Girls on the Run NH at 25
Understanding the impact a great club, a community of people moving and enduring together, can have on an adult runner’s life, it seems hard to overstate how powerful such a community can be for the girls in this program.
At the end of every Girls on the Run New Hampshire season, there’s a 5K celebration. They don’t call it a race. There’s no official clock, though girls who want to wear a watch and chase a time are welcome to do so. There’s music pumping, tutus and wild socks, and girls from across New Hampshire toe the line with invited running buddies, often a parent.
Jen Hubbell, Girls on the Run New Hampshire’s executive director, says, “One of my favorite images is watching a dad and daughter cross the finish line, and the dad’s three steps behind, or they’re hand in hand.”
It’s his daughter’s day. Dad isn’t going to cross the line first.
Each girl passes beneath an inflatable arch bearing the words “The finish line is just the beginning.”
“It really is,” Jen says. “They finished this. What’s next?”
Listening to Jen describe the program, I can see why she’s so passionate about it, and why Girls on the Run New Hampshire is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
I hear echoed in her stories all the things that have made running with a club such an important part of my adult life: the support, camaraderie and inspiration; the comfort and conversation; the friendships and accountability. Above all, the vital knowledge that even when things feel hard — especially when things feel hard — you can keep going.
Understanding the impact a great club, a community of people moving and enduring together, can have on an adult runner’s life, it seems hard to overstate how powerful such a community can be for the girls in this program.
The running matters, but it is also a vessel for other lessons. Over eight weeks, the girls learn about peer pressure, bullying, self-knowledge, pacing, teamwork and community responsibility. They learn to move at their own pace and trust that they can cover
a distance that once seemed unimaginable.
A girl crosses that finish line thinking, as Jen puts it, “If I can do this, whoa, what else can I do?”
During the eight-week season, girls meet with volunteer coaches twice a week for 90 minutes. They aren’t running that whole time. Each session includes an introduction to the day’s curriculum topic, stretching and simple strengthening exercises, a warm-up activity, and running or movement connected to the lesson.
Jen returns throughout our conversation to what the girls learn about themselves:
“Being a part of Girls on the Run is such an important time for young girls to really look at themselves and know that who they are right now, and who they’re becoming, is important and valuable.”
I’ve often cited one of the virtues of running as being a sport you can do alone. Just throw on a pair of sneakers and head out the door. And as much as that’s true, there’s a flip side to that coin: running in community is empowering. As the old proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
If you’re looking for your own New Hampshire running community, we’ve highlighted just a few of the many clubs in the state on the coming pages.
Girls on the Run New Hampshire
The eight-week program costs $165, with a sliding scale based on family income. Fall registration is now open at girlsontherunnh.org. The website also lists volunteer and support opportunities.
The Sneaker Soiree will be held Thursday, October 1, from 5:30–8:30 p.m. at The Factory in Manchester, featuring dinner, a silent auction and a mission moment. Tickets and sponsorships are available online.
