For 30 years, Girls on the Run has been helping girls discover their strength, find their voice, and set and achieve big goals. From the coaches who show up with encouragement to the friendships that last long after the season ends, GOTR is made up of countless moments, people, and memories that make the organization so special.
In honor of our 30th anniversary, we’re celebrating with 30 reasons we love Girls on the Run — and trust us, narrowing it down to just 30 wasn’t easy!
1. A mission that puts girls first: At the heart of Girls on the Run is a simple but powerful mission. We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running.
2. 2.8 million girls and counting: Since Girls on the Run began in 1996, more than 2.8 million girls have participated in the program.
3. Every girl belongs here: Girls bring different backgrounds, abilities, experiences, and perspectives to Girls on the Run. Our programs are designed to meet girls where they are and create a space where each girl can participate, connect, and be herself.
4. Lessons that last: Our Alums Study found that participants continue to use the skills they learned in the program years later, from managing emotions and setting goals to navigating relationships and standing up for others.
5. Trained, caring coaches: Our trained volunteer coaches create supportive spaces where girls can try new things, make mistakes, ask questions, and be themselves.
6. Finding your happy pace: As one Girls on the Run Panhandle participant put it, “My favorite part of Girls on the Run is that they teach me how I can go at my own pace.”
7. It’s so much more than running: Movement is part of the fun, but Girls on the Run is a youth development program first. Through activities, reflection, and conversations, girls build skills like communication, decision-making, and goal-setting.
8. Confidence from coast to coast: Girls on the Run has 165 councils across the U.S. and Canada. Find a council in your community!
9. Energy Awards: GOTR gives girls countless opportunities to encourage one another and lift each other up. Whether it’s celebrating effort, kindness, teamwork, or a great attitude, the Energy Award gives girls one more reason to cheer each other on.
10. Confidence that grows with her: Whether she’s trying something new or crossing the 5K finish line, every step is an opportunity to discover, “I can do this.”
11. Our GOTR besties: Girls on the Run brings girls together to move, laugh, learn, and encourage one another. As a GOTR girl from Girls on the Run Triangle put it, “Everybody works together as a team, and we all find friendship.”
12. 5K Celebrations: These joyful events are a celebration of the journey girls have taken together, surrounded by coaches, families, friends, and their communities.
13. It’s one of the largest 5K series in the U.S.: Councils host hundreds of 5K Events every year that celebrate everything girls have accomplished over the course of a season.
14. The bling! Ask anyone who has watched a GOTR 5K finish line,: the medals are a BIG deal. Girls on the Run Greater Alaska told us that girls are so proud of their medals, they wear them everywhere — and sometimes refuse to take them off for days!
15. She doesn’t have to be a runner: Girls on the Run welcomes every girl, whether she already loves running or has never considered herself athletic.
16. It doesn’t end in fifth grade: Growing up doesn’t mean growing out of GOTR. Heart & Sole, our middle school program, creates a space for girls during a time when connection, confidence, and belonging matter more than ever.
17. Summer fun: Camp GOTR gives girls even more ways to move, connect, explore their strengths, and have fun, even when school is out of session.
18. A place to be yourself: Former participant Avery from Girls on the Run Triangle said it beautifully: “Girls on the Run opened doors I never knew existed and provided a space where I could truly be myself without the fear of making mistakes.”
19. Social-emotional learning: GOTR makes social-emotional learning active and engaging. Girls practice skills like expressing emotions, resolving conflict, and making thoughtful decisions.
20. Learning how to speak up: Finding your voice takes practice. GOTR gives girls opportunities to communicate their feelings and speak up about what matters to them.
21. A community that cheers her on: Girls on the Run is a community of girls, coaches, families, volunteers, donors, and supporters who believe in the limitless potential of every girl.
22. Making an impact: GOTR encourages girls to think about the people and communities around them and discover ways they can make a difference through a Community Impact Project.
23. Partners who believe in our mission: Our partners support GOTR programming, events, and councils, making everything we do possible.
24. Discovering her Star Power: Every girl brings something unique to the group. GOTR helps her recognize those qualities and gives her opportunities to let them shine.
25. Widespread impact: The impact of GOTR reaches far beyond the girls who participate. As a board member from Girls on the Run Sierras put it, “One word I would use to describe GOTR is impactful. I think it has big impacts on the girls, on the community, on the coaches, on the board members.”
26. She learns to set and achieve big goals: Big dreams become more approachable when girls learn how to break them into smaller steps.
27. A program that grows with girls: From elementary school through middle school, we meet girls where they are and evolve with them.
28. We know how to have fun: At every GOTR practice, you’ll find movement, laughter, games, conversations, celebrations, and plenty of joy.
29. A spark that can become something bigger: As Girls on the Run Greater Alaska puts it, “Girls on the Run sparks something within EVERY participant.” We love seeing where that spark takes her.
30. Thirty years of believing in girls: For three decades, Girls on the Run has believed that every girl has the power to recognize her strengths, build meaningful connections, and create a life filled with joy. And after 30 years, we’re more excited than ever to see where the next generation of GOTR girls will go. Here’s to 30 years and every step still ahead.
