Who do we serve?
SRO serves students at Oakland inner-city public high schools. Both genders are equally represented in SRO, and the students' race and ethnicity reflect the diversity of their schools. Most come from low-income families living in neighborhoods with high rates of violence and substance abuse, and many will be the first in their family to earn a high school degree. In SRO's earlier years, the number of students who joined and ran the marathon each season ranged from roughly 15 to 25. In the 2005-06 season, the program grew to 50. SRO hopes to expand to reach more students at additional schools.
What do we do?
During the five-month training season, the students commit to participate in after-school group runs and cross-training sessions, which are overseen by school-site captains and volunteers. On the weekend they come together, along with the adult volunteers, for a longer run on Bay Area trails. These longer runs are critically important for gradually increasing the students' athletic endurance. They also participate in a couple of Bay Area 5K and 10K road races. Training and racing at different locations gives them an opportunity to explore scenic areas of the Bay Area unknown to most of them; to meet their peers from other schools; to talk to the adult volunteers about the students' problems and aspirations; and to achieve a series of important, incremental goals on their way to running a marathon.
What does the program provide?
Each student receives:
- coaching and mentoring
- running shoes and attire
- transportation to the training runs and races
- healthy snacks
- tutoring
- clinics on proper nutrition and substance abuse prevention
- access to 24-Hour Fitness in downtown Oakland for cross-training sessions
- paid entry into local road races and the LA Marathon
- airfare and lodging (supervised by chaperones) for the Los Angeles Marathon
In addition, graduating college-bound seniors receive a scholarship when they provide a college admission letter and if they write an essay about their SRO experience.
The program is offered free of cost to the students; all we ask for is their commitment and their adherence to a code of conduct (see Student Obligations). The program is supported 100% by contributions from individuals in the community, foundations, and corporations.