Girls on the Run

 

Despite the nippy temperature—52F and a bit breezy, there was a joyful atmosphere last Saturday morning at the Cutface Creek Rest Area, the meeting spot for Girls on the Run (GOTR).

The chilly temperatures didn’t deter the sixteen grade schoolgirls, their parents, siblings, and friends from having a great time as they readied themselves to run/walk a 5k (3.1 miles). Waiting at the finish was a golden string beaded necklace for each finisher and a coveted donut from the World’s Most Famous Donut shop. That and kudos from their coach Lori Rothstein, friends and family who were on hand to participate or watch.

The kids were getting ready for one of the last training runs before a GOTR competition in Duluth.

The training run/walk was all part of a program new to Cook County, but one that has been around in Minnesota since 2012 and was first formed in 1996 by North Carolina’s Molly Baker, a four-time Hawaii Ironman triathlete.

Lori Rothstein is the county GOTR Co-Lead and coach. The local chapter is for girls in the third through fifth grades who have been taking part in an eight-to-ten-week program that culminates in a 5k run (3.1 miles).

 

Statewide there are more than 5,000 girls ages 8 to 13 who annually participate in GOTR, and since 2012 more than 20,000 Minnesota girls have taken part in either Girls on the Run or Heart & Sole, which is for girls in sixth to eighth grades.

“This is our pilot season, and the girls will be heading to Duluth on June 5 for their final 5k with other regional programs,” Rothstein said.

Girls on the Run Minnesota is a nonprofit organization whose aim is to strengthen “third to eighth-grade girls’ social, emotional, physical and behavioral skills to successfully navigate life experiences,” states the program’s website.

In addition to life skills, girls learn fitness. Unfortunately, statically girls lose self-confidence by age nine, and their physical activities start to decline from age ten and decrease through adolescence. Fifty percent of girls ages 10 to 13 experience some form of bullying and exclusion at a time when it is crucial to building peer relationships. That’s where Girls on the Run comes in.

 

“What I love about the program is how it brings girls together from across area schools to talk about important social-emotional qualities like what it means to be a friend, how to practice empathy, and what to do when you have a conflict,” Rothstein said. “Plus, they are gaining strength and confidence in their running too. It’s beautiful to see them cheer each other on and push through barriers and challenges as a team.”

The youngsters meet twice weekly for practices, said Rothstein. They gather at the Great Expectations school, training on a loop through a small wood around the school or running circles around the large parking lot. Like other athletes, this spring’s late snow hampered the kids but didn’t stop them.

 

The hope is to build upon this first year, Rothstein said. As for this year’s first class, the kids enrolled are enjoying the introduction to distance running, making new friends, and learning life skills.

Rothstein said there is a cost to join the program, but if parents or caretakers don’t have the funds to pay, the kids can join for free. If kids don’t have running shoes, there are provisions to make sure the kids get shoes. “That’s what I love about this program, there are no barriers to joining, and it’s not income-based,” she said.

Girls on the Run 5k races are the most extensive 5k series in Minnesota. More than 12,000 participants and spectators attend Girls on the Run 5ks each year.

And this year, a nice contingent of those girls and parents participating will be from Cook County, which is a lot to be joyful about.