The streets of downtown Birmingham are filled this morning with thousands of children participating in the Mercedes Kids Marathon.
The children are running the final 1-mile leg of 26.2 miles they committed to run over time. Race organizers were expecting about 3,100 kids to participate today. Fifth-graders took off running first at 10 a.m. in black T-shirts, to be followed by younger grades in different color shirts every 12 minutes. Stephanie Gilliland, a physical education teacher from Oneonta Elementary School, said this is the third year for students from her school to participate in the race. Her students have been running every Tuesday and Thursday in preparation for today’s race, she said. The school participates in the race for the benefit of the kids’ health, but the students also know the money raised from the event goes to charity, Gilliland said. Eight-year-old Parker Gilliland said he was nervous about the race as he stretched with fellow students McKenna Mitchell, 8, and Erin Roberson, 9.
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