The energy was palpable at the Whitefish High School track last week as children zipped around, yelling and waving their arms, while training for the kids version of the Two Bear Marathon.

Over the next two months, children participating in the Two Bear Kids Marathon are encouraged to run. That’s it. Just run.

They track their progress individually, and on Sept. 6, they come back together to complete their 26th and final mile.

“Other marathons have a kids version of their actual race,” said program founder, Richard Menicke. “It was our goal to get something like that in place here.”

Menicke says organizers of the Two Bear Marathon wanted a way for the marathon to become more community-centric. This year, he worked with The Wave to create the new program just for kids.

Menicke and volunteers from the high school track team will run another training camp for kids on Aug. 6. Children learn proper posture, breathing and style for their running, while parents learn about running safety.

“It’s a self-paced program that encourages families to be active,” Menicke said. “It’s a simple way to get moving over the summer.”

For more information, or to register for the program, visit online at www.whitefishwave.com/two-bear-kids-marathon.