500 Festival KidsFit Program

The 500 Festival KidsFit Program is available to all K-6th grade students in the state of Indiana (classrooms or groups).

The 500 Festival KidsFit Program was created by the 500 Festival as a 10 or 12-week running and physical education program for K-6th grade students across the state of Indiana. KidsFit activities and lessons meet the Indiana Department of Education’s Indiana State Academic Standards for Health and Physical Education. The program includes weekly activities with a step-by-step guide for any interested teachers in Indiana. Basic items such as jump ropes, cones, and stopwatches are needed to perform the weekly activities that are geared toward the Indianapolis 500®.

In addition to the weekly lessons and activities, students are expected to complete one mile of running or walking each week with the “Start Your Engines Running Plan.” Starting with Week One, the program will gradually grow in difficulty with longer running periods to build the students' stamina. Students are able to complete the running portion as a group or on an individual basis. Students will log and track their progress. The goal is for students to run 13.1 miles over the course of the program, the equivalent of a half-marathon.

Once you have registered your students to participate in the program, you will receive an email from the 500 Festival confirming registration. In the middle of January teachers will receive information on how to access the online KidsFit portal where you can download the curriculum, classroom and student incentive charts for students to track their progress and KidsFit Program completion certificates.

The 500 Festival has tried to make it as easy as possible for teachers to administer the Program in their classrooms, gymnasiums, athletic fields, or parking lots by providing a step-by-step lesson/activity curriculum. The curriculum packet will provide some basic props needed to complete activities. Teachers will just need basic physical education equipment like jump ropes, stopwatches, cones, etc.

No, the program is completely FREE to Indiana schools, classrooms and running groups!

Each student who completes the program will receive an official certificate of completion when they finish the program.