Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Big Strides

Just a week before the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon, hundreds of runners hit the pavement — and not for last-minute training. The eighth annual Girls on the Run Vermont 5K Run/Walk is a similar celebration of strength, but the noncompetitive dash also recognizes the power of healthy choices and self-image. That’s why each racer sports the number “1” on his or her bib. An extension of the Girls on the Run and Girls on Track programs for third through eighth graders, the open sprint is a feel-good finale to weeks of training, lifestyle education and community service, notes GOTR volunteer coach and board member Sarah Zobel. As the girls make a run for it, she says, “You can just see how proud they are.”