Now in its third year, the Performance Food Group 10K Healthy School Challenge, which is organized by the Sports Backers, rewards middle schools or high schools for having students sign up for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K. Prize money will be awarded to the schools with the highest percentage of participation based on total school enrollment for both middle and high schools. In addition, the Sports Backers provided training T-shirts to participants in the Healthy School Challenge that registered for the event by March 1, 2008.

The top five schools in the middle and high school categories will be receiving cash prizes for their high student participant percentages.

In the middle school category:

1st place:  Millwood School, $500 
2nd place:  Short Pump Middle School, $400 
3rd place:  Hungary Creek Middle School, $300 
4th place:  Midlothian Middle School, $200 
5th place:  Moody Middle School, $100 

Congratulations also to Swift Creek Middle, Chickahominy MS, Evangel Christian School, New Community School, Powhatan Junior High, Providence Middle School, Richmond Christian School, Richmond Waldorf School, St. Mary's Catholic School, and Wilder Middle School, who also participated in the Performance Food Group 10K Healthy School Challenge.

In the high school category:

1st place: Trinity Episcopal School, $500
2nd place: Maggie Walker Governor's School, $400
3rd place: Caroline High School, $300
4th Place: Cosby High School, $200
5th Place: Midlothian High School, $100

Congratulations also to Hermitage High School, LC Bird High School, Benedictine, Richmond Christian, and Varina High School for encouraging their students to participate in the Performance Food Group 10K Healthy Schools Challenge

10K Champions Visit Short Pump Middle School - A trio of America's top 10K champions led by Olympian Abdi Abdirahman and including NCAA champions Josh Moen and Macharia Yuot, met with students and discussed running, nutrition and life lessons this morning. The discussion, moderated by Runner's World Magazine's Bart Yasso, started with the showing the highly acclaimed ESPN video on Macharia titled "The Lost Boys of Sudan" that chronicles his life leaving war-torn Sudan and finding haven in the United States thanks to his running abilities. Short Pump Middle School was second in the Performance Food Group 10K Healthy School Challenge with almost 80 students signed up to run the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K.

Olympian Dan Browne Visit - Echo Lake Elementary School in Henrico County hosted dual-event Olympian Dan Browne in recognition of school having over 100 kids in their recess running program. Children's musical performers Silly Bus sang their get-up-and-go song "Watch Me, I Can Do This." After discussing running and nutrition with the kids, Browne jogged with the running club members. The Echo Lake Elementary School runners will participate in the First Market Mile Kids' Run.

Varina High School Football Team - When the Sports Backers need help with the heavy lifting of crowd control fencing and barricades at the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K, they call on Varina High School football team. Kids and coaches put their muscles to the set-up and take-down tasks and earn money for their program. "It's a fundraiser for them, and it's obviously a way for us to have a lot of really strong people to be able to move a lot of equipment," says Sports Backers executive director Jon Lugbill. "They raise money so the whole team can go to football camp together in the summer."

Abdirahman Wins USA 10K Men's Championship at Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K