Primary school students have been given another incentive to put pen to paper.Swan’s Running Club are holding their first Primary School Essay Competition which is open to all of the Island’s primary school students.Cash and book certificates will be awarded for the top three essays.The essay competition is the brainchild of club running coach Kimiko Scotland.“We started a kids club last year for primary schoolchildren and have already done a few things with them,” said Swan’s Running Club President Mayberline Black. “Kimiko Scotland, who coaches our kids, said why don’t we do an essay competition for the kids out there for all the primary schools.”The young participants have been encouraged to write an essay no longer than one hundred words about a current or past local runner, explaining why they feel their subject could be considered as a local hero or an inspiration to young people.Ms Black hopes that writing an essay about a national running hero or role model will lure participants to the sport.“We figure the essay competition will get them interested in runners and if they have to write an essay about them then they have to find out about them so that would hopefully get them more interested in the sport,” she said. “The essay competition will help raise their awareness of the sport and give them more insight into what athletes have to go through and what they’ve accomplished.”Invitations have already been distributed to all of the Island’s primary schools.The deadline for submissions is September 20.All essays must include the name of participant, school and age and dropped off at the Youth Library on Church Street, Hamilton.They must also include the name and contact details of a parent or guardian.Respective winners will be notified prior to September 27.Ms Black said her organisation has not ruled out the possibility of making the essay competition an annual event.“We’re hopeful it can be held annually,” she said. “We would like to do it annually, but it all depends on how it goes the first time.”Swan’s Running Club started the kids club to encourage healthy lifestyles among primary school aged children.“We found that a lot of kids were overweight and were just sitting around playing video games so we started the club just to get them aware of running and healthy,” explained Ms Black. “That’s the main reason why we started the kids club and hopefully this will get them out doing something.”