Not just a running program - a path forward.
MileUp
A nationally recognized youth diversion and mentorship program to keep young people on a positive path.
A Restorative Approach
A Restorative Approach
MileUp is Students Run Philly Style’s youth diversion program designed to keep students ages 11-17 out of the criminal justice system, build protective factors, and prevent long-term system involvement.
In partnership with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, MileUp serves Philadelphia youth facing misdemeanor and/or felony charges. The program creates connection and community for young people in Philadelphia and provides positive, healthy habits and relationships that students can carry with them throughout their lives.
MileUp runs in two 12-week cohorts per year (Spring and Fall) and follows the SRPS model with the goal to complete either the Broad Street Run or the Philadelphia Half Marathon. The team is led by youth advocates – who serve as mentors, coaches, and case managers – and supported by volunteer and peer mentors (MileUp program alumni). We also provide additional support with Drexel University’s Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice.
When students complete the MileUp program milestones, they have restitution fees paid to victims, the opportunity to have charges dropped, and they become eligible for expungement of arrest. MileUp also provides peer mentorship employment opportunities for students upon program completion.
Our Goals
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Provide youth with a positive caring adult relationship to help them reach short and long-term goals and remain outside of the juvenile justice system
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Help youth build skills to overcome adversity and manage stress through exercise on the way to positive achievement across all aspects of their lives.
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Provide a restorative, strengths-based option to increase positive outcomes in youth diverted away from juvenile system involvement.
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Build in restitution support to reduce potential debt and continued system involvement for youth and their families.
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Provide youth with long-term sustainable support.
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Increase family/guardian engagement and create opportunities for youth to have positive interactions with law enforcement.
Running isn’t just about the finish line — it’s about who you become along the way.
Running isn’t just about the finish line — it’s about who you become along the way.
At 14, Lucas was heading down the wrong path until one decision changed everything for him. Through Students Run Philly Style’s MileUp program, he found structure, purpose, and a community that believed in him. Running didn’t just open new doors — it helped him step into who he is today, returning as a mentor to guide others on the same path.
Students Run Philly Style’s MileUp program offers young people an alternative pathway away from the criminal legal system — pairing mentorship with long-distance running to build confidence, resilience, and accountability. As participants complete key milestones like running the Broad Street Run, their restitution is paid and their charges are formally dropped, giving them the chance to move forward without a criminal record. This groundbreaking program helps change the trajectory of young lives through movement, support, and belief.
Because for Lucas and so many others, running isn’t just about the finish line — it’s about who you become along the way.
“MileUp is a one-of-a-kind diversion program that helps us hold young people accountable while keeping them out of the court system. In its first season, I was especially impressed with how MileUp advocates and volunteers used long-distance running to cultivate goal-setting, decision-making, and commitment among young people and I’m confident these are skills they will carry with them long after their time in the program.”
- Aditi Sherikar,
Former Director of Juvenile Diversion Programs, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
Interested in MileUp?
For more info, please contact: Kailyn Schneider, Program Manager of Justice Initiatives