Missouri Marathon Takes Final Lap
Constitution-Tribune
Monday, May 24, 2010

C-T Photos/Butch Shaffer

CAPTION: Central School Principal Philip Pohren and Chillicothe Mayor Chuck Haney gave the students some words of inspiration before taking off on the final lap.

Chillicothe, Mo. — The final victory lap of the Missouri Marathon was held Friday, May 21 at Central Elementary School. Each Monday, each student would update their mileage on their marathon log.

Each class would also take their total mileage to see how many hometowns of their famous Missourians they could reach. The fourth grade quickly reached Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Jesse James' in Kearney, Samuel Clemen's in Hannibal and even the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder in Mansfield. The students soon realized that together as a class they could reach many of the border states that they have studied. Many classes reached Florida, Texas, and even Canada.

The students put all of the fourth grade mileage together to see how far they could have traveled. The grand total was 5,013 miles.

All together they reached the continents of South America, Africa, Europe and even Asia.

Grants for the project were awarded by the Northwest Region of MSTA and the Chillicothe Educational Foundation.

Copyright 2010 Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune.