by Cynci Calvin
The California International Marathon has always been a nonprofit organization. From its inception, the Sacramento Running Association unanimously agreed that proceeds from the CIM should be contributed to the running community. This is quite unique among running events, since most of them benefit disease-related or cause-related organizations. The CIM Board has always believed it is essential to support running and runners, because as the running community grows, the overall health and well being of our community improves.
Frank Shorter YOUTH FITNESS - The CIM's First Beneficiary

By 1987, thanks to wise Executive Board decisions, excellent race management, and generous sponsorship funds, there were sufficient event proceeds to warrant a decision about an appropriate charity. Various options were reviewed to determine ones that would benefit the CIM’s mission to promote and give back to running. Since the future of running depends on drawing our youngsters into the sport, a unanimous decision was made that youth fitness was the “winner.”

Youth Fitness Program Information
Frank Shorter with fans at the 1987 CIM Celebrity 5K
Ruyack/Ryun
Kenny King
The original 5K fun run, called the Celebrity 5K, was initially established in 1986 and was held on the day before the marathon at several locations, including Cal Expo. It attracted local media personalities as well as famous runners such as 1972 Olympic Gold Medal marathoner Frank Shorter and high school mile record holder Jim Ryun. Parents, marathoners’ friends, and many of the marathoners themselves participated often with their kids, causing the CIM board to realize that this event could be the centerpiece for a youth fitness program.
TV Personality Beth Ruyack with Jim Ryun at the 1986 CIM Celebrity 5K 87 CIM Fun Run
Kenny King finishing the inaugural CIM
Start of the 1987 CIM Celebrity 5K at Cal Expo.
In the spring of 1988, Kenny King, the California International Marathon’s oldest finisher (77) at the time, passed away. Kenny King was an avid fitness buff his entire life, and when he retired at age 66, he took up running, saying, “I don’t want that old rocking chair to get me!” His son Ken King, Jr., found that running was a great way to enjoy his Dad’s company and the two of them became regulars at most of the Northern California running events. They both ran the inaugural CIM and the 1984 CIM. Then Kenny backed off a bit and ran the early CIM Celebrity 5K Runs. They belonged to the Capital City Flyers, and made a point of running the Bay to Breakers each year beginning in 1980. It was during his ninth Bay to Breakers in the spring of 1988 that Kenny died, just 100 yards from the finish line. Read more about Kenny King is this article written by Kenny King Jr. just before the 1988 CIM. Shortly thereafter, the Sacramento Long Distance Running Association, fully aware of Kenny’s dedication to the benefits of running, approached his son Ken about setting up a youth fitness program dedicated to his father. Ken wholeheartedly agreed, and in 1988 the CIM renamed the Celebrity 5K the “Kenny King Fun Run” and developed a youth running program, targeting eighth-grade kids and younger, to train to complete the 5K distance.
88 CIM maraFUNrun
In the fall of 1988 the Kenny King Youth Fitness Program was launched in the San Juan School district and more than 1,000 kids signed up. It included distance goals, incentive rewards to run those distance, and had the primary mission to teach our children that “running is fun!” to help them establish running as a life-long fitness tool.  Today's Kaiser Permanente Youth Fitness Program has exactly the same format and goal. Speed is not emphasized; enjoying the running and finishing each workout is.
 
The following year the program expanded countywide, and over the years more than 35,000 youth have participated. To tie the fun run more closely to the marathon, the distance was shortened to a catchy 2.62-miles and was titled “maraFUNrun.” Also connecting it to the marathon: if a youth runs the total distances recommended in the Youth Fitness Program, including the maraFUNrun, that child will have run a total of 26.2 miles and will receive a real marathoner’s finisher medallion.
What a difference a year makes! Start of the 1988 CIM 2.62-Mile maraFUNrun near 8th and Capitol Mall, location of the event ever since.
maraFUNrun art
Youth Fitness art The program is offered free to youths 13 and under, compliments of the California International Marathon. Training incentive items, marathon finishers medallions, maraFUNrun refreshments and entertainment, colorful maraFUNrun t-shirts and administrative costs (keeping track of all those participants each year is no small task!) are all provided by the CIM.
Kaiser Permanente has always been on the cutting edge of preventative medicine and has developed a multi-faceted effort to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity raging in the United States. In 2004, recognizing the success of the CIM’s Kaiser Permanente Youth Fitness Program and its parallel goals, Kaiser Permanente stepped up to become its title sponsor and also the title sponsor of the maraFUNrun. Kenny King continues to be acknowledged as the inspiration behind both these entities.
Muffet McCleneghan 05 Elizabeth McCleneghan
2010 marks the Youth Fitness Program’s 22nd year, and now its “graduates” have started to return to the CIM as full-fledged marathoners. An inspiring example is the McCleneghan family. Muffet McClenaghan is a middle school teacher and avid runner, who for many years coached a group of children from her school through the Youth Fitness Program. Among these children were her two daughters, who have since both run the CIM several times. In 2005, both Muffet and daughter Elizabeth won their age divisions! Elizabeth ran it in 3:03:00 for 1st in the 20-24 division; Muffet ran a 3:56:11 for 1st in the 60-64 division.
Muffet (l) and daughter Elizabeth (r) at he 2005 CIM.
The CIM Four Person Relay Challenge also has youth fitness as its primary beneficiary. In its early years proceeds from the Relay team entries were donated to the Sacramento Boys and Girls Club, and later, due to its ever-increasing number of participants, the CIM’s own Youth Fitness Program received these funds.
CROSS COUNTRY COURSE DEVELOPMENT

Youth fitness was the sole beneficiary of the CIM’s proceeds until the CIM board started to look at some of the controversies and dilemmas facing the Sacramento area’s adult runners and potential runners. Where can they run safely? Many tracks are closed to the public, development has robbed us of open space, and increased population also has meant increased crime and traffic. It was the death of a high school cross-country runner in 2003 that sparked action. She was killed while trying to cross Greenback Lane near its juncture at Madison Avenue during busy early evening commute hours. This tragedy struck close to the heart of the CIM Race Director, John Mansoor: both his kids are cross-country and track runners.
At just about this time the superb, nationally recognized cross-country venue at Sierra College was ruined by removing its starting area and track all together, replacing both with a parking garage and a football stadium. Concerned about the decreasing availability and quality of places to run, in 2003 the CIM Board unanimously voted to include allocating a portion of the events’ proceeds to “improving and developing regional running venues.” Siera Cillege map
Willow Hills XC work
RD John Mansoor went right to work – literally. In the spring and summer of 2004 he not only rallied the support of the media and civic leaders and wrangled with developers, but also donned a hardhat and manned some heavy-duty earth moving equipment himself. The first venue, the Willow Hill Cross-Country course, located on property next to Folsom High School, opened in the fall of 2004. Since then this venue has become the site of CIF section high school cross country meets, but also is open to the general public and attracts runners and walkers of all ages to its oak studded, challenging, but traffic-free hills.

Another project closer to Sacramento is the Granite Park Cross Country course/ running trail near Power Inn Road off of Highway 50. A potential course also near Folsom is on Aerojet property that cannot be otherwise developed due to environmental restrictions. Interesting how endangered species can become runners’ best friends!
John Mansoor (in the dozer) and friends help to build the Willow Hill XC Course.
AMERICAN RIVER PARKWAY
Running venues in the Sacramento area cannot be discussed without mentioning the American River Parkway, the incredibly spectacular fitness venue for our community. The casual observer would think, “It’s there, ready and waiting, relatively safe, beautiful, convenient – so what’s to improve?”

Those of us who have been to American River Parkway Foundation meetings in recent years, who receive updates from these meetings, and who follow Parkway issues, know all too well there is a lot to be done to protect and improve this precious resource. Funding is a huge part of this, as are the conflicts that occur between cyclists, mountain bikers, in-line skaters, equestrians, runners, and walkers.

The CIM has unanimously voted to donate a portion of its proceeds to the Parkway. In 2008, after the entry cap of 6,000 had been achieved, the CIM continued to receive requests for more entries. The CIM used this situation as an opportunity to raise funds for the Parkway by releasing 200 special entries for $200 each. They sold out and the entire amount from these entries will be presented to the Parkway.

Rather than simply writing a check for $40,000 to the Parkway’s general fund not knowing whether or not these funds will be used to improve the Parkway for runners, the Board met with The American River Parkway Foundation, the Sacramento County Department of Parks & Recreation, and the Sacramento County Supervisors to determine exactly how CIM funds can target American River Parkway running-related improvements.

One option was to widen the decomposed granite sides of the trail where these were quite narrow. This was deemed next too impossible due to the environemntalimpact study that would be required. CIM members then explored areas of the dirt running paths that parallel the bike trail.

They found that between Howe Avenue up to William Pond Park the trail was severely eroded and overgrown with brush. Improving the trail would not require an environmental impact study, trail running popularity is increasing as more runners discover that running on dirt is healthier, and having better trails will help to relieve the congestion on the paved bike trail. Solution settled!

In early November, 2010, an agreeent between the groups was made to dedicate the funds to improvements of the dirt running path. On November 18, 2009, the check for $40,000 was awarded to the American River Parkway Foundation.

Althugh the exceptionally rainy 2009-2010 winter has hampered progress, improvements are underway and we hope that many local runners will take a break from the pavement and enjoy this much improved running venue.		 2009 ARPF $40,000 Award
On November 18, 2009, the $40,000 raised From The 2008 CIM Charity Entries was presented to the American River Parkway Foundation. (L To R ) Leo Winternitz, President Nature Conservancy & ARPF Board Of Directors; Susan Peters, Chair, Sacramento County Board Of  Supervisors; Janet Baker, Director Of Sacramento County Department Of Parks And Recreation; Lucy Eidam, President, Sacramento Running Association.
AR Parkway
Looking ahead: In 2009 once again the CIM entry cap (this time of 7,000 entries) was once again achieved well ahead of the entry deadline, and 250 "Charity" entries were released at for $200 each. A portion of the $50,000 raised is being used for the First Annual Spring Youth Fitness Track & Field Program, targetting the Sacramento Unified School district, grades 3-6. The remainder will be dedicated to running venue improvements (to be determined).
updated 2/12/10