Do you need a better way to motivate your kids to run and to help you keep track of their mileage? Have them run a marathon! They can do it in a very systematic, motivating way. This set of activities consists of lap mileage cards that can be adapted to varying sizes of playgrounds. Also there are awards and charts for every 5 mile increments.
The powerful part of this program are the lap mileage cards. They let the kids know how far they have run and how many more they have to run to get to each goal. (You have just applied math with PE.)
You just need to know how many laps make a mile, and then choose your card. As your students run, mark each lap using a color marker. I recommend using a different color the next day to prevent cheating. After they run, collect the cards and they are ready to go for next time. (Copy card on letter size card stock and fold.)
Use a surveyor wheel or pedometer to figure out the number of laps to make a mile. Older children can do this. You can have them do an estimated mile or adjust the path of the track to make it more accurate.
For added motivation, I give Toe Tokens for every 5 miles that they put them on their shoe laces.
Enjoy! Your kids will be turned on to running.