Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa

We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. We envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. Girls on the Run® was established in 1996 in Charlotte, North Carolina and in 2000, Girls on the Run International, a 501(c)3 organization, was born. Girls on the Run first came to Eastern Iowa in 2007 as Girls on the Run of Johnson County with 17 girls at two Iowa City schools. As word spread, community support grew and by 2012, Girls on the Run teams were at a dozen schools in Iowa City, North Liberty, Coralville, Solon and Hills, and many community members wanted to bring the program to Linn County. In fall 2012, Girls on the Run of Johnson County became Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa, with teams at 22 sites across Johnson and Linn Counties. In 2013, Buchanan and Jefferson Counties were added, in Spring of 2015 we added Iowa County, and in Fall 2015 we added Washington County to our territory.

Girls on the Run (GOTR) is an after-school program using the power of running to prepare 3rd-8th grade girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. It's a physical activity-based positive youth development program (PA-PYD) designed to develop and enhance girls' social, psychological, and physical competencies to successfully navigate life experiences. Our 10-week, 20-lesson season runs each fall (early September to mid-November) and spring (mid-February to early May). Girls meet in teams of 8-15 with volunteer coaches who teach life skills like team-building, boundary setting, problem solving, emotional regulation, self-esteem and confidence building, and overcoming obstacles, all while preparing to run a celebratory, end-of-season 5k. The goal is to build confidence through accomplishment while preparing girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.