Empowering Girls Through Running
"The Girls Movement," a NEW initiative under the Marathon Kids banner, is dedicated to championing girls' physical and emotional well-being.
We are expanding our offerings by introducing an additional FREE program for girls.
The new initiative is to establish running clubs for 4th through 8th-grade girls. This flexible program can be tailored to include any grade level within this range, ensuring it fits your group’s unique needs.
If you're already familiar with and passionate about The Marathon Kids program, rest assured that this beloved program remains unchanged. Marathon Kids is for all kids, ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
And guess what? You can have multiple programs with Marathon Kids led by one or more co-workers/staff/parent volunteers!
The program has a new curriculum for girls, team-building activities, pacing strategies, and more. The program is free and the curriculum is available in the Resource Library.
Qualified schools may receive a Coach Empowerment Kit with a coach stipend. These funds have been fulfilled for the 24-25 school year. You can learn more here to prep for the following school year.
If you are interested in The Girls Movement, start today by creating or logging into your Marathon Kids account.
Either start your first club with Marathon Kids or start an additional club to track your Girls Movement program separately from your existing club.
Be sure to check the box "Is this an all-female club using The Girls Movement Curriculum?"
Coach Empowerment Kit
Thanks to the DICK’s Sporting Goods Foundation and the Brooks Running Empower Her Collection, we are excited to provide a grant-funded Coach Empowerment Kit to schools that qualify this includes a Coach stipend.
Funds for the 24-25 school year are depleted. Awarding for the next school year will start in August 2025.
Coach Empowerment Kit Includes: |
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Who qualifies? | Schools that have a Free Reduced Lunch Status of 65% or higher. |
Qualifications and Commitments for the Grant
School | The school must have a Free Reduced Lunch Status of 65% or higher. |
What | Hold a female running club with 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and/or 8th-grade girls that meets either: before school, after school, and/or during the school day (ie, an all-girl PE class, recess club) |
Time | Meet for 30-60 minutes at least one time a week |
How many can participate? | Each program can determine the number of participants allowed to participate. The Coach Empowerment Kit comes with 100 incentives. |
Season Length | Flexible season length and start/end dates with the requirement of a minimum 8-week season. |
Curriculum | Utilize The Girls Movement Curriculum |
Data Reporting | Record laps completed and/or minutes of heart-pumping activities using the Marathon Kids digital platform/account.
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Program Feedback | Participants will complete The Girls Movement's quick pre-season and post-season surveys.
Receiving these surveys is a requirement directly tied to the stipend. |
Impact Statement | Complete an End of Season Coach Survey to give us feedback and suggestions and report on the impact you noticed during your season.
Receiving this survey is a requirement directly tied to the coach stipend.
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Managing Multiple Marathon Kids Programs
You can have multiple clubs with Marathon Kids. If you are considering starting a Girls Movement run club in addition to your current club, you can easily do that!
In your account, start a new club to track your Girls Movement program separately from your existing program.
Click "Add a Club" and claim your location again.
Check the box, "Is this an all-female running club using The Girls Movement curriculum?"
This alerts Marathon Kids to verify your school qualification for the Coach Empowerment Kit. We will award more schools in August 2025.
Regardless, the program is free and the curriculum is available in the Resource Library.
Be sure to give this club a unique name.
The Goals of The Program
The Girls Movement Program addresses the significant disparity in youth sports participation, where girls drop out at twice the rate of boys by age 14. Your commitment to empowering young minds through running is crucial in addressing this imbalance.
Building on our proven six evidence-based pillars, the Girls Movement program is a dynamic initiative aimed at achieving three key goals.
Confidence Building:
A positive coaching approach fosters an environment that empowers participants to set and achieve personal running goals, promoting a sense of accomplishment and building lasting confidence in their abilities.
Character Development:
Instill strong character values in every participant by emphasizing resilience, determination, and teamwork through the targeted running curriculum and positive reinforcement within the program.
Cultivate Connection:
Facilitate meaningful connections among participants, coaches, and the broader community, creating a supportive network that encourages shared experiences, friendships, and a sense of belonging within the Girls Movement program.