The North Colorado Health Alliance supports “Mileage Clubs,” which are before-school walking and running programs in local schools. The goals of the Mileage Clubs are to increase physical activity levels in children, families, and school staff.
Mileage Clubs currently take place at the following schools:
- Romero Academy 4-8
- Salida del Sol Academy
- Madison Elementary School
Mileage is tracked daily through “Lap Tracking” software, and students receive incentives as they accrue miles. In the first year of the program, there were over 800 participants and over 3,000 miles were logged! Students from the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) are hired are coaches for the clubs. Support for this program comes from the Colorado Health Foundation.
The UNC Department of Sports and Exercise Science is conducting an independent study on the Mileage Clubs to evaluate the effects on the before-school physical activity on academics, student behavior, and attendance.