Press release from Girls on the Run:
The finish line is just the beginning at the Girls on the Run of WNC 5K on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019 at the Asheville Outlets. The Great Beginnings & Great Smiles 5K offers the community the chance to celebrate the inner strength, confidence, and fitness that girls from around the region have developed through the Girls on the Run program this fall.
This season, more than 450 girls in third-eighth grade from seven counties across Western North Carolina have trained with volunteer coaches at 30 sites over the past 10 weeks. In the face of social pressures and societal challenges, Girls on the Run empowers young women to embrace their full potential. Through research-based curricula, activities and running games, GOTR gives girls the tools they need to thrive on every level.
The end-of-season 5K provides a way for the Girls on the Run participants to revel in all the personal growth they have accomplished over the course of the program.
“The 5K is a true celebration for girls, coaches, and families across the region,” said GOTR of WNC Executive Director Karen Wallace-Meigs. “It is a culmination of all that has been learned in our program. It is certainly one of the most colorful and joyful 5K events in the area.”
The community is invited to participate by running in the 5K, complete with chip timing. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels from throughout the WNC community are encouraged to register.
“We hope community members will sign up to run alongside the girls and be inspired by their tenacity and support for one another,” Wallace-Meigs said.
Online registration for the 5K is $30 for adults and $15 for children 12 years old and younger, and is available through midnight on Saturday, Dec. 7. Registration will also be open on race day at Asheville Outlets starting at 9 a.m. for $40. Strollers are welcome. Pets are not allowed at the event for safety reasons.
Volunteers are also welcome, with a variety of roles available. Signup is available here or via email to Hannah Robinson at hannah.robinson@girlsontherun.org.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the Girls on the Run of WNC scholarship fund, which aims to make the nonprofit’s program accessible to all girls, regardless of their ability to pay the registration fee. Girls on the Run of WNC began with 20 girls in 2002 and has now served more than 15,000 girls. In 2018-2019, 82 percent of sites were at Title 1 (low-income) schools, and half of all girls in the program in Western North Carolina received scholarships that allowed them to participate in this vital program. GOTR awarded a total of $61,521 in scholarships last year.
WHAT: Great Beginnings & Great Smiles Girls on the Run 5K
WHERE: Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Road, Asheville NC
WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019, 10 a.m. (5K start time)
MORE INFO: www.gotrwnc.org/5K, Facebook event: bit.ly/2q1gfUB
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