Of the 3,000 runners who braved the frosty weather Saturday morning on Harriet Island, 1,400 of them were girls in third through eighth grades. They ran a 5k as the culmination of a 10-week program with Girls on the Run, a nonprofit organization committed to helping young girls feel strong and healthy.
“It was an amazing day full of girl power!” organizer Kathleen Cannon said.
The girls each ran with an adult running buddy and a few hundred community members who showed up to run with them.
The program, which began in North Carolina in 1996, is done in small groups all over the Twin Cities. Its three goals are to help girls understand themselves, teach them to value relationships and teamwork and show them how they connect with the world. Running is used to inspire and motivate girls, encourage lifelong health and fitness and build confidence through accomplishment.
They meet twice a week for 10 weeks and then celebrate what they’ve learned with a 5k race.