Xavier Costello holds up th finishing tape at the WVU Medicine Children Mini Race.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — It was one foot in front of the other Wednesday morning for Xavier Costello and Legend Williams.

One foot in front of the other — very quickly.

The two are patients at WVU Medicine Children’s, and they helped turn the 10th-floor dayroom area into a sprinter’s track that would make any Olympian proud.

They took part in the Ogden Newspapers Fun Run at WVU’s Medicine Children’s, an event all about fun, fitness and breaking the monotony of any hospital stay.

Wednesday’s run was an offshoot of a larger gathering that happened May 24 in Wheeling, sponsored in part by WVU Medicine.

Ogden Newspapers, the parent company of The Times Leader, has been staging its now-signature Half Marathon Race in the Northern Panhandle since 1977, said Joe Lovell, race director and special projects coordinator.

Every Memorial Day weekend, runners take to Wheeling’s challenging terrain for “Wellness Weekend,” which includes the aforementioned race and other competitions designed to showcase the city while bolstering good causes in the community.

That’s why Lovell carried an oversized check with a very specific amount to the 10th floor.

Runners in Wheeling on Memorial Day kicked in a total of $3,054.09 to the cause. They could register and donate online simultaneously, Lovell said.

“Today’s great because it’s all about the kids and their families,” he said. “And it’s about the service that WVU Medicine and WVU Medicine Children’s provide to the region.”

Patients from West Virginia’s 55 counties come to the hospital in Evansdale for treatment. They arrive from surrounding states, too. They even cross oceans for care.

While gatherings such as Ogden’s Fun Run are, well … fun, they also punctuate the serious business taken on daily by WVU Medicine Children’s, said Marisa Sayre, executive director of development, marketing and communication for the hospital.

“This partnership with Ogden Wellness Weekend is a testament to the power of community coming together for the health and well-being of our children,” Sayre said. “We believe that caring for kids takes all of us — families, health care providers and community leaders — working side by side. We’re honored to join forces to build a healthier future for every child we serve.”

Xavier and Legend, meanwhile, were more concerned for the immediate moment Wednesday afternoon, which included an array of cupcakes from Sam’s Club, a co-sponsor of the run, waiting at the finish line.

Not that they aren’t thinking about their grownup years to come, mind you.

Xavier, 7, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, concentrates on kitchens these days.

“I want to be a chef,” he said.

“I thought you wanted to be a doctor,” came the reply from his mom, Sammie Costello.

“I’ll do both” was the quick response.

Legend, 6, who hails from Fairmont, West Virginia, is giving great thought to what he wants to be when he grows up.

“I’m thinking maybe a football player,” said Legend, who playfully bounced off the cushioned seats in the dayroom after his run.

“Kid’s a goofball,” his mom, Amber Williams said, grinning at Legend’s post-race antics.