New Balance Girls on the Run 5k
5k Run/Walk - Thanksgiving, 2009

Join us for the inaugural year of the Girls on the Run 5k.

When: Turkey Day, '09. You know that overstuffed feeling you get every year? - this year you can feel good about it by working off a little energy before the big meal.

The New Balance Girls on the Run 5K series is an established event across the U.S. & Canada. In 2008, ninety-nine races were held with 67,000 participants!

Girls on the Run (GOTR) of Deschutes County is excited to announce the arrival of the New Balance GOTR 5K series for runners & walkers to Central Oregon. With the help of Fleet Feet Sports Bend, the race will take place on Thanksgiving Day, November 26th, 2009 at 9 am in the Old Mill District.

The event is open to everyone and we encourage families and athletes of all skill levels to participate and celebrate the accomplishments of the amazing, young GOTR girls as they reach their ultimate goal of completing a 5K. The event will serve as a fundraiser for Girls on the Run, a non-profit organization, and will help to provide funds for program scholarships, lesson materials, healthy snacks, coach training & other essential operating costs. Details about how to register are coming soon.

To learn about volunteer opportunities, corporate sponsorships, etc. please contact Heather Vihstadt at director@deschutescountygotr.org or call 788-8567.

Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a non-profit prevention program with the mission of "educating & preparing girls for a lifetime of self-respect & healthy living." Through running, playing games & discussing important issues, participants are empowered with self-awareness, a sense of achievement & a foundation in team building. Each 10 week (20-lesson) session is led by trained female coaches that teach life lessons such as: dealing with body image, resisting peer pressure, & making healthy decisions. At the conclusion of the season, participants create & implement a community service project & run/walk in a 5K event with adult Running Buddies.

GOTR was founded in 1996 by Molly Barker - Iron man tri-athlete, former high school teacher & track coach with a Masters in Social Work from UNC. She was also a counselor, addressing the needs of women with eating disorders, substance addictions, & depression. The age appropriate curricula were created to enhance the social, mental, spiritual, physical & emotional health of girls 8-14 years of age. They are based upon research in the field of adolescent issues by Fantini, Weinstein, Pipher & Gilligan.

Academic evaluations of GOTR program participants (conducted on a national level) show:

•Improved self-esteem

•Improved commitment to physical activity

•Increased positive attitude toward exercise

•Increased motivation to be physically active

•Awareness of the value of physical activity

•Satisfaction with body shape

•Increased days of physical activity/week

However, the true success of GOTR is expressed in the words of its past and present participants: "GOTR taught me to respect myself." "I used to be shy, but now I'm not anymore." "I know that whatever I set my mind to do, I can do." "GOTR helps me feel awesome about myself!"