Ritenour High School offers countless opportunities and activities for athletes, those who enjoy staying active, or those who are new to fitness and need a jump start. However, as of December 2024, Ritenour has joined other schools in the St. Louis area in a program called Students on the GO!

This program is a team-based program focused on fitness, run and managed by GO! St. Louis. Students on the Go focuses on training students to run the 10k, a 6.2-mile walk, or the half marathon, which stretches 13.1 miles at the Greater St. Louis Marathon every April.

English teacher Meredith Alton is a two-time staff representative for Ritenour in the program. She took the lead on finding the runners this year and has been impressed by the people who showed up.

“Students on the GO! is a program sponsored by GO Marathon. Their mission is to promote a community where students can do what they love and build relationships,” Alton said.

The program consists of 20 weeks of training to prepare for the marathon. The program not only supports students and staff while training, but it also encourages nutrition, increases motivation, and teaches students to use mental tools to carry out the program.

The weekday training was 2 to 3 days per week, Monday through Friday after school, while weekend training takes place on Saturdays at the designated location, starting January 25, 2025.

While Students on the GO! might seem like any other athletic program, it stands out from the others by being a heartfelt community. Students show up outside of school eager to walk the way or run while forming bonds with students from all over St. Louis. Runners often experience better mental and physical health, beginner or advanced.

“For me, I’m just maintaining something that I like to do, but running in general opens my mind, and I enjoy getting to know the students I meet,” Alton said.

Alton also believes that the program is special because the main competition seems to just be within each individual runner, rather than against each other.

“It’s a club so it’s more open to any athletic ability. There are new students and more competitive runners. It also connects them to opportunities outside of school,” Alton said.

Students on the GO! seems to attract a variety of students, ranging from people who are well-versed in running or athleticism to those who can’t run long distances just yet and just need some practice.

Sophomore Katrina Kesselring is already a member of the cross country team and enjoys the fact that she can interact with different people while sharing her passion.

“Compared to other athletic clubs, it’s a lot more welcoming and inclusive because you don’t have to be a good runner to do it,” Kesselring said.
During its short run at Ritenour High School, Students on the GO! has become a welcoming club with a positive community

and many benefits for students. A lot of athletic clubs and programs focus on the hard part of being active. However, Students on the GO! is home for those just starting who need to feel like they fit in somewhere.

“It’s a good use of time. It motivates you to run with other students and to keep going together,” senior Geydi Ulloa Cubas said.