Mary Middleton has established a satellite program of Girls on the Run, a nationwide confidence enhancing program for females in grades three through five, and which incorporates running as its basic focal point. 

Starting in September, a group of no fewer than nine girls, including Middleton’s daughter, Cassie, will run the sidewalk on decent weather days and on the Penobscot Bay YMCA’s indoor track during dark and/or inclement weather. The maximum number permitted by the organization is 15.

While they strengthen their outer core, they’ll strengthen from within through conversation-based lessons.

“I want them to be strong and think for themselves,” said Middleton. “I want them to learn early, with friends, because I think they face so many things at such a younger age than I did as a kid.”

Middleton first learned about Girls on the Run while living in Rockville, South Carolina, from 2001-2012. In 1996, the nonprofit emerged in neighboring North Carolina. An office for the organization happened to exist in the shopping center where Middleton bought her groceries. She read a little about the program, saw the fliers, saw some of the girls in action.

“It seemed really interesting, but at that time I didn’t have children,” she said. “It was kind of off my radar. Recently it just came back into my mind as a great program to look into.”

Girls on the Run has windows of opportunities in the spring and fall to apply to start a new satellite location. Middleton missed the spring deadline because she’d just returned to work. But then the application window opened again. Although she was busy with work and family, she couldn’t back down. She lives in Camden with her husband, Frank, and children Cassie, Connor and Cate.

“By then I’d already told everyone I’m doing this,” she said. “But, you know, If you want this out there, you kind of have to make it happen.”

The organization provided easy, step-by-step instructions, and as luck would have it, Middleton met a woman who’d helped other towns establish satellite groups. This woman, Caroline Moore, had just moved to the Camden area.

On top of that, the Pen Bay YMCA is allowing the group to gather there and use the track, though most of the activities will take place outside. This is not a Y program. Registration fees go directly to GOR.

“I wanted to use the Y because the kids are just so familiar and comfortable here.” 

As a trail runner and member of a running group, Middleton easily relates to the benefits of running within a safe, positive social group where true emotions can be expressed.

“For me it’s fantastic to run with groups. It really helps. There’s so much you can accomplish during a run. It just comes out while your running at it,” she said.

Middleton’s team of volunteers are all strong women Middleton already knows. One is in her running group, another is a friend she met at her bank. One has two boys and is excited to work with girls for a change. One is training for her first trail run — an aspect the adults want to impress upon the girls: “Even adults are starting new things. It’s not too late.”

“In a way I’m humble just to be a part of it. It’s all about the girls. Letting them see all that. Knowing that they’re not alone,” she said.

Girls on the Run is, according to the nonprofit’s website: “a transformational physical activity based positive youth development program for girls in 3rd-8th grade. We teach life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k running event. The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness.”

Click here for more information on the program. 

Sarah Thompson can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com.