With Help From Local Mentoring Program, Students Prepare To Run Philadelphia Marathon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Students Run Philly Style is a mentoring program that offers marathon training to young people. KYW's Suzanne Monaghan spoke with some students who will run Sunday in the Philadelphia marathon.

Mollica Ing, 17, is one of 77 Run Philly Style students who will take on the 26-point-2 mile course.

"It showed me that I can do whatever I set my mind to. Before, I couldn't even run two miles straight. I can do 15 miles now and I'm so proud of myself."

Director Heather McDanel says that pride, accountability and discipline transcends beyond the running.

"We track results, we track their physical changes, we track their goal setting, we track their academic outcomes and all of that we see tremendous improvement in."

So those who participate experience both a physical and emotional transformation. Running leader Joseph Whelan is one of the trainers.

"So many of them are going so much farther then they've ever gone before and to see the big smile on their face and their hands held high in the air when they finish that distance is a pretty cool thing."

Reported by Suzanne Monaghan, KYW Newsradio