Sweet Briar College once again helps celebrate Girls on the Run

Girls on the Run participants hold hands during the Fall 2016 Celebration 5K at Sweet Briar College. Photo by Ellie Powell


Sweet Briar College has one of the most beautiful and expansive campuses in the nation, and what could be a better use of that campus than providing a place for girls to have fun and get healthy?

Each fall and spring, Sweet Briar hosts girls between the ages of 8 and 13 who participate in Girls on the Run of Central Virginia, a program that encourages girls to live healthy, confident and empowered lives. Girls on the Run of Central Virginia is an independent council of Girls on the Run International, a network of more than 200 councils across 50 states and the District of Columbia. Girls spend 12 weeks in the program, including training to prepare for the semiannual 5K — a culminating event that recognizes and celebrates their efforts.

The celebratory run will be held on Saturday, Nov. 18, on the Sweet Briar College campus. Activities will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the race itself will get underway at 10 a.m. It’s a big event with almost 400 participants and another 300 to 400 spectators.

“We’re grateful for our partnership with Sweet Briar College,” says Mary Hansen, council director of Girls on the Run of Central Virginia. “Being able to hold this culminating event for our fall Girls on the Run season on such a beautiful campus just makes the experience that much more special for our participants and their families.”

The fun has been held on campus since fall 2011. Sweet Briar is proud to be a regular sponsor because the spirit of the program aligns closely with the College’s strong commitment to fostering confidence, courage and grit among its students, and to educating women of consequence.

For more information, email girlsontheruncenva@verizon.net, visit the council’s website or follow them on Facebook.