A piece of Chartiers Valley Primary School is featured in a new exhibit at the Heinz History Center’s Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.
Memorabilia from the Kids of Steel program at the school will be displayed at the Sports Museum’s locker room-style exhibit. Student William Coperich’s running gear is highlighted.
The exhibit features William’s race clothes, charms, running shoes and medal from the 2023 Kids Marathon.
William, who has been involved with the program since he started kindergarten, is now a third grader at the Intermediate School.
He said his personal belongings being included in the exhibit is “mindblowing.”
“It was amazing that I was going to be in the history museum,” he said.
The Kids of Steel program, managed by P3R, which operates the Pittsburgh Marathon, has chapters in more than 250 schools in Western Pennsylvania. It aims to promote healthy living for children and their families.
Each school operates their program a little differently, but all with the same end goal of having students run the Kids Marathon during Pittsburgh Marathon weekend each spring.
“When we redid the Sports Museum locker room, we wanted kids to find themselves in the space and to tell a significant story of sport,” said Anne Madarasz, director of the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.
Madarasz said the museum decided to focus on the Kids Marathon because it’s the largest in the country, involving 5,803 kids from programs across the region in 2023.
Kids of Steel is going into its 11th year at Chartiers Valley Primary School, said teacher and club adviser Shelley Territ. Its first year had about 25 students participating — and since has grown to more than 160 students from kindergarten to second grade.
Territ runs the program Wednesday mornings before school. A lifelong runner, Territ aims to make the runs fun but also educational on correct running form, pacing and being healthy. She, along with support from school teachers and principals, create themes for students to run to, along with matching music. That has evolved to decorations, costumes and inflatables.
“The kids really have a good time,” she said.
What seems to be most motivating to kids is the “charms” they can earn by attending each practice and a physical reminder of their efforts, Territ said.
Madarasz said William represents the thousands who participate in the Kids of Steel program and the marathon.
“It’s a great opportunity to talk about an innovative, successful program that encourages kids to have fun while exercising and competing,” she said.