Austin ISD students at Patton Elementary kicked off their Marathon Kids season Sept. 25 with music, cowbells and pom-poms.

"Ultimately, what we want the kids to say is 'I get to run' instead of 'I have to run,'" said Jason Daniel, CEO of Marathon Kids.

The details: More than 20,600 AISD students at 96 campuses took part in the free program last school year, working toward running or walking 26.2 miles. Teachers track miles in real time through the Marathon Kids Connect app, and schools will gather again in May for a finisher celebration.

Zooming out: AISD adopted an $887 million budget in June, closing a $181 million shortfall with $205 million in cuts. Earlier options included adjusting elementary PE, art and music schedules.

Marathon Kids is now launching its "Keep Austin Kids Moving" initiative, aiming to raise $50,000 to sustain programming at participating campuses.

"Our belief is that it takes an entire community to raise healthy children," Daniel said.

Brooks Running sponsors the program, and its Girls Movement serves girls in grades 4-8.

The team at Austin Regional Clinic's South 1st Pediatrics location is celebrating its 5-year business anniversary.

The gist: The South Austin location first opened on Oct. 4, 2021.

ARC South 1st Pediatrics offers pediatric services specializing in child care, alongside Bone density scans, DEXA body composition scan and lab services. Mammograms are expected to become available soon.

• 3816 South 1st St., Austin

Check out the latest transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

Austin Transit Partnership approves lease for new downtown office: The ATP board approved a $13.5 million agreement to lease office space for 48 months at 203 Colorado St.—the agency's current office—as well as space next door at 201 Colorado St. Officials said this will help as the agency anticipates growing as Project Connect plans move forward.

Blakey Lane plan advances with Jessica Place connection: Bastrop is moving ahead with a Blakey Lane extension intended to connect the Sendero and Burleson Crossing shopping areas with businesses to the east. The plan has drawn opposition from Riverside Grove residents over opening a subdivision street called Jessica Place to through traffic.

State invests approximately $1.5B in Austin-area roadway improvements: Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Department of Transportation recently announced a 10-year transportation plan that will invest almost $140 billion in roadway improvements across the state. The funding includes $95 billion for projects across the state and $43 billion for development and routine maintenance.

Students at Gus Garcia Young Men's Leadership Academy in East Austin now have access to AR/VR, 3D printing and AI tools after Austin ISD unveiled a Verizon Innovative Learning Lab at the school Sept. 24.

Why it matters: The program was created to give students at Title I middle schools digital skills, according to Arizona State University. Students use design thinking to solve problems in their own communities.

The details: The lab at 7414 Johnny Morris Road is one of 200 nationwide. Verizon funded it with two partners:

• Heart of America redesigned the space.

• ASU's J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute provides curriculum and teacher training.

Garcia joined Verizon's Innovative Learning Schools program in 2019. Every student and teacher there gets a device and up to four years of data, according to the district.

Last fall, Gov. Greg Abbott deemed Texas "the epicenter of AI development" during an event about Google's data center investments in the state.

Since making that remark, the Republican governor has issued several directives aimed at regulating AI-powered data centers. Meanwhile, state agencies are expanding their use of artificial intelligence in government services.

The overview: At the state level, one of the primary uses of artificial intelligence is to improve government efficiency, said Tony Sauerhoff, who leads the Texas Department of Information Resources.

Down the road, that will likely mean reducing the number of staff members at state agencies, Sauerhoff said, noting that agency leaders are being "intentional" about those changes.

Zooming in: When asked which state agencies will be most impacted by AI in the coming years, Sauerhoff pointed to the Texas Department of Transportation.

TxDOT uses artificial intelligence in a variety of forms, including to analyze transportation infrastructure, determine which construction projects should be prioritized, optimize road safety plans and manage the flow of traffic, according to its AI strategic plan.