Getting students to run is a daunting task for both the students and the teacher, but it is something that needs to be done. I thought it would be a good idea to use the 'athletics' unit and the upcoming sports day to promote running within my lessons.
The students and I had the discussion in our first lesson about the benefits of running and some of the challenges, both physically and mentally. We came to the conclusion that there is more chance of enjoying running if we were fitter.
I initially got the idea from somewhere on social media, where a particular PE teacher had students run (I think 10 minutes) and recorded their distance. This would be done on a lesson/weekly basis to see their progress. This teacher went further, by getting the students to compare and compete from other students in the world via a google sheet, which I think is a great idea.
For my Year 5 classes, with the time constraints, I asked students to run 2 laps with a time cap of 5 minutes. This way it doesn't eat too much into my lesson, where beating their previous time is the target. When I first started, I had several students who did not finish in each of my classes and I asked them to aim to get closer to the finish line next time, until they finished the challenge before the 5 minutes time cap. Coming to the end of the unit, I have had two out of the six Year 5 classes completely finish before the 5 minutes, with the rest of the classes only having 2-3 students who have not finished. However, they are less than 100m from finishing. The students compare their score across the whole of the year 5 and set themselves a goal time for next lesson.
Watching students finishing and surpassing their expectations is a moment worth cherishing. They are so motivated/inspired after that they push themselves further for each session, that they crave for more. I had one student who did not finish in the first lesson, but did in the second and then for three consecutive lessons, beat her time by 30 seconds each time. I've had students who use different running strategies per lesson to beat their personal records and other students who aim to run one lap without stopping.
Regardless, students seem to be motivated and want to carry it on throughout the year, when I initially had planned only for the athletics unit. There has also been a better sign up for sports day this year compared to other years, especially for long distance running. Long may the run continue!