Heart & Sole

Yes! We are much more than a running program, and every participant can benefit from the experience of building confidence through accomplishment while participating in our rich, curriculum-based, age-appropriate, interactive lessons. Expect lots of games, talking, laughing and processing in addition to running at each practice. And know that when we say run, we mean run, walk, skip, roll or push, just as long as you are moving forward!

The Girls on the Run 5K is a very special culminating event for your child. We highly recommend that your child has a buddy to share that monumental experience of accomplishing their goal by crossing the finish line. This can be a parent or care-giver, an older sibling or family member, or another community member to run, walk, or roll through the course with them. However, we also recognize that this may not always be possible. We work to ensure the safety of our 5K participants and have dozens and dozens of volunteers, course marshals, 5K experts, Girls on the Run staff, your childs' coaches, and other adults helping us the day of to help make this happen. Anyone who would like to participate in our 5K event can register by clicking HERE.
To volunteer at our 5K event, click HERE.

Unlike other programs, Girls on the Run combines both life skills learning and physical activity. It is our research-based curriculum and nationally recognized coach training program that sets us apart from other programs. In fact, an independent study showed that Girls on the Run participants were significantly more likely than girls in organized sports to learn and use life skills such as managing emotions, resolving conflict, helping others and making intentional decisions.

We value having parents, caregivers, and community members coach with us! Please contact info@girlsontherunsemi.org if you are interested in starting an additional team, or joining a team that is already established.  Trained, full time coaches’ children are guaranteed a spot in the program and also receive a waived program fee.

Girls on the Run believes that ALL girls, of ALL abilities,  deserve to participate in our program. The volunteers and staff are committed to providing the most inclusive environment possible at practice and at the end-of-season 5K through:

Including a specific focus on serving youth with a range of disabilities in our coach training.
Recognizing that each of our participants are wonderfully unique and may need accommodations that our coaches have not considered. The guidance of our participants’ grown-ups is welcomed and encouraged to provide a safe, inclusive environment.
Providing an inclusion guide to coaches with specific lesson adaptations for participants with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities.

Please reach out to info@girlsontherunsemi.org to talk about adaptations that we can make and/or whether Girls on the Run is a good fit for your child. 

At Girls on the Run, our core values guide us to be open-hearted, intentional decision makers who embrace differences and stand up for ourselves and others. Our dedication to these core values is reflected in our decision to make access and inclusion an organizational priority. We are committed to ensuring that our programs are accessible to and inclusive of any girl (as well as nonbinary and gender non-conforming child) who wants to participate. We honor this commitment by ensuring that:

Girls on the Run is available at a girl’s school or in their community.
We remain mindful of participation barriers and strive to find ways to eliminate them.
All aspects of the registration process are equitable.
Our commitment to access is clearly communicated to all communities.
All participants feel that the curriculum is relevant and reflects their life experiences.
All participants feel listened to, valued and part of a team.
We have adapted the curriculum so that youth with disabilities can safely and successfully participate.
All participants have a coach who has been trained to understand social context, create positive inclusive environments and build genuine relationships.

Our lottery system is a more equitable process to ensure that families are able to join the team based on a random computer drawing instead of a first come/first serve basis. This allows families who may not hear about registration opening as early as others the same opportunity for their child to participate. To read more common questions answered, read our lottery FAQ's.

Your program registration fee includes all lesson materials such as markers, index cards, jump ropes, balls, cones, 1st aid kits, lap counters, etc... It also covers the GOTR curriculum, activity sheets, a journal, GOTR t-shirt and water bottle, a cinch sack, and entry fee for the Girls on the Run 5K event that includes a commemorative bib and finisher's medal, as well as an end of season celebration and keepsake! The registration fee also helps to cover insurance costs, council and curriculum fees, as well as inclusive curriculum and program training (both online and in person) for our volunteer coaches led by certified Girls on the Run staff, CPR/1st aid training and season long support for our coaches.

Don't let cost stop you from participating! We are committed to making Girls on the Run accessible to all who want to participate. Thanks to generous donors and community supporters, financial assistance is available to any family who needs it, and we can also provide athletic shoes if needed. The online registration form will walk you through the process- it's simple and if you need any help along the way, our staff is available to assist you by phone or email.

Any participant engaged in behavior that threatens the health or welfare of other participants, coaches or other key Girls on the Run volunteers will be released from participating in the program. Threatening behavior may include but is not limited to: physical injury, emotional maltreatment, abuse of prescription or illegal drugs, use of alcohol, carrying firearms or other dangerous items, using any item in a dangerous way, or any other activity determined by a coach or administrator to be threatening to another’s health or well-being. Girls on the Run reserves the right to remove any child from participation for any reason that does not fit the mission and goals of the organization. Girls on the Run will be unable to refund the registration fee if a participant is asked to leave.

Girls on the Run is intentional with the way in which we see behaviors. We know that behavior is a skill that individuals learn and grow. We also know that a participant’s context and life experiences influence their behaviors. We are intentional about including participants with and without disabilities and work with participants within this context as well. 

Our Spring 2025 season will begin the week of March 9th and will end the week of May 4th. The culminating Girls on the Run 5K event will be held on Saturday, May 3rd on Eastern Michigan University's Campus in Ypsilanti. 

Girls on the Run is an inclusive program where the dignity of every participant is respected, and all youth are safe. If a child identifies as a girl, and the parent/guardian identifies the child as a girl, then the child is welcomed and encouraged to participate in Girls on the Run. Likewise, if a child is nonbinary or gender non-conforming, that child is also joyfully welcomed to participate.

A child's parent/guardian is responsible for contacting our office at info@girlsontherunsemi.org, or by calling 734.712.5640, if their child is not going to participate in the program. Girls on the Run is only able to issue a refund if we receive notice from the family prior to the start of the season on March 10th. If a site is cancelled due to insufficient registration, your child doesn't make it onto the team, or other circumstances deemed appropriate by Girls on the Run, the full registration fee will be refunded. 

Yes! As a mission-driven 501(c)3, Girls on the Run relies on generous donors in order to provide more than $30,000 in program scholarships for families in need. Click HERE to sponsor a participant this season.