Nineteen students at Marco Forster Middle School in San Juan Capistrano once again took on the LA Marathon thanks to a program set up 21 years ago by SJC Rotarian Ray Perez who has run more than 25 marathons.
The first time the students ran the L.A. Marathon they did not have any equipment so SJC Rotary enlisted the help of Big 5 Sporting Goods to furnish running shoes.
Since then, the organization "Students Run LA" (srla.org) provides equipment and training. Students discover their best selves and learn how to make plans for the future. During their training the students start by running 5K, 10K and 30K races.
SJC Rotary now pays for transportation to the Marathon as well as overnight accommodations at the Bonaventure Hotel.