Noble Students Run, Learn, and Lead After School

There are plenty of signs of spring that Clevelanders look forward to each year: crocuses and daffodils poking up through the snow, longer daylight hours, and – for the residents who live near Noble Elementary School – the sight and sound of nearly 70 children jogging along their streets after school.

You read that right. There are 67 third, fourth and fifth graders signed up for the Noble Run Club, who meet after school every Tuesday and Thursday to run laps around their neighborhood. 

The Noble Run Club is the passion project of Intervention Specialist Lynne Gaines. She’d been one of the advisors for Girls on the Run when teaching at Oxford, but felt that the benefits of participation should be extended to boys as well. Upon conducting research, Ms. Gaines learned that exercise – and in particular, running – is among the best remedies for behavioral and emotional issues. 

She said it worked for her as a kid and as an adult. “Running is a stress reliever for me. And participating in sports definitely kept me out of trouble as a kid.” So she revamped the program and opened it up to boys as well, first at Oxford and then at Noble, starting in 2024. And the Run Club just keeps growing. 

They meet twice each week for a brief social-emotional lesson and some instruction on how to take care of one’s body. She sees kids coming into school eating candy and Takis first thing in the morning, she said, making it hard for them to pay attention and learn. She wants students to understand the connection between how they treat their bodies and how they feel. Run Club is a natural place to impart that knowledge since the students can see the impact in real time.

The club also has other benefits, such as creating the opportunity for children to shine at something meaningful who may not always shine in the classroom. “I feature an Athlete of the Week to give them the chance to be recognized for something positive.” 

Run Club alumni also have the chance to learn leadership skills as 6th and 7th graders from Baumgardner Middle School are welcomed back each week to act as mentors and coaches. 

“My ultimate hope as a teacher is that children enjoy their day at school. This kind of extracurricular gives kids hope and motivation.” And they certainly seem to love it, asking all year when Run Club will start up again. The neighborhood loves it as well, with residents standing on their front porch or in their yards cheering and offering words of encouragement as students run down their streets. 

But the popularity of the club means that Ms. Gaines needs the help of additional volunteers. While some parents stay and walk or run with the kids, she could use even more, including those who are available to take students inside to the bathroom or help to hand out snacks, refill water bottles, or count laps. Those laps matter because the students are working up to a real goal: participating in the Tiger 5K on Saturday, May 16.

A highlight of the Noble Run Club, and of the entire community, the Tiger 5K is an opportunity for the students to gather with runners from across the district to test their endurance at a 3.1 mile race and celebrate all they’ve accomplished.  

If you’d like to get involved with the Noble Run Club, even on a sporadic basis, fill out this Google form with your availability. You can get your steps in, enjoy springtime in Cleveland, and help kids learn valuable life skills all in an afternoon.