Today was a perfect day for a run.   This morning at Meadowmont in Chapel Hill there was a nice breeze and sunshine.

More than one hundred 8 -12 year old girls were gathering.  There was perpetual motion… peppered with yells, laughter, and cheers.

   The 6th annual Girls on the Run 5K and Fun Run in Memory of Will Beard was taking shape!!

At 9:00am, the participants were taking their places.   I don’t have the final figures, but I can tell you that last year our event attracted more than one thousand  5K runners and baby joggers, and about 30 one-mile runners.  We were all excited and ready to run!

   In previous years,  I have volunteered as a running buddy.  I’m paired up with a girl who wants a bit of encouragement along the course to keep running and keep having fun.   This year, I ran alone for the first time.  I had not physically prepared to run the 5K, but I am a pretty regular jogger.  What the heck, I told myself, “go for it.”

   I’m not sure how long it took me to complete the course, but what thrills me the most is that I jogged without stopping. It was my personal; goal not to walk.  I made it the whole way. Woooo-hooo!!! That is a huge accomplishment for me. A fine finish.

   I could not be happier with the awesome finish accomplished by each girl who participated.  For most of them, today’s 5K marked the completion of a program that builds character, encouraging emotional, social, and physical development.

   To all of those girls I say, Well done!

To everyone else, I say, Look at us go, and look at us grow!

I invite you to visit our website:

www.gotrtriangle.org