Ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes To Visit Aiken Elementary

Ultramarathon runner and motivational speaker Dean Karnazes will stop at Aiken Elementary Wednesday as part of his cross-country run to promote healthy living.

“The kids are blown away by what he’s doing, which is awesome,” said health and phys ed teacher Jenn Watenpool, herself a runner although she’s taking a break while pregnant.

Watenpool said students have been following Karnazes’ progress on a map and are using his run to learn about nutrition—Karnazes must take in some 10,000 calories a day for fuel, or about five what the average adult requires.

Third through fifth graders get a chance to run a 5K—3.1 miles—with him, Watenpool said.

The kids have run the one-mile course and Watenpool explained to them that they’ll be doing that three times. She also explained that Karnazes will have already been running the morning he visits and will continue to run afterward.

The 40 to 50 miles a day Karnazes has been averaging has been a bit difficult for some of them to understand and for some parents, too, Watenpool said.

Watenpool said the Aiken community is excited, too. The Keystone Oaks marching band will perform, the Pirate Parrot will be on hand and Panera Bread and Donut Connection will provide refreshments.

Aiken is the only Pennsylvania school Karnazes will be stopping at.

Karnazes’ run is part of “Regis & Kelly’s Run Across America with Dean Karnazes." He started Feb. 25 and expects to finish in mid-May with a run into LIVE’s New York City studio, tallying nearly 3,000 miles.

His run benefits Action For Health Kids, which fights childhood obesity and undernourishment.