Sports
Girls Go the Distance in Their Own 5K Race
Girls on the Run promotes self esteem as well as providing a great time at downtown Somerville race.
It was a great evening for an early summer street race as over 1,500 runners of all ages participated in Monday’s New Balance Girls on the Run 5K event held in downtown Somerville.
Christine Arcoleo of Basking Ridge placed 2nd in the 11-14 age category. Other township girls and women also took part in the race.
Girls on the Run is a 10-week character building program for girls in grades 3 to 8, which culminates in a 5K race. The program's stated mission is to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.
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There are 36 Girls on the Run sites in Somerset County that support local schools and recreation departments. The program is administered by the Friends of Somerset County Youth, a corporation organized exclusively for charitable purposes and focused specifically on the youth of Somerset County.
Participants of Girls on the Run learn the sport of running while training for the 5K race. They also learn life lessons that are presented each week in a class setting, which focus on topics such as nutrition, communication, character education and self-esteem. The objective is to provide young girls with tools to make healthy decisions and form healthy self-images.
