COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — More than a thousand girls laced up their shoes and hit the streets of downtown Columbus on Sunday morning for the Girls on the Run 5K.

“It’s kind of about helping and inspiring little younger girls and it’s about having fun,” said Aisha Bashi, a third grader.

Girls on the Run is a national nonprofit that offers programs for girls between third and eighth grades. For the past 10 weeks, these girls have met with their team and coaches but it wasn’t just exercise they were learning about.

“We learned about our bodies and how our emotions can affect our actions,” said sixth grader Nellie Connolly.

The girls learned about confidence, conflict resolution and other social skills. They also said it gave them all the tools they needed to finish strong.

“They have prepared me really well by making sure that I stretch always before I run,” said fourth grader Jai Clancy. “I want to do student council next year and I think that you should have teamwork as a skill for that and Girls on the Run has taught me a lot of teamwork.”

The Central Ohio Chapter is celebrated a milestone this season with their largest team ever as the Etna Road Elementary team had 40 girls.

“It’s been amazing to see us grow back since 2020. This is our largest season in the last five years and it’s only possible because of our volunteer coaches,” said Sarah Hider, Executive Director of Girls on the Run Central Ohio.

Organizers said there will be another session this fall. You can learn more here.