Students Run Philly Style sets completing a marathon as a goal for its teen participants. While students who do so can earn a sweatshirt, Ms. McDanel says they gain so much more. “The important lesson is that nothing is impossible,” she says. “Kids realize they can do anything they put their mind to.” This program teaches students about their inner strength and helps them stay focused, Ms. McDanel says. As a result, they do better in school. Ms. McDanel says she picked long-distance running as a sport for children because the results speak for themselves. All the hard training pays off. “You can’t fake it,” she says. Another benefit is that running doesn’t require a lot of equipment or expense. To participate in the Philadelphia program, children need to be at least 12. Following doctors’ recommendations, the program requires that they be at least 15 before they run a full marathon. In 2012, 800 students took part in Ms. McDanel’s program. About 200 adults are teamed up with students and run with them. The adults also provide encouragement and mentorship. Ms. McDanel says she tries to keep the program fun. Sometimes, the students learn about Philadelphia’s history as they run past old buildings and sites. Heather McDanel Long-distance running builds children’s strength and focus Running can change someone’s life, says Heather McDanel. She tells the story of one 12-year-old boy who was overweight and at risk for developing diabetes when he joined her running program several years ago. He couldn’t go far at first, struggling to run around a block. But he kept at it. Soon he was able to run six to eight miles during a typical workout. After the boy had trained for six months, his doctor was surprised to see he had lost 45 pounds and was no longer considered overweight. Ms. McDanel says she started the program, called Students Run Philly Style, in 2004 to help young people reach their full potential. Because that 12-year-old boy stayed with the program, she says, his achievements went well beyond losing weight, toning muscles, and becoming healthier. He had run three complete marathons —each one is 26.2 miles—by the time he was 17 years old. Reaching the finish line of such a long race gives a person a great deal of pride and confidence, she says.