She Uses Her Love of Running to Help At-Risk Kids Girls on the Run (GOTR) they’ll tell you it’s not really about running at all. The program was founded in 1996 by Ironman triathlete Molly Barker, M.S.W, in an effort to create a safe space for young girls. GOTR, actually, is about empowerment—running and exercise are just the tools used to teach it.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the organization, which has coached and mentored two million girls across all 50 U.S. states and throughout North America.
“Girls on the Run develops social and emotional skills through physical activity,” Allie Riley, Ph.D., M.S.W., senior vice president for programming and evaluation, told Runner’s World. “We do that by creating a safe space for girls where they can be themselves.”
What is Girls on the Run?
GOTR is an after-school program for girls in grades 3 through 5 that uses a research-based curriculum to build social, emotional, and physical skills, and teach habits for a healthy life. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.
“Girls on the Run is a social and emotional program that uses a running curriculum—it’s not a running program,” Radford Lathan, program manager for GOTR NYC, told Runner’s World. “But we know that running is a really powerful tool for self-regulation, emotional regulation, and having control over some part of your life.”
There’s no question that young girls experience a drop in self-confidence in the years leading up to puberty. According to GOTR, that drop starts by age 9, and physical activity levels start to decrease at age 10. The teen years don’t get much better—50 percent of girls ages 10 to 13 experience bullying, per a report from GOTR.
Lathan, a lifelong runner, knows firsthand how running and physical exercise can boost self-confidence and help recenter worried minds.
“I’ve lived on three continents, I’ve lived all over the world, but running is my constant companion and trusted friend,” she said. “It’s how I’ve met my closest friends, how I circle back to check with myself. As a parent [of a toddler], my one long-standing date is a run by myself on Saturday morning.”
How can GOTR help young girls?
Songia Wynn, 22, participated in GOTR in 2009 as a fifth-grader. Today she’s a senior at Duke University studying African and African American Studies, with minors in education and chemistry. She’s also on the pre-med track.
You love running. We love running. Come join us!
You love running. We love running. Come join us!
“At first it was awkward for me,” Wynn told Runner’s World. “We talked about our bodies—we jumped right in. But I got more comfortable with the group, and I learned so much about myself and my body. The experience showed me that I’m more than I thought I was and I can do more than I think I can do.”
It’s been 12 years since Wynn participated in GOTR, and 12 years since she ran her first 5K with her team. But the driven college student tips her hat to the program for helping her get to where she is today.
“I was super introverted, which isn’t bad, but it was hard for me to interact with the other girls. I compared myself to other girls a lot,” she said. “But GOTR gave me a community of girls that helped me boost my confidence and approach [seemingly] impossible goals.”
Wynn emphasizes the importance of being able to express her feelings and changing self within the safe space of GOTR.
“We start to have conversations about our identities and what that means,” she said. “What is my place in the world? GOTR gives us a place to explore tough topics.”
Leticia Mitchell, who lives in Atlanta, has been a coach with GOTR for nearly three years. Her eldest daughter, now 11, went through the program, and now, her 9-year-old twins are a part of it. (The family is taking this season off due to a saturation of screen time amid the COVID-19 pandemic, since GOTR sessions are conducted virtually right now.)
“When my niece was interested in the program a few years ago, I looked into it and I realized it was not a running program,” Mitchell told Runner’s World. “It’s a program to give the girls the confidence and empowerment they need. There is more to GOTR than running.”
Lena Mitchell, 9, said the program has taught her to be empowered, how to be herself, and how to treat others like she’d want to be treated. When asked how she feels empowered, she said she feels happy, she has fun, and she’s proud of her accomplishments.
Lena’s sister, Maya, said GOTR shows girls that they can be powerful and strong.
“It helps keep our body strong,” Maya said. “Running is very important right now because we’re sitting at computers all day because of [virtual] school. You have to realize that your body needs to stay energetic.”
What does the future of GOTR hold?
There is no question that the past year has been difficult, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide reckoning with regard to social justice. By nature of its design, GOTR has been able to offer a safe space for girls of all backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. The organization, Riley said, will continue to focus on serving more and more girls.
“We want to empower more girls to use their voices and write their own stories,” she said.
Lathan, a woman and runner of color, said most of the girls the NYC council serves are from Black and brown communities.
“I am delighted to know that these girls are growing up in a world in which they see other Black and brown women who are runners, of all shapes and sizes,” Lathan said. “They will see themselves in the sport for years to come, and I hope they continue to find the joy in running, and use the skills they learned in GOTR as a stepping stone.”
Lathan went on to say, “My great hope for the next 25 years is that every girl who wants to participate in GOTR can, and that we find coaches who represent the girls we are serving.”
Riley also pointed out that GOTR has been working hard to make sure its programming is available and accessible to all girls. Most recently, GOTR worked with the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD), an organization dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles for people with disability, to modify the curriculum for girls with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities.
“We want all girls to come together and learn lifelong lessons,” she said.
Here’s how you can get involved
GOTR, a nonprofit organization, is always looking for volunteer coaches for the season-long programs and culmination 5K events. (The 5K events have been modified to comply with COVID-19 safety precautions.)
Riley recommends people who want to get involved contact their local GOTR chapters, a list of which can be found here.
“If you have a skillset in a certain area, we guarantee it can be utilized,” Riley said.
GOTR, which charges a registration fee, also provides financial assistance so it never has to turn a girl away from the program and its resources. In fact, 45 percent of participants receive some sort of financial assistance, Riley said.
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Here’s how you can celebrate with GOTR!
To honor its 25th anniversary, GOTR is hosting a virtual event on March 25 at 7 p.m. ET. The program will feature a conversation with Hoda Kotb, co-anchor of NBC News’ Today We want all girls to come together and learn lifelong lessons, she said Heather Mayer Irvine, and a panel discussion with professional athletes, and female entrepreneurs and scientists.
Registration is free, but you can purchase add-on packages that include Kotb’s newest book and GOODR sunglasses designed especially for GOTR.
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a seven-time marathoner with a best of 3:31—but she is most proud of her 1:32 half, 19:40 5K, and 5:33 mile. Her work has been published in The Boston Globe, Popular Mechanics, The Wall Street Journal Buy Side, Forbes Vetted, Cooking Light, CNN, Glamour, The Associated Press, and Livestrong.com.
