We wrapped up our Spring 2023 season and 5K series, and are proud to have served 3,437 girls, with 68% of participants living in under-resourced communities. 670 volunteer coaches led 189 teams, supporting participants’ physical and mental health while giving them the tools to own their superpowers.
Over the course of 10 weeks, participants learned about concepts like practicing positive self-talk, resolving conflict, processing uncomfortable emotions, and more through lessons that tap into the power of play, which helps to make big ideas more digestible and memorable.
“Because of Girls on the Run, I've learned I have more people than I realized that support, encourage, and love me.” - Ariel, 4th grade
To meet teams where they’re at, we offered three 5K options in the Spring 2023 season. Coaches chose the option that made the most sense for their team’s needs.
Girls on the Run-Chicago 5K in Grant Park
On Saturday, May 13, we hosted our large-scale 5K in Chicago’s Grant Park. It was amazing to have more than 5,500 people from our community come together to accomplish a big goal while cheering each other on. 126 teams crossed the finish line alongside their running buddies and community members.
Click here to view a gallery of photos from the day!
Small-Scale Site-Based 5K
This Spring, 43 teams planned and hosted small-scale 5Ks in their communities—at their school or a neighborhood park. To support their events, we provided 5K materials kits and volunteer support to assist with set-up, tear-down, passing out medals, and cheering for the girls.
CARA Go Run
This Spring, 30 teams participated in a CARA Go Run, which are community-based runs hosted on Saturdays in neighborhoods throughout Chicago. To support the teams, we provided 5K materials, medals, and volunteer support for registration, and cheered for all the participants.
Our teams participated in the following CARA Go Runs:
- May 20th at Horner Park
- June 3rd at Marquette Park
No matter the event type, it was so exciting to see how the coaches brought their team and community together and made the end-of-season events so special for the girls.