“We are deeply humbled and proud to have served over 10,000 girls since our inception in 2010,” said Kayleigh Clark, executive director of Girls on the Run. “We continue to be grateful to the Dayton community for their support and commitment to Girls on the Run programming that empowers all girls of all abilities to reach their limitless potential.”
In 2026, the organization will be using a new curriculum focused on supporting the whole girl, mentally and physically, the organization said.
The group serves Montgomery, Miami, Clark, Greene and Preble counties.
Lauren Leopard, a Girls on the Run coach for the Dayton Boys and Girls Club, said this year was tough because the old Boys and Girls Club has been torn down and is being rebuilt. But she said girls were still able to do training sessions and build their confidence through the program.
“It’s a Couch to 5k meets Girl Scouts,” she said of the program.
A lot of the work she does is building confidence in young girls, she said.
She said working with the Boys and Girls Club is “so much fun – they’re all so energetic, and everyone really gets along.”
Leopard is one of the longest-running coaches in the Dayton-area chapter of Girls on the Run with at least four seasons, and she said she continues to come back because she loves it. As a runner herself, she wants others to experience the sport.
“I just genuinely love the sport of running and making it more available and accessible to people that maybe have never given it a try before,” Leopard said.
She coaches youth sports for her own kids and enjoys it as well, she said.
And she said she likes working with the girls, too.
“The girls are so awesome,” she said. “They’re so sweet.”
For more information about coaching, getting involved and giving, go to www.gotrdayton.org/.
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