On race day, the energy is unmistakable. Girls arrive in bright shirts and laced-up shoes, their hair bouncing as nerves and excitement mix in equal measure. Families gather near the course. Coaches cheer. Music fills the air. By the time the Girls on the Run 5K begins, it feels less like a finish line and more like a celebration.
That is exactly the point.
For Girls on the Run Flint Hills, running has always been the vehicle, but confidence is the destination. The organization serves girls across the region through an after-school program that combines movement, mentorship and social-emotional learning. At an age when girls often begin to lose confidence, the greater achievement often happens long before they cross the line.
At Girls On The Run, she discovers that her voice, body, ideas and place in the world matters. For Executive Director Candice McIntosh, that mission is personal.
Originally from Denver, and raised as a military brat, Candice understands what it feels like to arrive somewhere new, and need a place to belong. In a community like Manhattan, where families often move in and out through military, university and professional life. She wanted girls to have a space where they were embraced immediately, without feeling pressure to fit into what she calls the “girl box.”
Girls on the Run Flint Hills began in 2014 at Marlatt Elementary, launched by a small group of women who believed the community needed something intentional for girls. In those early days, the effort was deeply volunteer-driven. Meetings were informal. The first group included roughly 15 girls, and ended with a casual run around City Park.
Candice came aboard in 2016 after being approached by women who knew her nonprofit background, especially in youth-focused work. At the time, the organization had little money, little structure and a great deal of potential. She was also being considered for another nonprofit position with a much larger salary. Still, she saw what it could become, so she accepted the role.
Her first priority was structure. That meant strategic planning, budgets, volunteer recruitment, coach training, safety protocols and background checks. It also meant helping a passionate grassroots effort grow into a sustainable local council.
Girls on the Run is a national organization, but the Flint Hills council is locally governed, locally funded and independently operated. National provides the curriculum, brand resources, and support. The local team makes decisions based on the girls, and communities it serves.
That balance has allowed the Flint Hills chapter to grow carefully and intentionally. From its start in Manhattan, the program expanded by word of mouth, then into Junction City and Fort Riley. Later, the council took on additional counties, including the Topeka area, after Girls on the Run headquarters asked whether the Flint Hills team could support communities that needed help. Today, the organization serves 10 counties.
Melissa Colby, program director, joined the organization in 2019 after years of nonprofit experience herself. She and Candice first bonded during a volleyball trip to Salina, where their daughters were teammates and the two mothers found themselves talking for hours about youth programming, nonprofit work and community needs. Eventually, Candice told her she wanted to “steal” her away to handle programming.
Today, Melissa works directly with schools, coaches and teams to make each season happen.
Girls on the Run operates in fall and spring seasons, alongside school semesters. Fall typically begins in September and wraps up in November. Spring begins in February or March and finishes in early May. A school or community site hosts a team, usually led by a site liaison and head coach. Each team must have enough trained coaches to support the girls with a ratio of one adult for every five girls.
Coaches do not have to be runners. In fact, Candice and Melissa are quick to point out that the best coaches are not necessarily the fastest. The strongest teams are led by people who want to empower girls, build confidence and teach the curriculum as intended.
The program is open to girls in third through fifth grade, or sixth grade depending on the school structure. Middle school girls can participate in Heart & Sole, a similar program designed with lessons and discussions appropriate for sixth through eighth grade.
Practices are held after school, at school, twice a week for 90 minutes. Each season includes eight weeks, and 16 lessons. The curriculum is built around confidence, with themes that help girls discover their strengths, build friendships and support others.
A typical practice begins with gathering, snacks, water bottles and a transition from the school day into Girls on the Run time. Coaches introduce the lesson, lead discussion, guide warm-ups and then move into running activities tied to the day’s topic. If the lesson is about empathy, for example, the movement activity reinforces that idea. Then, each lesson has a “big workout.”
At the end, girls cool down, stretch and process what they learned. They also track personal lap goals in journals, watching their own progress over time. The running is intentionally noncompetitive. Girls are taught to focus on themselves, not compare their pace or distance to someone else’s.
The program is also committed to removing financial barriers. Registration includes coaching, snacks, a program shirt, journal, cinch sack and water bottle. Financial assistance is available, and the organization works with families, so cost never prevents a girl from participating. In some cases, support goes beyond registration. Girls may receive running shoes, athletic clothing, sports bras or hygiene products when needed.
Each season builds toward the 5K, including a practice 5K around lesson 12 that helps girls see how far they have come. By race day, many arrive transformed.
The official 5K, timed by Manhattan Running Company and energized with music from Jim Fronk of Tonight’s Stars Entertainment, is open to the public, and known within the organization as the biggest girl-powered party in the Flint Hills. Each girl runs with a running buddy, someone who encourages her step by step and helps ensure her safety.
For many girls, that running buddy becomes part of a larger lesson: building a circle of support.
Through grants, Grow Green Match Day, individual giving and events like Sneaker Soiree, Girls on the Run Flint Hills continues funding scholarships and expanding its reach. The organization is also piloting new opportunities, including Ready, Set, Rise, a confidence and leadership retreat for girls entering sixth grade.
In the end, Girls on the Run is not simply about teaching girls how to run. It is about helping them understand they are capable of more than they realized. The finish line is only part of the story.
The real victory is the girl who crosses it believing in herself, and knowing she is unstoppable.
“Girls on the Run is not just about finishing a 5K. It is about helping girls discover confidence, courage and strength they can carry into every part of life.” - Candice McIntosh