Girls on the Run Hits the Pavement
Annual race highlights training program
GIRLS ON THE RUN, an international program that works with hundreds and thousands of girls, has become a staple in eastern North Carolina.
The local Girls on the Run caters to 1,500 girls from surrounding counties as part of its affiliation with the Wilmington Family YMCA.
On May 17, many of them will run with their parents and friends as part of an annual 5K race that benefits Girls on the Run.
The program is more than an opportunity for exercise and competitive running, says Amber Rogers, the local council director for Girls on the Run and STRIDE, which is a similar initiative but for boys.
“It is designed to allow every girl to recognize her inner strength with a ten-week curriculum,” she says about Girls on the Run.
In those ten weeks, the girls receive lessons on fitness, nutrition, goal setting, teamwork, and defining themselves on their own terms.
Girls from grades three to six explore the challenges they face while being coached on self-created resolutions.
It’s the program’s curriculum that makes it stand out compared to other running programs, Rogers says.
“They also develop important strategies and skills to help them navigate life experiences,” Rogers says about the participants. “We start with helping the girls get a better understanding of who they are and what’s important to them.”
In the upcoming race, 500 girls, as well as another 200 boys in STRIDE will participate in the OrthoWilmington 5K run, which is a fundraiser for the youth running programs.
“In Girls on the Run we encourage any type of movement as long as they are moving in a forward motion,” Rogers says. “If they want to skip, then we encourage it. It they want to do cartwheels, we encourage it. Any type of movement is better than none.”
Even some parents have become inspired to train with their daughters, Rogers says.
“I have some parents this season who are training with me in our YMCA couch-to-5K program so they can complete the 5K with the daughter,” Rogers says. “It is an awesome bonding moment with families.
“Every girl has a running buddy on race day to encourage her. Most of the time, this is a parent or family member, which is great. Not only does the program get the girls interested in fitness, but also her family now.”
Being affiliated with YMCA keeps the costs of the program low, Rogers says. The Girls on the Run organization is a nonprofit and can exist on its own or through a partnership with another organization such as the YMCA.
It costs $70 to participate in the program through the local YMCA. But it would be at least $100 more if the program ran on its own and without an affiliate organization such as the Wilmington Family YMCA, Rogers says.
“Also with our partnership we are able to give financial assistance to children in need and provide the program for those girls at $25,” she says. “My partnership with the YMCA has been wonderful and they provide so much support. I do not think my council would be as large without their partnership.”
