A group of fourth-graders from Deerfield School, in green shirts, and Prairie Park School, in blue, compete in relay races Friday at Kansas University's Anschutz Sports Pavilion. Lawrence fourth-graders participated in the Kansas Relays for Kids event, which included a 50-meter dash, javelin throw and long jump.

Lawrence fourth-graders got a taste of the Kansas Relays on Friday.

More than 700 students practiced the 50-meter dash, long jump and javelin throw under supervision of Kansas University student volunteers at Anschutz Sports Pavilion.

“It’s really fun, and you can ask them lots of questions,” said Ben Novorr, a Deerfield fourth-grader.

Novorr had stopped to take a breath while running around inside on the turf with his classmates Tanner Liba and Paul Bittinger.

The Kansas Relays for Kids is an annual track clinic that provides additional excitement to the youngsters’ normal physical education classes.

“The college students are doing a great job of reinforcing what we’re teaching as far as sportsmanship,” said Roger Morris, a physical education teacher at Sunset Hill and Woodlawn schools.

The atmosphere also gives the students a chance to exercise in a major college sports facility and to watch the competition later in the day at Memorial Stadium, he said.

Organizers said the event, sponsored by KU Health and Physical Education and KU Athletics Inc., gives the students a unique chance to experience the Kansas Relays.

“To see them screaming, running around smiling, it’s great for the kids,” said Kristen Sheahen, a KU junior from Buffalo Grove, Ill.

She was talking about a series of sprint relay races at the end of the morning that gave four students from each school’s classes a chance to run a race at Memorial Stadium later Friday.