Electricity and joy filled the Dana l. Thompson Memorial Park on Saturday, June 8th with the annual Girls on the Run 5K. Some 35 schools participated in the event, including five from the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union (BRSU): The Dorset School, Sunderland Elementary, Currier Memorial, Mettawee and Manchester Elementary Middle School.
The skies were overcast, but a pumping music soundtrack, bright colors and camaraderie all combined to lift spirits before the main event. Pink and turquoise tee shirts, face paint, hair ribbons, wrist bracelets, flashy socks and flamboyant sneakers captured the eye. School teams, coaches and parents gathered under designated tents and put on the final touches of glitter before the run. Students took turns using markers to autograph each other's tee-shirts for posterity.
“Girls on the Run provides a safe space where girls are inspired to come together, reach higher and build self-confidence,” says BRSU Superintendent Randi Lowe. “The experience is rewarding on so many levels and participants absolutely love it.”
(Photo above: Runners approaching the starting line for the Girls on the Run 5K.)
Runners from Sunderland Elementary relax before the Girls on the Run 5K Race.
Just part of the MEMS Girls on the Run delegation at the Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park.
Young Currier Memorial Cougars autograph tee-shirts as they make final preparations for Girls on the Run.
The Mettawee Community School fielded one of the largest teams at this year's Girls on the Run 5K.
A quartet of Dorset School students standing together while waiting for the start of the Girls on the Run 5K.