Students Eye Finish Line at LA Marathon

For decades, the nonprofit Students Run LA (SRLA) has trained tens of thousands of middle and high school students from greater Los Angeles to compete in the LA Marathon. For the six months leading up to the LA Marathon — which takes place every year in March — SRLA galvanizes students from Los Angeles schools to train alongside adult mentor teachers and participate in six community races of progressively longer distances that prepare them for the day of the marathon. 

SRLA provides mentorship and opportunities for civic engagement beyond its marathon training. The runners participate in community service projects throughout Los Angeles. The lessons learned throughout the marathon training program and the community service programming translate directly to measurable success for the participants. Data show that SRLA students stay in school and graduate at a higher rate than their peers and more than 75 percent of the students proceed to attend college. GRoW is delighted to support SRLA's mission.