Molly Barker, Founder, Girls on the Run

Molly Barker, MSW, founded Girls on the Run in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1996. A 4-time Hawaii Ironman triathlete, Molly began running at the age of 15 an age when she found herself stuck in the "girl box," when only girls who were a certain size with a certain beauty were popular; when girls who wanted to fit in had to mold their personalities and bodies to fit the requirements of the box.

Molly kept running. Years later, on July 7, 1993, she took off on a sunset run and found the inspiration that grew into Girls on the Run. Using her background in counseling and teaching, current research on adolescent issues and her personal recovery from alcoholism, she developed the earliest version of the curriculum with the help of 13 brave girls at Charlotte Country Day School. Twenty six girls showed up for the next session, then 75, and so the program grew.

The national magazine Runner's World awarded Molly its "Golden Shoe Award" in 1998 for contributions to the community through running. That resulted in calls from across the country and Molly decided to share her vision with the world. Girls on the Run, International, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, was born in 2000.

Girls on the Run is now in over 150 cities across North America, with tens of thousands of girls and women participating. In 2006, Girls on the Run hosted over 60 end-of-season races with over 60,000 people participating. The program has been featured in People, Runner's World, Running Times, MSNBC, ABC News, NBC News, NPR, ESPN, and CNN News. Corporate sponsors for Girls on the Run International include New Balance Athletic Shoe and Apparel Company, Kellogg's Frosted Flaks and Goody Products Inc.

Molly Barker is a breath of fresh air in the business world. Her book, "Girls on Track, A Parent's Guide to Inspiring our Daughters to Achieve a Lifetime of Self-Esteem and Respect," was an Amazon top ten pick for best parenting book of 2004. Her role as a national speaker in Oprah Winfrey's "Hi Gorgeous" tour added to her visibility as an outstanding role model for girls and women. She was also selected as the 2005 Charlotte Woman of the Year and featured in a book, entitled "Be Happy at Work: 100 Women who Love Their Jobs and Why."

The true success of the program, however, is told in the words of its past and present participants. "I used to be shy, but now I'm not anymore." "I know that whatever I set my mind to do, I can do." "Girls on the Run helps me feel awesome about myself!"

That is success.

2008 Spring participant and her "running buddies"

History of Girls on the Run of Dane County

Girls on the Run of Dane County began in 2004 the way most things that involve women do — by making connections. A small group of women from Madison who ran together shared an interest in helping young girls be better prepared for life. At the same time, a woman from Verona with a young daughter and son read about Girls on the Run in a magazine and a mother of two daughters from Stoughton searched the Internet to find a program that could prepare her daughters for their bright futures as young women. Each of these women separately contacted Girls on the Run International and came together to start Girls on the Run of Dane County. The pilot program began in winter 2005 and culminated in all participating girls completing the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in June 2005. The exhilaration felt after that first race and each race that followed is why Girls on the Run was created and will continue to grow and thrive in Dane County.

"We move forward with a vision based solely on the love for the girls that we serve." 
Founder and Vision Keeper, Molly Barker, 2008 GOTR National Summit