Girls on the Run to Host End-of-season 5K Celebration on Nov. 23

NORTHAMPTON — Girls on the Run (GOTR) of Western Massachusetts and presenting sponsor MedExpress Urgent Care will host the annual GOTR 5K celebration on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 10:30 a.m. at Smith College.

The 5K event is open to the public. Event-day registration is available for $30. Approximately 1,600 runners are expected to participate.

The mission of Girls on the Run is to inspire girls to be healthy, joyful, and confident. Girls on the Run is a positive, physical-activity-based, youth-development program that uses fun running games and dynamic discussions to teach life skills to girls in grades 3 to 8. During the 10-week program, girls participate in lessons that foster confidence, build peer connections, and encourage community service while they prepare for an end-of-season celebratory 5K event.

The event begins on the Smith athletic fields and goes through the Smith College campus. The run will begin at 10:30 a.m., but festivities, including a group warmup and games, will begin at 10 a.m. Early arrival is strongly suggested.

Registration is available online at www.girlsontherunwesternma.org. The pre-registration cost is $25 for adults and $10 for children and includes a GOTR 5K event shirt. Registration will also be open the day of the event beginning at 9 a.m. For more information about the event, how to register, and volunteer opportunities, visit www.girlsontherunwesternma.org.

Event supporters include Scout Curated Wears, Cooley Dickinson Medical Group – Women’s Health, Holyoke Gas and Electric, Marisa Labozzetta and Martin Wohl, Mill 180 Park, PeoplesBank, People’s United Bank, River Valley Counseling Center, RunReg, Smith College, and Synergy Physical Therapy.