On Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the fall, a proud cheer could be heard on the MICDS campus: “Girls on the Run is so much fun!” For 10 weeks, 21 3rd-6th grade girls met after school to learn about important life lessons while training for a 5k race as part of our 2019 MICDS Girls on the Run team. The practices and lessons culminated in the celebratory Girls on the Run 5k race on Saturday, November 16.
“Our goal is to unleash confidence in young girls through accomplishments while establishing a lifetime of healthy living.”
~ Girls on the Run
Joined by their teammates, family members, running buddies, teams from other schools and their coaches (Crystal D’Angelo, Sarah Keen, Laure Lesperance, Ruth Rainey and Leanne Rohr), the girls arrived early on Saturday morning decked out in their official race shirts, bib numbers and brightly-colored hair. After warming up, they took on the 3.1-mile-long racecourse, complete with a water stop, music played by a DJ and the St. Louis Bubble Bus. At the finish line, they were met by the MICDS Girls Cross Country State Champions (who also hosted a lunch to inspire them for their run the day prior) and 8th Grade Teacher Ms. Krystal White’s advisory who were passing out medals, snacks and water.
Reflecting on volunteering at Girls on the Run, Upper Schooler and Girls Cross Country Runner Estephanie Estrada ’21 shared, “MICDS girls support Girls on the Run because, as a cross country team, we need to inspire those younger than us to continue running strong and fighting through the pain to cross that finish line. When you’re a young girl, finishing a race is much more than just running it; it’s the result of months of hard work. We want to be there to support them and show them that they should be proud to run like a girl.”
We are so proud of ALL of our girls – of every age – on the run!
Another highlight of the season was the on-campus 5k practice run, held November 4. The Girls on the Run team completed 13 laps around Olson Hall to log a full 3.1 miles. Many of their families joined for the practice 5k along with MICDS faculty, staff and the Varsity Cheer Team. As with many of the girls, some of the adult participants even completed their first 5k on this special day!
Thank you to all those in the MICDS family who helped make the 2019 season of Girls on the Run so memorable and meaningful!
“Girls on the Run is so much fun!”