000-meter champion, Nicole Tully
  • 2015 PanAm Games gold medalist in the 3000-meter steeplechase, Ashley Higginson
  • World record-holder in the IAAF/BTC World Relays distance medley relay, Kyle Merber
• 101-year-old NYRR Strider Ida Keeling

Interviews available on-site from 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

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PRESS INFO:

Members of the media who wish to cover the event please RSVP to Laura Paulus at lpaulus@nyrr.org or 646-241-3527 or Nicole Foss at nfoss@rubenstein.com or 305-499-0080.

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)

Founded in 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization, whose mission is to help and inspire people through running. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, youth running initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit nyrr.org. 

About Global Running Day

Global Running Day, held annually on the first Wednesday in June, is a day for people around the world to celebrate the joys of running. It is a worldwide celebration of the sport, and a way for runners of all ages and abilities to share their passion for running and inspire others to get moving. The Million Kid Run on Global Running Day aims to get young people moving. The goal is to have a million kids around the world pledge to run on June 1, 2016. The Million Kid Run is about making fitness fun, and inspiring kids to embrace running as a way to get healthy and fit. Global Running Day is a collaborative effort of the most prominent running organizations around the world, with many of the top professional runners helping to share their passion for the sport with the global running community. Pledging for Global Running Day and the Million Kid Run is open on globalrunningday.org through June 1.