CHICAGO – April 17, 2012 – Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) announced today that Dean Karnazes, known as the Ultra-marathon Man by runners world-wide, has joined its Team Healthy Kids, which will participate in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon this fall.

“I want people, especially kids, to understand that physical activity and healthy living are the keys to good health,” says Karnazes. “That’s one reason I run and it’s my motivation for teaming up with Action for Healthy Kids. The organization shares my goal of improving kids’ overall health and wellness.”

Action for Healthy Kids, a Bank of America Chicago Marathon associate-level charity, hopes to raise $40,000 for its school-based programs that improve physical activity and nutrition for kids by inviting runners to join Karnazes in the October 7, 2012 marathon.

This is the second time the ultra-marathon runner, author and motivator, has put on his running shoes to raise money for AFHK. Last year, as part of Regis and Kelly’s Run Across America with Dean Karnazes, he ran 3,000 miles and raised nearly $200,000 for the organization. During that extraordinary trek, Karnazes invited ordinary citizens to join him in 5K runs in many cities along his cross-country route. Now, runners will have an opportunity to join him again in Chicago.

Runners interested in taking on the challenge of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon for a good cause can join Karnazes on Team Healthy Kids. Each Team Healthy Kids runner will get a free, customized 18-week training plan from Kopf Running; Team Healthy Kids technical running shirts and singlets; fundraising support with an individual, customized FirstGiving Web page and an invitation to a post-race team celebration with Karnazes.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Dean Karnazes as we raise money for our programs that put kids on healthy paths,” says Rob Bisceglie, executive director of Action for Healthy Kids. “He understands now is the time to curtail the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic and is willing to go the extra mile, literally, to help us do it.”

To sign up or get more information about joining AFHK’s Team Healthy Kids, email Seth Kopf at teamhealthykids@actionforhealthykids.org. Learn more about Team Healthy Kids.