NORWAY – The first time Meagan Darling ran two miles, she was exhausted.
The 11-year-old from Norway is willing not only to try again, though, but to up the ante. On Nov. 12, Darling will join about 60 other members of the Girls on the Run program for a 5-kilometer run, about 3.1 miles.
Girls on the Run is a program of the Western Maine Girls Association. Now in its second year, the program trains girls ages 8 to 11 for a noncompetitive 5-k run-walk. Cathy Roland, Girls on the Run coach at the Guy E. Rowe School, stressed the noncompetitive nature of the program. Girls are encouraged not only to run or walk, but to skip or hop if they are so moved. Of course, simply stopping to rest is also an option.
The 12 girls participating in the program at the Rowe School have met twice a week since September. In addition to physical training, they have discussed issues such as healthy eating, self-esteem, and drugs and alcohol. The discussions, along with the physical exercise, are designed to boost the girls’ sense of self and community.
A recent talk the girls had about cooperation was illustrated by an activity in which each girl stood on a piece of paper. One by one, they tried to walk around the circle of girls, stepping only on the paper. As their friends tried to walk past, the girls struggled to accommodate them while maintaining their own footing, a metaphor for many of the challenges they will face as they grow.
To reinforce the idea of cooperation, Roland gave the girls an interesting option for their 30-minute running session. For each lap run around the gym, the girls would receive one Popsicle stick. Sixteen sticks represented one mile. Roland asked that each girl collect at least 16, but added that if any of the girls didn’t feel up to a mile that day, their friends could run an extra lap or two and give them the sticks they needed to meet their quota.
The girls quickly made predictions about how many laps they would be able to run. Some set a goal of 12 or 14, while others planned to run at least 18 laps and promised to give away their extra sticks. After 30 minutes, though, each girl had run at least a full mile, and many had run two or even three.
Students from Dixfield, West Paris, Bethel and Sumner are participating in the program at their own schools, and will join the 5-k run in Bethel. Families and friends are welcome to run or walk along with the girls, or to cheer from the sidelines. The event starts at the Crescent Park Elementary School at 10 a.m. on Nov. 12, and will include a half-kilometer event for children. Every participant will be entered into a raffle with prizes including New Balance running shoes and a night at the Bethel Inn.
Businesses are invited to purchase “signs of inspiration” to be placed along the route. For more information, people may write the Western Maine Girls Association, P.O. Box 146, Bethel, ME 04217.
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