Article by Bruna Bradford, DPMR President
I am a wellness specialist at Kings Beach Elementary and a Girls on the Run coach. For seasons, whenever I visited classrooms to announce Girls on the Run registration, the boys would get legitimately upset that there wasn’t a program for them. Driven to find a similar curriculum for boys, I finally discovered Let Me Run.
To my surprise, not a single elementary school in our region offered it—the closest chapter was all the way in Silicon Valley. Fortunately, our school district fully supported me in bringing the program here, and I was able to recruit an amazing group of volunteer coaches with deep running backgrounds and incredible life skills. We were especially fortunate that four of our volunteer coaches are members of the Donner Party Mountain Runners (DPMR), bringing their passion for the local running community straight to our kids.
From a Small Spark to a 23-Boy Crew
Initially, I expected around 14 boys to sign up. To my amazement, enrollment jumped to 20, and then finally capped at 23.
Every single practice was a new lesson and a new adventure. We ran on the trails and along the beach. They didn’t have to run when it was pouring rain or when the snow was falling on us—but they absolutely wanted to. The boys actively looked forward to hill workouts on the trails, and they loved dunking their heads in the creek or the lake to cool off. There were plenty of emotional moments, and there were definitely tough moments. But never once did I see these kids divided.
Over the course of the season, these 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders formed an unbreakable bond. They were always willing to help and support one another. Ultimately, we coaches learned just as much as the boys did. It quickly became clear that this wasn’t just about running—it was about never giving up on each other.
Conquering the Sierra Trails
When I invited these 9- and 10-year-olds to join the Donner Party Mountain Runners (DPMR) newbie runs, they were initially a bit intimidated by the “big runners.” But having them join us was pure joy. The adults adored them, and the boys felt incredibly welcomed.
Many of our runners are from Hispanic families, and their parents came along to support them, even hiking up the mountain a bit to watch. Our 9-year-olds, who were technically supposed to be training for a 3-mile race, ended up tackling nearly 6 miles of rugged Sierra Mountain trails alongside the veteran runners. They took time to play with garter snakes, splash in creeks, and even won swag from Tahoe Mountain Sports.
Seeing this diversity was the most rewarding part. Parents who didn’t speak English felt comfortable enough in our club to bring their boys back the next week when it was freezing and snowy, thanking us for making their kids feel so special. Trail running is all about love—love for nature, for our community, and for our people. That is a language we all share.
Race Day Triumph
On May 31st, the boys finally ran their official 3-mile race at the Rainbow Run Rock & Roll. They passed with flying colors, and it was amazing to see the sheer sparkle of pride in their faces. They had an absolute blast.
If you see a boy around town wearing a neon green t-shirt that says “Let Me Run,” know that he is one of our Kings Beach boys. My absolute dream team.
The Coaching perspective
Alexandra Blennerhasset is a DPMR member and has coached the boys through their journey. This is her testimony of how transformative the experience was for the community:
About two months ago, Bruna introduced me to the group as “Coach Alex from New Zealand.” At that first practice, I saw a collection of boys who all knew each other but mostly stuck to their own groups. There wasn’t really a cohesive Boys on the Run team yet. Over the past two months, I’ve watched them encourage one another with high fives, mantras, and compliments, and I’ve watched them push themselves both mentally and physically. While they still seem convinced that sprint-walk repeats are the best way to tackle every hill, they’ve shown me what it looks like to take on challenges without hesitation. Most importantly, I’ve watched this group come together as a team. The Rainbow Run, with its nonstop cheering and support for every runner, was the perfect example of just how much they’ve grown.
A Special Thank You
Coach Alex Blennerhassett, Coach Lonny Mallery, Mike Tebbutt, Katena Sanford, Justin Ockinga, and Tabbie Magner—none of this would be possible without you. Thank you for caring so much for these kids.
A massive thank you also goes out to the Donner Party Mountain Runners. DPMR members generously stepped up to pay for all of the kids’ race fees, ensuring that financial barriers didn’t stand in the way of our runners crossing that finish line. We are incredibly grateful for this community’s immense generosity!
Another reason to be proud of all that DPMR stands for- thank you everyone who made this possible. I look forward to seeing this newest batch of runners out on the trails!
My son loves the program and can’t wait for fall edition!
This is so beautiful. Thank you Bruna for making this happen. Let Me Run has been the topic of conversation in my classroom, in my carpool and in my home since it started. The kids absolutely loved it and are already talking about next year.