Girls on the Run South Dakota Logo
Registration For Fall 2025 Opens July 8th @ 9AM Central Time
BECOME A COACH
BECOME A JUNIOR COACH
NEW SITE APPLICATION

INFORMATION

For more information or questions, please contact Elizabeth Cordell at 605-681-8349 or ecordell@embe.org.

INFORMATION

For more information or questions, please contact Jasmina Miller at 605-681-8329 or jnmiller@embe.org.

Girls on the Run is so much more than running! We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident by using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running.

Girls on the Run strives to help every girl activate her limitless potential and ensure that she is free to pursue her dreams boldly.

Girls on the Run is a transformational physical activity-based, positive youth development program for girls in 3rd-5th grades. Meeting in small teams, trained volunteer coaches inspire girls to build confidence and other essential life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and physical activity. Our lessons focus on building girls’ social, emotional, and physical skills while encouraging healthy habits for life. Each season ends with a joyful, non-competitive, celebratory 5K event. This culmination gives girls a tangible sense of accomplishment and the confidence to be the author of their own stories.

Girls on the Run of South Dakota is an Affiliate Council of Girls on the Run International, which has a network of over 200 councils across the United States and Canada.

MISSION: We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

VISION: We envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.

CORE VALUES: Girls on the Run honors its core values.

We strive to:

  • Recognize our power and responsibility to be intentional in our decision making
  • Embrace our differences and find strength in our connectedness
  • Express joy, optimism and gratitude through our words, thoughts and actions
  • Nurture our physical, emotional and spiritual health
  • Lead with an open heart and assume positive intent
  • Stand up for ourselves and others

Girls on the Run comprises over 200 councils across the United States and Canada. We want girls to have the opportunity to participate in Girls on the Run wherever they live.

*We are still working on confirming sites for the Fall 2025 Girls on the Run season. If you do not see your site listed below, we may still be working with the school to confirm that they will host a team. Please contact Elizabeth at ecordell@embe.org if you have any questions.

FALL 2025 SITES
Brandon – Robert Bennis Elementary
Brookings – Camelot Intermediate School
Elk Point – Jefferson Elementary
Fort Pierre – Stanley County Elementary
Fulda Elementary
Harrisburg – Explorer Elementary
Harrisburg – Liberty Elementary
Huron – Washington 4-5 Center
Rapid City – Robbinsdale Elementary
Scotland Elementary
Sioux Falls – Harvey Dunn Elementary
Sioux Falls – John Harris Elementary
Sioux Falls – Pettigrew Elementary
Sioux Falls – Robert Frost Elementary
Sioux Falls – Sonia Sotomayor Elementary
Sioux Falls – Susan B Anthony Elementary
Sioux Valley Elementary
Slayton – Murray County Elementary
Spearfish – Creekside Elementary
Sturgis Elementary
Vermillion Elementary

HEART & SOLE 2025 SITES
Slayton – Murray County Middle School

If you are interested in starting a Girls on the Run team in your community, please contact Jasmina Miller at jnmiller@embe.org or at 605-681-8329

Are you interested in bringing Girls on the Run to your school or community?

Importance of Girls on the Run:

At Girls on the Run, we know that girls’ self-confidence begins to drop at nine years old. Physical activity levels start to decline at ten years old. We also know that 50% of girls begin to experience bullying at ten to thirteen years old.

Girls on the Run strives to change these statistics with evidence-based curriculum to promote social-emotional health and creatively integrate running games in each lesson.

What you need to know:

  • Teams consist of 8- 15 girls and five volunteer coaches.
  • Sites will receive recruitment materials and flyers to spread awareness of the program at your location.
  • Teams meet twice a week for 90 minutes.
  • There is no cost to bring the program to your community. The families will pay fees during the registration process.
  • Income-base sliding fee scale and additional scholarships are available.

STEP 1:
Contact Jasmina Miller at  jnmiller@embe.org to gather more information about hosting a season!

STEP 2:
Complete New Site Application

We look forward to working with you!

Become a Girls on the Run Coach!

Each season, Girls on the Run has a dynamic group of coaches that volunteer their time to guide and mentor girls so that they are prepared to become happy, healthy, self-confident adolescents and adults, helping every girl activate her limitless potential.

Each team consists of 8 to 15 girls that meet after school around 3:00 or 3:30 pm. The GOTR team meets twice a week throughout the season. Each team will have 4 – 6 coaches to lead the girls, with a minimum of two coaches at each practice. Coaches lead the team through a comprehensive, interactive, fun curriculum. All materials are provided.  You can help bring this program to happen and invest in a girl’s life!

GOTR Coach Requirements:

  • Must be 18 years old or older
  • Lead a healthy lifestyle
  • Interest in mentoring girls and being a positive role
  • Can commit to one 90 minute practice a week
  • Complete National Coach Training  (Two parts -> in-person and online)
    You do not need to be a runner to coach a GOTR team!

Become a Junior Coach!

Serving as a Junior Coach is a fun and rewarding way for 16-18 years old high school girls to get involved with Girls on the Run, grow their leadership skills and make a difference in their lives of girls throughout their community. As a junior coach you get to 1) participate in a program that provides training, experience, and service credits, 2) impact youth girls, and 3) be part of a positive community!

Role Summary:
The Junior Coach is a volunteer position for high school girls to deliver Girls on the Run programs with a team of coaches at a program site. Junior Coaches serve a similar role as adult coaches, to develop new skills, grow in their ability to build relationships with participants, and guide a full lesson with the curriculum.

Junior Coach Qualifications:

  • Be 16-18 years of age (in high school)
  • Identify as female
  • Complete Junior Coach Application
  • Complete background check (if 18 years old)
  • Return signed waiver (signed by parent/guardian if under 18)
  • Complete in-person training
  • Consistently attend practice (minimum of once per week)
  • Commit 1.5 hours of time each week for 10 weeks

You do not need to be a runner to coach!

At the 5K celebration, we gather as a community to celebrate the accomplishments of every GOTR girl. On this day, teams unite to recognize how far participants have come and how far they will continue to go. So register early, lace up your sneakers and get ready to witness greatness.

Support Runner Cost:
Adults (13 years and older): $20
Youth (12 years and younger): $15
All fees support our Girls on the Run program. 

Sioux Falls 5K – TBD

Rapid City 5K – TBD

Race information is sent out one week before the race.

Scholarship opportunities are available. EmBe is committed to being accessible to all regardless of ability to pay. On the online participant registration, you can find an income-based sliding fee scale built in. If you need additional assistance, please fill out our scholarship application.

Local Sponsors

EmBe is proud to partner with the Avera, Scheels, First Premier Bank, Sanford Health, Marsh McLennan Agency, and United Way to bring Girls on the Run and Heart & Sole to our community.  Over 1000 girls locally participate in Girls on the Run and Heart & Sole each year thanks to the generosity of these partners.

National Sponsors

Girls on the Run International is proud to partner with adidas, Gamma Phi Beta, Rite Aid Healthy Futures, and BAND as we work to deliver life-changing programs to more than 120,000 girls each year.  These companies are vital to advancing our mission and provide financial, in-kind and volunteer support while leveraging their brand’s assets to raise awareness about the program across North America.

5k Sponsors

Girls on the Run International is proud to partner with adidas, Gamma Phi Beta, BAND, Rite Aid Healthy Futures, Fleet Feet, and 26.2 Team Milk as we work to deliver life-changing programs to more than 120,000 girls each year.  These companies are vital to advancing our mission and provide financial, in-kind and volunteer support while leveraging their brand’s assets to raise awareness about the program across North America.

Fleet Feet
26.2 Team Milk