School Program
We hope this guide will help make it as easy as possible to participate with your students or youth group. All of the resources on this page are clickable and downloadable for your convenience. If you don’t see what you’re looking for please email as at schools@secret3k.com and one of our volunteers will assist you.
Registration for 2024 is open. Save the date on the week of International Women’s Day (March 6, 2024) and join us from anywhere in the world for our 7th annual Secret 3K run/walk! Schools all across Canada and around the world will join together on this day to celebrate everyone’s right to be free to run! You can see the developments by following our social media channels @Secret3K or by following the hashtag #Secret3K
how to get started…
Step 1: Register your school
Worried about the cost of registration for your school or youth organization?
We offer a subsidy program for schools who require it either because they will have fewer students able to participate or are located in lower income neighborhoods. We want this event to be accessible to all students.
Step 2: Make A Plan
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School groups can participate on Wednesday March 8th, 2023 at a time of their choosing. Some schools like to participate all together at lunch. Others choose to have classes each participate during their physical education time.
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For the best experience mark a path on your school grounds or local park. Some options include:
High School Basketball Court (84x50ft or 81.6m) - 36 laps
Around a soccer field (75mx55m) - 11.5 laps
Out and back route - 1.5km
*Although it may seems like a lot of laps, it is good to remind students that many of the women in Afghanistan train for the marathon in a space even smaller than the size of the school gym since they cannot train outside. Imagine doing 504 laps! That’s the number of times it would take to do the whole marathon if you were running around a high school basketball court.
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Please ensure each student has signed any participation forms required by your school.
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We have included a sample parent letter for your convenience in which you can insert your school’s details.
Step 3: Share with Students
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Help your students to train for the Secret 3K by providing them a training plan specifically designed by running expert, Martin Parnell.
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Please see our message to students which you can use to introduce your students to the Secret 3K and the story behind the race.
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The lesson plan provided below can be adapted to any age group to use in advance of the Secret 3K or on the day of the event.
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Share the film, The Secret Marathon which inspired the creation of the Secret 3K with your students. The 76 min version of the film is available for audiences 10+ and a Children’s Adaptation is recommended for audiences 10 and younger.
https://vimeo.com/thesecretmarathon/
We also have resources including discussion guides, questions students ask and an e-book available at
next steps…
Step 4: Pre Race Downloads
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Receive after registration
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Coming Soon
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Step 5: Post Race
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Available upon Registration
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Please share any photos to info@secret3k.com or by using the hashtag #Secret3K
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The lesson plan provided below can be adapted to any age group to use in advance of the Secret 3K or on the day of the event. If you did not complete the optional extension activity pre-race consider using it as a reflection post race.
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In the week following the race we will share the results of the race with you so you can let your students know how many people participated across Canada and around the world. We will also provide you a final tally of how much money was raised for our charity partners.
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You may also want to introduce your students to The Secret Marathon film by hosting a screening at your school. To learn more please visit https://thesecretmarathon.com/seethefilm
We also have a book, “The Secret Marathon” written by Martin Parnell which shares the stories of many of the women who participated in the Marathon of Afghanistan
Have more questions? Check out our FAQ page to learn more by clicking the button below or
email our school liaison at schools@secret3k.com
School Rate
Please note, we have a special group rate of $300 for schools and youth organizations. For a school with 300 students this is 94% subsidy!
Worried about the cost of registration for your school or youth organization?
We offer a subsidy program for schools who require it either because they will have fewer students able to participate or are located in lower income neighborhoods. We want this event to be accessible to all students.
Adapting the Secret 3K to Meet COVID-19 Restrictions
Curious about how your school can participate while following COVID-19 guidelines? Check out these handy suggestions prepared by amazing educator and running coach, Meghan Cornock-Martens by clicking here.