Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa

Girls on the Run is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.

We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

In 2006, six women from Iowa City met for coffee to brainstorm how they could bring Girls on the Run to Johnson County. In the fall of 2007, we kicked off our first season of Girls on the Run at Kirkwood and Grant Wood Elementary in Iowa City and served 15 girls. By 2012, we had hired our first full-time executive director and soon after, transitioned from "Girls on the Run of Johnson County" to "Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa" to expand our program into Linn County. We now serve girls all over Eastern Iowa including Buchanan, Washington, Iowa, and Benton counties. We serve anywhere between 400-600 girls at 35 + sites every season and are proud to serve girls and families in Eastern Iowa.

At Girls on the Run we inspire girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate what makes them one of a kind. Trained coaches lead small teams through our research-based curricula which includes dynamic discussions, activities and running games. Over the course of the ten-week program, girls in 3rd-8th grade develop essential skills to help them navigate their worlds and establish a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. The program culminates with girls positively impacting their communities through a service project and being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5K event.