'Pied Piper' Runner Organizes Kids To Run Hartford Marathon for Charity
In a happy recrafting of the Pied Pier tale as marathon story, a school teacher organized 52 kids to run the marathon with him for charity. Now his idea is catching on.

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By Josh Clark
Posted Wednesday, 26 June, 2002

HARTFORD, CT - Steve Migneault is very likely the first runner ever to cross the finish line of his first marathon with a gaggle of jubilant fourth- and fifth-graders in tow.

"I took the turn to go into the finish, and there were 25 or 30 kids who all jumped in, and we crossed the finish line together," recalled the Connecticut gym teacher of his October 2001 marathon. Turns out the kids were a few of Migneault's students, all of whom had earlier that day run a portion of the United Technologies Greater Hartford Marathon with him.

Call it a happy recrafting of the Pied Piper tale as marathon story. In an inspired charity effort, Migneault and a group of 30 parents last fall organized 52 children to run the marathon with him in half-mile shifts, raising pledge money for their school and for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center. The result: $16,800 raised (exceeding their goal of $10,000) and 52 kids hooked on running.

"The kids told me they really liked the actual running and being out on the course amid thousands of people, getting cheered on by the crowd," Migneault said.

More young runners will have the same opportunity this fall, since Migneault's idea is catching on. At the Greater Hartford Marathon on October 12, nearly 300 students from 11 regional schools will be on the course, this time running mile shifts to raise money for charitable causes. The effort is part of a new program called Jeff's Running Partners, in honor of the late Jeff Partridge, a stalwart of the Hartford running scene who died in February. The 2002 marathon will be dedicated to his memory.

"Jeff was passionate about running, and he was passionate about children," said Beth Shluger, Partridge's running partner and race director of the Greater Hartford Marathon. "This would make him proud, with the amount of money that can benefit kids and the amount of kids we think we can get excited about running. This is a special program, and we're putting our heart and soul into it this year."

"Jeff's death was such a tragedy. It will be a great tribute to him to get the kids involved," said East Hartford Mayor Tim Larson, who will be a runner in the program this year.

If Migneault's first-year experiment is an accurate guide, organizers may discover more children who want to run than there are slots available with the teacher runners. When Migneault last year put out the call for 52 runners at Kelly Lane Intermediate School in Gramby, over 70 students stepped up. Migneault had to stage a lottery.

"I was surprised," Migneault said. "I knew that the kids were excited, but I was really impressed that so many parents would pitch in. Considering all of the details, to follow such a tight schedule, to go into Hartford, to spend all day at the marathon, it was pretty terrific.

"And that was the first year," Migneault added. "We can already tell that the interest this year is peaking. It's definitely higher this year, and there are already kids and parents asking how they can get involved."

The Jeff's Running Partners program is just the latest of several charities officially affiliated with the Greater Hartford Marathon, including the Leukemia & Lymphona Society and the Arthritis Foundation.

"Charity is a big deal to [the Hartford Marathon] and becoming even more so," said Shluger, adding that last year's marathon helped raise $220,000 for charity through pledge programs. "I've set my own personal goal of having a half milion dollar impact on charitable organizations by next year."

Migneault has his own set of goals: raise $20,000 and run a 4:20 marathon. "We raised $16,800 and ran 4:50 last year. Why stop now?"

Related info:
> Washington Raced Here: a Profile of the Greater Hartford Marathon

> United Technologies Greater Hartford Marathon Website

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