TRAVERSE CITY: On Saturday, May 27 at 5 p.m., 1300 girls from the regional program Girls on the Run of Northwest Michigan will run their final 5K. The start will take place on Eastern Avenue by Traverse Central High School and finish on their track. The girls will be joined by their coaches and 800 support runners (family and friends of Girls on the Run). All runners must be registered and wearing a Girls on the Run T-shirt.
The 1300 girls come from 8 counties across Northwest Michigan. This year, Girls on the Run of Northwest Michigan has 49 sites within those counties and 193 volunteer coaches. Girls on the Run of Northwest Michigan is an Independent Council of Girls on the Run International, which has a network of 200+ locations across the United States and Canada. Girls on the Run® is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.
Girls on the Run inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experiential-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. Each site meets twice a week for roughly 10–12 weeks. At each practice, life skills are taught through dynamic, conversation-based lessons and running games. The curriculum is taught by certified Girls on the Run coaches and includes three parts: understanding ourselves, valuing relationships and teamwork, and understanding how we connect with and shape the world at large.
Running is used to inspire and motivate girls, encourage lifelong health and fitness, and build confidence through accomplishment. At each season’s conclusion, the girls and their support runners, complete a 5K running event. Completing a 5K gives the girls a tangible sense of achievement as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. The results—making the seemingly impossible, possible; and teaching girls that they “can.”
The final 5K for Girls on the Run of Northwest Michigan is a community event. The race will be put on with the help of 120 volunteers from various agencies in the community. There are also a number of sponsors that donate food, prizes, and in-kind donations.
For registration and any other information, please contact Therese Larson, Executive Director of Girls on the Run, at (231) 256-9803, or email: tlarson@co.leelanau.mi.us
—Press Release Provided by Girls on the Run of Northwest Michigan