Philadelphia students run for more than time at IBX Broad Street Run

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Broad Street will be shut down Sunday morning as about 40,000 runners take part in the Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run, including a large team of Philadelphia middle and high school students racing for more than just a finish time.

Hundreds of students from Students Run Philly Style will line up for the 10-mile race after months of training alongside mentors from the organization. The nonprofit serves students in grades six through 12 across the city, combining running with mentorship and personal development.

"It's a mentoring organization for young people in grades 6 through 12 all across Philadelphia and our mentors and our students train together to run the Broad Street Run and other large races across the city," said Lauren Kobylarz, executive director of Students Run Philly Style.

Ahead of race day, students gathered for a breakfast celebration to mark the end of training. The athletes carbo-loaded with pancakes and orange juice catered by fellow students, fueling up for the miles ahead.

"To see us grow from having 50 students in year one to nearly a thousand in year 22, it's pretty incredible to watch how our community has grown," Kobylarz said.

Among the runners are Kalebe Mukama of West Catholic Preparatory School and Oscar Lin of Team Attic Youth Center. Both students were honored at the breakfast with the $10,000 Go! Farther Scholarship in recognition of their accomplishments through the program.

"I love seeing the crowd," Mukama said.

Lin said the program has provided a sense of belonging and personal freedom.

"I feel like I can generally be myself without the pressure of trying to cater to others," he said.

Mukama said he hopes his experience encourages others facing challenges.

"Anyone who's out there who's going through, adversaries, challenges, I want to encourage them to keep going and keep striving for excellence," he said.

The Broad Street Run stretches from Broad and Fisher to the Navy Yard and is expected to draw thousands of spectators, creating a citywide celebration.

"It's an iconic race for the city; it's also a milestone for our students," Kobylarz said. "10 miles is an incredible distance, a huge achievement and so I'm really proud of all of our students in making this happen."

Students Run Philly Style will host a cheer zone for runners at mile seven, located at Broad Street and Washington Avenue, where students' families and supporters are expected to add to the energy along the course.