About Us
Running the World…
Sport has an incredible power to change lives and drive gender equality. Resilience, self-efficacy, hard work, and other skills developed in running extend into all areas of life. Running optimizes girls’ ability to succeed long-term and navigate the challenges they face so they can achieve their biggest goals.
We aim to leverage the unique accessibility and incredible benefits of running to unlock the true potential of girls globally. With the proper tools, these girls are the change we hope to see for our world: one in which every girl knows their worth and capability, and where gender is no barrier to success and opportunity.
Literally!
Our Values
Our comprehensive approach to our work is based on three important pillars, each of which target girls’ long term wellbeing and success in the sport of running and beyond.
As with the sport of running itself, having a strong team is crucial in accomplishing individual goals. That’s why Girls Run Global is working to establish a network of young girls united through running and big dreams, as well as professionals who offer crucial guidance and inspiration as mentors.
Mentorship & Community
Nothing is more important than the health, safety, and overall wellbeing of the girls who are part of Girls Run Global. We hope that our programs can positively impact girls’ mental and physical health and overall wellbeing. Our goal is for sport to serve as protection from the plethora of challenges that many of our girls face, and a platform to break those barriers.
Health & Safety
The positive impact of running is not limited to any one group of individuals. We believe that regardless of ability and background, all are welcome in the running community. We are determined to create a safe space for everyone and support girls in their running endeavors and beyond.
Inclusivity & Empowerment
Why Girls?
Women and girls represent half the world’s population, half its opportunity, and yet significant gender disparities persist that impede girls from reaching their full potential. All around the world, women and girls are marginalized, mistreated, and undervalued, which continues to hinder individual lives, communities, and society as a whole. The continued marginalization of women and girls translates into a wealth of societal problems ranging from intractable poverty to global health. A UN report found that at the current rate of progress, it will take nearly 300 years for the world to achieve gender equality. Gender equality is a fundamental human right that continues to be overlooked and neglected. We’re working to change that. Working toward gender equality is a crucial component in progress, and our work supporting young girls is a great step forward.
Why Running?
#1 Combination of individualism and teamwork
At first glance, running seems like an individual sport. While many things in life are out of our control, the ability to have full control of our outcome and performance is one of the many benefits of the sport. Running gives girls the chance to test their individual limits and challenge what they thought they were capable of. And yet, being on a team, part of a global running community, is one the greatest aspects of the sport. The time spent running alongside friends becomes the highlight of our week, our coaches become mentors, working for something bigger than ourselves promotes a sense of purpose, and our family of teammates creates a safe space for vulnerability. The beautiful combination of individualism and community is what makes this sport so special.
Running is the perfect tool for empowering women and girls to achieve their goals. Here’s why:
#2 Development of essential life skills
When someone finishes a run, they feel empowered to conquer anything! Self-efficacy (belief in one’s ability to succeed) is one of many skills developed through running that positively translates to other areas of life. Other examples of these tools are work ethic, discipline, leadership, patience, and the ability to work in a team. The development of these life skills combined with the sport’s physical and mental health benefits drastically improve girls’ ability to handle the many challenges they face.
#3 Accessibility
While other sports can require thousands of dollars of equipment, running is a tremendously accessible sport. Of course success in any sport requires the basics like sanitary products, clean water, food security, and a safe environment. But purely in terms of equipment, running essentially just requires running shoes and clothes appropriate for the conditions. That is exactly why it is the perfect vehicle for social progress and the empowerment of young girls.
#4 Mental & Physical Health
Running has obvious benefits on physical health: increased lifespan, improved cognitive function, lower risk of disease and improved immunity, better sleep, and many others. The lesser-known positive impact of running on mental health may be just as important. A large body of evidence finds that the sport improves body image, self-esteem, sense of purpose, stress levels, confidence, and independence. Preserving girls’ physical and mental health is vital for better performance in the classroom and success in adulthood.