Greenbriar West Elementary School Run-Walk Club Promotes Healthy Lifestyles

The Greenbriar West Elementary running-walking club, sponsored by the PTA, is in full swing for the new school year. 

For the last 10 years, students have met to run and walk. The club was founded by PE teacher Jason MacMillin and the late Leslie Lynk.  It started as a recess activity then grew into a before school club in 2009. 

Students meet before school to run and walk and earn tokens for each mile they‘ve run or walked. 

"The students carry a running card with them as they run or walk around the Chantilly High School track," MacMillin explained in an email to Patch. "They mark off each lap as they go and after they complete four laps, one mile, they get to pick out a token.  They are given a chain that they can put the tokens on and wear around their neck."

MacMillin says students are encouraged to participate in local fun runs and 3-5 kilometer races to earn more tokens.

"I try to pick a few local races to advertise to the students and encourage them to participate," MacMillin said. "We use the races as a way of setting fitness goals." 

Last year Greenbriar West Elementary held its first annual Fun Run with the help from the PTA and local Girl Scouts.

Some of the students who have participated in the Run Club have gone on to run track and cross-country in high school. 

"The most rewarding part for me is seeing the students out running and having a great time," MacMillin said. "Sprinkle in seeing some parents come and join in with their children, which is encouraged, is a added bonus.  When you see a student with twenty five or thirty tokens around their neck and then you hear them talking about making it to forty or fifty, you know you have done your job and that awesome."