Broad Street Run set for Sunday morning

As a sea of runners engulfs Broad Street early Sunday morning, nearly 500 of them will be students from Philadelphia's public schools.

The middle and high school students are members of Students Run Philly Style, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sending positive messages to youngsters through running.

In its seventh year participating in the Blue Cross Broad Street Run, the group has swelled from 50 students in 2005. The runners will be joined by 150 volunteer mentors who have helped the students prepare for the 10-mile race.

"It's way more than running. It's about giving people a positive influence," said program director Heather McDanel, who will be running the race for the first time in seven years.

Luigi Borda, the second-year team leader of Masterman's Students Run Philly Style program, is proud of the noncompetitive aspects of the program.

After a student finishes the race, the runner is instructed to go back on the course and find a teammate to finish with again. This measure, which Borda borrowed from another team leader, ensures that no runner finishes the race alone.

The seventh-grade social studies and geography teacher said the program helps students set goals and builds camaraderie.

"It's awesome," Borda said. "Running is easy and free. Anyone can do it."

The course begins at Central High and winds through North Philadelphia, Center City, and South Philadelphia before finishing in the Navy Yard.

Entries for the race sold out in record time in January, as the 30,000 allocated spots were snatched up within four days.

Last year, Alene Reta of New York finished first in 48 minutes, 10 seconds to capture the men's race. Buzunesha Deba of New York won the women's race in 55:13 after finishing second in 2009.

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