Boise fitness coach Justin Levine completed his 25th marathon of the year at a local elementary school, raising funds to help kids afford youth sports programs.
BOISE, Idaho — It wasn’t a typical Friday at Cynthia Mann Elementary School. While students tackled math problems inside, one determined father was solving his own equation outside: 130 laps around the school equals one marathon.
Justin Levine, a local youth fitness coach, completed his 25th and final marathon of 2025 on Friday, capping off a year-long fundraising challenge for his nonprofit, Inspire Kidz.
“Today is the culmination of a year -ong journey that I set out at the beginning of the year to run 25 marathons to inspire kids,” Levine said before starting the race at 8:45 a.m.
Levine created Inspire Kidz at the beginning of the year to raise funds for children who can’t afford to participate in sports.
“The number one barrier for kids to play sports is cost,” Levine said. “We know the hardship that it can be for other families, and so we want to just bridge that gap. That’s what this is for.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only about 25% of children nationally get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
Over the past year, Levine ran his other 24 marathons across the Treasure Valley.
“I would step out of my doorstep early in the morning, everyone’s asleep still, and say, I’ll be back around 10 and make them pancakes when I get home,” he said.
But Friday’s race brought the challenge home, literally. Levine and his family live down the street and chose his children’s school for the final marathon.
His GoFundMe has raised over $7,000, and Levine said he’s received other donations, putting them at about $12,000 total this year. Levine has helped hundreds of kids by paying for uniforms, scholarships and event registration fees.
“I don’t want a cost to be the reason why they don’t play a sport or get involved in a fitness activity or go run the Harrison classic, and because it may change their life, one event, one season of sports, could change their life,” he said.
During Friday’s recess periods, students at Cynthia Mann joined Levine on his route, running lap after lap alongside their neighbor and coach.
“They get to see this, and I think it’s going to open their eyes to what’s possible,” Levine said.
Among those students was 9-year-old Si Johnson, who plays football under Levine’s coaching.
“I consider him more than a coach,” Johnson said. “He really helps people.”
Johnson said Levine offers encouragement even on difficult days, like when the young quarterback struggles on the field.
“He tells me, ‘Si, be positive about yourself.’ And even though I threw, like, three interceptions, he’s like, ‘Si, it’s okay,”‘ Johnson said.
Parent Jackie Forrey also ran laps on Friday to support the mission. She said the cost of youth sports has become prohibitive for many families.
“Even a middle-class family, it’s expensive to do almost all the sports,” Forrey said. “There’s families here at our school that can’t even afford all the food.”
Levine finished the marathon in just under four hours, surrounded by the students he ran for. An emotional crowd cheered as he crossed the finish line.
“It was a very emotional ending,” Levine said afterward. “When you run for something bigger than yourself, it’s that is accentuated.”
Though the 25 marathons are complete, Levine said Friday’s finish line marks just the beginning for Inspire Kidz.
“I think we opened up some eyes today,” he said. “These kids are unbelievable, like it’s just so cool to see and to give them some hope and inspiration in a tough world that we’re living in right now.”
Levine said he hopes the nonprofit will continue serving Treasure Valley youth year-round, personally connecting with each child who receives assistance.
For more information about Inspire Kidz or to donate, visit the organization’s website. Or their Instagram page.
