Marine Corps Marathon Honors Top School

QUANTICO, Va. – Five hundred students of Lynbrook Elementary in Fairfax, Virginia gathered on Wednesday, Feb. 8 to receive the Healthy School Award from the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) and its partner Sodexo. The award assembly was held at 1:45pm in the school gym located at 5801 Backlick Road in Springfield.

For 12 consecutive years, Lynbrook Elementary has received the Healthy School Award for having the largest number of students in the Healthy Kids Fun Run, making it the leader among participating schools. In 2011, Lynbrook registered 300 for the one-mile fun run that was held on Oct. 29 in Arlington, VA.

“Since the Healthy Kids Fun Ran began, the teachers and parents of Lynbrook Elementary have taken an active role motivating their students to participate and serving as a model for other schools that also benefit from the Healthy School Award program,” saysAngela Huff, MCM Deputy Director.

As part of the Healthy School Award, Lynbrook Elementary will receive $1000 and each student will receive healthy snacks from MCM sponsor Sodexo. Also in conjunction with the award assembly, the National Children’s Museum’s “Museum Without Walls” team will feature programming focusing on physical fitness and activity for the students during the school day.

MCM Director Rick Nealis and Miles the bulldog mascot presented the Healthy School Award to Lynbrook administrators and teachers, while U.S. Marines from Marine Corps Base Quantico performed PT exercises with the students. Traditionally, Lynbrook also added their own pageantry to the ceremony by raising a championship banner to the school gym rafters.

Lynbrook Elementary is one of five Northern Virginia schools to receive the Healthy School Award. The final award presentation will be held at George Mason Elementary School in Alexandria, VA on Feb. 16.

The 2012 Healthy Kids Fun Run opens for online registration at noon Eastern on April 4 at www.marinemarathon.com. Parents can register kids for the event that will be held on Saturday, Oct. 27. Schools or organizations interested in registering groups of students can contact Amy Beaulieu, MCM Communications Coordinator at amy.beaulieu@usmc.mil or (703) 784-2357.

Voted the “Best Marathon for Families” and the “Best Marathon in the Mid Atlantic”, the Marine Corps Marathon honors the dedication, sportsmanship and patriotism of its participants. Runners from all walks of life participate in the largest marathon not to offer prize money, earning the name “The People’s Marathon”.