HOLLYWOOD — As the days extend and weather warms, the Hollywood Boys & Girls Club hopes Tribal kids’ runs will get longer in a new partnership with Nike.

Nike’s Marathon Kids, a program designed to create youth running clubs that get kids to walk, jog or run a combination of four marathons, or 104.8 miles, invited the Hollywood Club to start the program right in time for summer. The club is hoping to get its kids to be more active every day and collectively meet that mileage within six months, beginning at the Marathon Kids kickoff party April 24.

Valentina Arce, Boys & Girls Club tribal wide youth events coordinator, said that the new program will take the place of a former fun run program at the club. The fun runs consisted of different themed runs and obstacle courses, but she believes the partnership with Nike will be more of an incentive to get kids active.

“We’re trying to get the kids to beat different milestones against themselves,” she said. “It’s not a race or anything like that, but we want kids throughout the program to run about 100 miles or four marathons per season.”

Every marathon – 26.2 miles – the club completes, Nike will send club members exclusive Marathon Kids gear. The rewards include T-shirts, custom shoelaces, custom shoe tags and exclusive 104.8 finisher wristbands for each marathon, respectively. At the end of each season, club members will also receive mileage certificates for their individual mileage completed throughout the program.

Arce said that Nike approached the club about the program and staff members felt like the program is a perfect fit for the students. There are currently 15 kids enrolled in the program, but she expects a large boost

“We’re all about giving our kids different opportunities and thought this would be a cool way to get them to work out and be healthy and get some Nike rewards in the process,” she said, adding that the main intent behind the new program is to get kids healthier, younger. “We just want to start the idea young. … Kids just kind of look at running as a huge chore instead of an enjoyment and a part of healthy living. We don’t push the kids or overexert, we just want to introduce them to it now because it’s super vital to their growth.”