Schools

Downers Grove Students Run to Set Guinness World Record

About 340 Pierce Downer students and parents joined more than 5,000 people worldwide Friday to set the record for most people to run 100 meters in 24 hours.

Pierce Downer Elementary School in Downers Grove helped set a Guiness World Record on Friday for most people to run 100 meters in 24 hours.

About 340 students and parents participated in the run, which took place immediately after school. They joined more than 5,000 people worldwide who ran 100 meters between noon Friday and noon Saturday.

"We were hoping for 300 participants, so we're really pleased with the number of families that came out for the run," said Colleen Loftus, a Pierce Downer parent who serves on the school's Healthy Kids committee.

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The initiative—called "Run for the Planet"—was sponsored by National Geographic Kids magazine, which supports First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" campaign to make Americans healthy and active.

Loftus said the school decided to participate in the run after a student read about it in National Geographic Kids.

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"The Healthy Kids committee is always looking for activities that promote exercise and health, so we thought this would be a great thing for our students to get involved in," Loftus said.

National Geographic Kids also set out last week to break the record for the longest chain of shoes, which will be recycled into athletic surfaces, according to a release.

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