ODDyssey Half Marathon

The ODDyssey Half Marathon is proud to announce Students Run Philly Style as it's official charity for the third year in a row.  Portions of proceeds from the event will be donated to Students Run.  Please consider an additional donation upon registering for the race.

Students Run Philly Style is the only program in Philadelphia that offers  marathon training to help young people succeed in life.  We do this by connecting students with adult mentors who help them imagine and accomplish goals beyond their dreams, including the completion of a marathon.

Based on a similar initiative in Los Angeles, the program delivers powerful results for youth, including increasing high school graduation rates, improving health, providing safe choices after school and developing positive relationships with caring adults.

Almost half of Philadelphia’s children are overweight or at high risk for becoming overweight*. Students Run students addresses childhood obesity by getting students off the couch and into a healthy lifestyle.  We build life-long athletes by getting youth involved in running—a sport that anyone can do, anytime, anywhere! 

In a city where almost 7,000 juvenile arrests were made in Philadelphia last year**, Students Run combats soaring youth violence by providing students with a safe after-school activity led by strong adult role-models in the form of our running leaders.

After training for something as difficult as a marathon, getting an A in History doesn’t seem so impossible anymore!  The self-esteem, goal-setting and discipline our youth learn through running translates into improved performance in the classroom.  Now that’s something to be proud of! 

*Data from Report Card 2007: The Well-Being of Children and Youth in Philadelphia