Pasadena Half Marathon: Group helps at-risk kids train, improve their lives

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- More than 12,000 runners took part in the Pasadena Half Marathon this weekend, including a group that helps at-risk teens improve their lives.

Isabel Aguilar's daughter Gloria was one of the runners with Students Run LA.

The group helps at-risk students improve mentally and physically by training them to set a goal of competing in the Los Angeles Marathon, now less than eight weeks away.

"She has to have a balanced breakfast every time she does it. She has to be committed. She has to train with the group," Isabel Aguilar said.

The Rose Bowl's 50-yard line marked the finish to what organizers bill as a scenic race route through Old Town Pasadena and other landmarks.

The half marathon includes a 5K event and a quarter-mile run for kids.,

"It's lots of different body types, lots of different ages," said Steven Powell, an executive with the race organizers. "Anybody can do it. Remember it's more mental than physical in most cases."