Girls on the Run to celebrate 10 years and 10,000 girls

Girls on the Run Cincinnati will celebrate its 10-year anniversary May 10 as 104 teams of girls cross the finish line of what will be, for many of them, their first 5k. 

“We like to say it’s a party with a race at the end,” says Mary Gaertner, GotR senior program manager. 

And according to Gaertner, there’s a lot to celebrate this season. In addition to 10 years of inspiring third- through eighth-grade girls with self-confidence, the nonprofit will also celebrate coaching its 10,000th girl. 

“There’s definitely a few girls I can think of that this is maybe the first physical activity they’ve done, and they went on to run cross country in high school,” Gaertner says. “Or they credit it with giving them the confidence to stand up to bullies or to pursue other goals they have.” 

By the time the race occurs, the girls will have spent six hours a week for the past 12 weeks engaging in a lesson-based curriculum that incorporates running; so the event is a culmination of their hard work. 

“My favorite thing is to stand at the finish line, and when you see the girls coming and they see that finish line in site, they understand what they’ve done,” Gaertner says. “It’s a delayed gratification to work 12 weeks for something—it’s significant.” 

Do Good:

• Support GotR by registering for the 5k or by volunteering at the event. 

• If you are participating in a race with any organization, support GotR by joining the SoleMates program.

• Register your girl for the fall session of GotR, or sign up to be a volunteer coach.

By Brittany York

Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a project manager for Charitable Words. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.