The runners raced along the Main Walkway and filled the University Stadium in the Billie Jean King Sports Complex, where they ended their 2-kilometer cross country competition and basked in their success on a sunny Saturday morning. Cal State LA hosted the event as part of its mission to collaborate with community partners on initiatives that benefit the people and neighborhoods served by the university.
The Run4Fun Festival is the culminating event for the LA84 Foundation’s Run4Fun Program, which introduces Los Angeles County middle school youth to distance running.
The 10-week program leverages existing physical education classes and after school sessions to introduce students to running for fun, fitness and competition.
The youth who participated in the Dec. 8 Run4Fun Festival are sixth, seventh and eighth graders from the Los Angeles, ABC, Long Beach, Mountain View, Glendale and East Whittier unified school districts, as well as local charter schools.
The LA84 Foundation is a nationally recognized leader of youth athletics programs and public education that highlights the role of sports in positive youth development. LA84 was created with a share of the surplus funds from the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Cal State LA hosted the Olympic judo competition in the University Gymnasium.
# # #
California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 26,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.
Cal State LA is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex and the TV, Film and Media Center. For more information, visit www.CalStateLA.edu.
