Twice a week, girls of all ages get together for both exercise and fun. Meeting Tuesday and Thursdays at the Mark A. Chapman Activities Complex, girls aged third through sixth grade are encouraged to join to learn the basics of running, improve their stamina, and participate in games.

The event was started by recent CCCHS graduate Tovah Catlin and to-be senior, Janae Wolf, who both participated in running events throughout school. 

Catlin said the pair decided to create the group to share their own love of running to younger athletes. 

“We both just have a huge passion for running,” she said. 

“It’s brought us our closest friendships. On the mental side, you can push yourself and there’s a competitive side. The confidence you can get from running and believing in yourself and pushing your limits.” 

She said after talking about the idea, they decided to “put it out there” and see who was interested.

Both have a younger sister involved in the group, an aspect that Catlin said adds to the fun.

“It was just a huge hit and every week we’ve gotten more,” she said. 

The first night was four runners, but since it’s been 16-20, with each bringing a friend. Younger runners are also welcome with parent approval, Catlin said. 

Participants show up around 7, at which point they play music and talk before getting into stretching. Catlin said an important part is to show the girls how to prep their body for exercise. 

Next, they do warmups and speed drills where the high schoolers, including additional runners, help the kids with their form. Then everyone runs around the track for three to four minutes, with breaks taken in between. 

“We just try to encourage them to keep going, no matter what their pace is,” she said. “We try not to give up.” 

Finally, they end with a game of the girls’ choice, like freeze tag, red-light, green-light, or capture the flag. 

Catlin said they will continue hosting Girls on the Run through August 8th, and plan to host a mini-track meet with races to end out the summer season.