Students in Oakdale elementary schools – Cloverland, Fair Oaks, Magnolia and Sierra View – laced up the running shoes and hit the ground running for a good cause on Friday.

The Oct. 11 districtwide jog-a-thon gave youngsters the chance to raise some money, securing pledges from friends and family, and then running laps at the various tracks lined out on the campuses. Lower grades had a slightly smaller track area than their older counterparts.

Parents lined the track, offering shouts of encouragement, some blowing bubbles as students passed by, still more bringing in the popular ‘Big Head’ paddles to show support for their individual student.

Participants were able to get their laps marked off each time around the track and there were prizes presented to top runners in the various grade levels once the laps were counted. And though it was labeled as a jog-a-thon, students could walk, run, skip, jog – or any combination they chose during the roughly half-hour event.

Students were treated to some cool treats after the morning run. Money raised goes toward such items as field trips, student activities and more.