2,500 local girls participate in Girls on the Run 5K



KING COUNTY -- After months of practice laps and pep talks, 2,500 local girls took on a 3.1-mile lap of glory. It was all part of Girls on the Run Puget Sound, an organization that brings girls of all ages together to teach them life lessons and confidence.

"They've been training for our 5K race for ten weeks," said Girls on the Run Puget Sound Executive Director Becky Walliman. "They've been going to practice twice a week with volunteer coaches, learning about positive body image and self-esteem, and standing up for each other. Really all the stuff you want young girls to know and now they`re showing off their stuff at a 5K race this morning."

Girls on the Run is an after-school program that inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident, using a fun curriculum that creatively integrates running. But it's more about hitting the pavement.

"Running is actually something we do after the fact, but it`s really about social skills and learning how to get along with each other and make good friends," said Coach Cara McGough.

Classes at various community centers throughout King County teach grades 3rd through 8th valuable lessons on self-image and self-confidence.