With Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, Olympic champion Shannon Miller and other celebrities on hand, nearly 1,500 children completed the sixth annual Oklahoma City Memorial Kids Marathon on Sunday morning in downtown Oklahoma City.
In all, 1,493 children filled Robinson Avenue for a unique event that gives kids ages 11 and under the chance to run the 26.2 miles by spreading it out over a number of days or weeks.
The race culminated Sunday with the kids running the final 1.2 miles on a course designed to take them from the start to the finish line of the full marathon.
Before Sunday, children were to complete 25 miles, tracking it on a running log, and have a teacher or parent sign for each mile they ran.
The race honors the 19 children who died in the Oklahoma City bombing and the four youngsters who survived.
It also promotes fitness and a healthy lifestyle for youngsters, but it doesn't stop there, says race director Jaime Keel.
"We try to show the kids that they have to make good choices," she said. "They can choose violence or non-violence. We want to show them what they can do as kids to make a difference."
Crosby Park Elementary School in Lawton was the winner of the Mayor's Fitness Challenge by entering 24 percent of its students in the race. For winning, the school received a 4-foot traveling trophy and a $500 donation to its physical education department.
The Kids Marathon has grown from about 300 runners in the first year to the record number Sunday. Race officials continue to reach out to the elementary schools across the state.
"We based it on the percentage to give the small schools an equal chance, and the schools have really embraced it," Keel said.
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