Since its inception in 2015, RunJumpThrow (RJT) has reached 500,000 children through physical activity programming, according to USA Track & Field (USATF). The hands-on learning program, created in partnership with The Hershey Company, gets children ages 7 to 12 excited about physical activity through the foundational track and field skills of running, jumping and throwing.
“Reaching half a million kids is a testament to the strength of how USATF’s successful partnerships multiply the reach and success of our programs,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel. “Together with Hershey, we are committed to continuing the growth of RunJumpThrow even more in the years to come and creating an exciting environment to instill the benefits of physical activity.”
With lesson plans available for executing RunJumpThrow as a single-day event or a six-week learning curriculum, the program features stations that incorporate a range of fun physical activity. Partnerships with organizations like Let’s Move! Active Schools, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, SHAPE America and DC Parks and Recreation have been a key element in the growth of RJT across the United States, with RJT having a presence in 50 states and three countries.
USATF has made RunJumpThrow the centerpiece of its post-Rio Victory Tour to celebrate Team USA’s historic 32 track and field medals at the 2016 Olympic Games. After previous Victory Tour stops in New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles, the Tour this week hits the Washington, D.C. metro area, with gold medalists Michelle Carter, Natasha Hastings and Jeff Henderson encouraging school children to run, jump and throw.
For more information on RunJumpThrow, visit runjumpthrow.usatf.org.
USATF is the national governing body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States.
