By Susan Bromley
Staff Writer
Ortonville- It’s Tuesday afternoon and kids are running the streets of downtown.

Brian Moore rides his bike to keep up, but earlier, he slowed down enough in a busy life of teaching students economics at Brandon High School to talk about the new running club at Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School, which he coordinates with his wife, Sue Moore, a fourth grade teacher at BFIS.
“In this political season, the one thing everyone agrees on is that active kids are healthy kids,” said Moore. “They are getting outside and putting in miles with their friends, it’s a great atmosphere.”

The club, which has 38 participants, began at the end of March and meets every Tuesday and Thursday after school. Besides the Moores, other adult volunteers accompany the kids on the runs, which vary in speed and distance according to ability or that day’s energy.

“Our goal is to meet every kid where their current running level is,” said Moore. “We have three different routes around town and set up three different distances each day.”

Kids that are more experienced can run 3.5 miles, there is a 2.7 mile middle distance, and a 1.9 mile route for students who want to do a combination of running and walking. They also have flexibility to loop over and change to another group mid-route depending on how they are feeling.

The end goal of the club is to run the Bookin’ It For Your Library 5K Run/Walk, May 14, in the village. The club’s March start time gave the kids eight training weeks, which Moore calls the perfect amount of time to get them ready without overwhelming the students.
“They put in a certain amount of miles to get mentally and physically ready to conquer the Bookin’ It,” he explained. “We wanted to start when the weather was reasonable. We didn’t want them to run laps in the gym or have the weather so bad they wouldn’t enjoy it.”

Paige Thwing, 12, began running from a desire to do 5K races with her grandma. She also runs with her mom and she likes how she feels when she finishes a workout.

“You feel good after you run and it helps you stay fit,” said the sixth grader. “I like that you challenge yourself everytime you run and get faster times and you can relax after that.” Max Petit, 10 and a fourth grade student at BFIS, likes running and how it also helps him in soccer. He ran 4.2 miles on a recent Tuesday and received a trinket for his shoe, denoting he is a member of the “10-Mile” club.
“It’s hard, but it’s fun,” he said. “This will be the first time I’ve run a 5K. I just like running. I feel sore, my legs, I have to stretch them out. But I keep going.”

Eleanor Cox, 10, a fifth grade member of the running club, has competed in 5K races before with her mom. She notes it is hard in the beginning, but in the middle, “you get used to it.”

“I like running, it feels good to accomplish things,” she said. “It’s pretty fun to run with my friends. We stick together and slow down for each other sometimes.”

The young runners sometimes complain of exhaustion and various aches and pains, but they keep going.

“Some kids grumble that it is too much for them, but they keep doing it,” said Moore. “To me, part of the fun of being uncomfortable is realizing that everyone else is, too… I have no doubt that some of the
se kids will continue to run.”

He is excited for them to experience the Bookin’ It 5K, especially the ones who have never raced.
“When they get their shirt and show up, it will be that much cooler for them,” he said.“They should all be ready.”

The Bookin’ It For Your Library 5K Run/Walk, May 14, is open to all ages and all abilities. A Dewey Decimal Dash, a one-mile run for ages 12 and under, starts at 8:30 a.m., with the 5K start at 9 a.m.. The races begin and end at the Brandon Township Library, 304 South St., Ortonville. Early registration deadline is May 7. Cost is $20 and includes a T-shirt, or $15 without shirt for the 5K. For the Dewey Decimal Dash, cost is $10 with shirt, or $8 without. Maximum family price is $75. Online registration at runsignup.com or link to the site from www.brandonlibrary.org, where forms are also available for printing. Details: Robin Loughlin, 248-892-2762.