Does anyone know why Girls On The Run charges $150?

Maybe they give out mad swag?

They do subsidize a lot of the low-income students, but I agree it is over priced. And the coaches work for free.

We stopped having the program at our school and started our own co-ed running club. We do local road races throughout the season. Club limits on the number of runners allowed and strict enrollment deadlines just made it too bureaucratic.

Someone in that program is making a lot of money!

Like most clubs, they likely provide race entry fees, swag, club t-shirt, and refreshments post run. So you're paying for all of that.

coffee me wrote:

Like most clubs, they likely provide race entry fees, swag, club t-shirt, and refreshments post run. So you're paying for all of that.

And insurance.

Lets Run, I beg you to quit being such cheap basterds.

The goal of our local chapter is to empower all local girls (read economically disadvantage girls). On average about 25% of our girls are on some form of scholarship, we also have remained essentially revenue neutral. While personally I feel some funds are frivioulosly spent on non running essential items remember the goal is not about training these girls to complete a 5k it's the lessons (costs) they gain during the buildup.

GOTR local board member wrote:

The goal of our local chapter is to empower all local girls (read economically disadvantage girls). On average about 25% of our girls are on some form of scholarship, we also have remained essentially revenue neutral. While personally I feel some funds are frivioulosly spent on non running essential items remember the goal is not about training these girls to complete a 5k it's the lessons (costs) they gain during the buildup.

Were the goal to train to complete a 5k, then perhaps they might learn some lessons from working toward the goal. As you describe it, GOTR is a feelgood program in which everyone's a winner. That doesn't teach much.

I've run in a local GOTR race -- never again. It was poorly managed and the course was actually close to dangerous. I didn't see many economically disadvantaged kids, either.

Girlss wrote:

Lets Run, I beg you to quit being such cheap basterds.

So the Rock and Roll people have started sending out message board spammers.

It is a legit program with high operating cost. I once ran a youth program that did not turn anyone awayand yes some of he people who paid their membership indirectly helped subsidize the families who could not pay.

If you haven't had the opportunity, I would urge any of you who really want to see what Girls on the Run is about, visit your local group, and volunteer at the season end 5K. I used to be a hardened, competition-only, die-hard runner. Having volunteered at the local Girls on the Run 5K at the urging of my wife, it is hard not to get emotional watching thousands of grade school kids enjoying a 5K event. I is an incredible sight to see the next generation of runners in action.

Any troll here who seriously laments 3rd through 5th grade girls learning about healthy body image, positive self esteem, and teamwork among others and decries lack of 5K "training" should be banned from coaching athletes of any age.

As a previous poster alluded to, a large percentage of participants are on scholarship, supported by donations and local fees. Supplies for the curriculum, t-shirts, medals, and race day event planning all cost money. Trust me- nobody is making serious cash off this, and many chapters are trying to stay above water.

I don't have real budget info, but just for a back of the envelope calculation for where that $150 might go:

A "good" administrative cost for a charity is under 10-15%, so lets lowball and assume $15 per person off the top for admin, infrastructure, insurance, etc.

Lets take another $35 for the end-of-season 5K- this is comparable to any large 5K entry fee with similar amenities.

This leaves $100. If 1 of every 4 participants is supported by scholarship, then 3 of 4 may be supporting that girl from their fees. 1/3 of $100 is $33, leaving $66 left.

10 weeks, 2 runs per week, makes 20 sessions total. That comes out to $3.30 per day that it costs. Much cheaper than any day care I know of. But lets keep going for those still skeptical.

Figure in $1.50 per girl for daily snacks, 75 cents per girl for supplies, this leaves an operational overflow of $1.05 per day per girl for any things I didn't leave out. Still worried that someone is making a lot of money off of this?

Do yourself and your sport a favor- find a GOTR chapter and volunteer- as a coach, at the 5K, helping prepare for the season, passing out fliers. Learn what the program and curriculum are really about. It is truly a life changing program for these girls.

For 8 years I ran a local rec club for junior high XC runners. We ran 3 to 4 times a week for 10 weeks and ran about 6 or 7 low key co-ed junior high races tacked onto HS cross country meets. The fee was $15 and included a t-shirt.

Another local running club puts on an annual road race to fund their youth program. Entry for this race is $8. All of their youth programs and races are free.

Crazy parents to pay that much wrote:

For 8 years I ran a local rec club for junior high XC runners. We ran 3 to 4 times a week for 10 weeks and ran about 6 or 7 low key co-ed junior high races tacked onto HS cross country meets. The fee was $15 and included a t-shirt.

Another local running club puts on an annual road race to fund their youth program. Entry for this race is $8. All of their youth programs and races are free.

I understand how the fees can seem how. How many people were in your training program? It is not unusual for a GOTR chapter to have 1,000 to 2,000 girls that they are managing. Double that for the 5K event (most of the kids register at least one family member) and you have a 4,000 person event. With that in mind:

1) How many 5Ks with nearly 4000 participants do you know are free, or cost under $20, or are tacked onto another local event?

2) How did you pay for insurance? Was it absorbed by your school system who was putting on the meets? Your local running club? Did you even have insurance in case something happened?

3) What did you provide your athletes on those training sessions?

4) Since your local running club already has insurance, and likely supports its youth program through membership dues, other races, etc., it can manage to hold a low cost race for its youth program, and support races for free. GOTR is a singular entity- while some do hold other fundraisers and get donations, its purpose is distinctly different from your local running club. With that in mind....

5) Any GOTR girl who claims financial need can get a scholarship. I don't recall offhand, but their costs drop to about $10 or $20 PER SEASON.

What most runners who raise questions like this don't understand is that this is not a pure "training" program. There is a curriculum associated with it, training for coaches, etc. Real costs that are more than just getting a bunch of kids together to run around the block.

If you don't believe me- take the time to volunteer- these groups need your help, and you can make a positive change!

GOTR Fan wrote:

these groups need your help, and you can make a positive change!

They also apparently need your hard-earned cash as well.

obviously it's more about $$$ than the outcome of "confidence" in the girls.

As an economist, I would say "because they can". They apparently are maximizing their income.

Perhaps because it costs $7,500 to start a council.

Harry Pi wrote:

Perhaps because it costs $7,500 to start a council.

Only costs $400 to start a Fit Girls chapter.

girls, girls, girls wrote:

I didn't see many economically disadvantaged kids, either.

Economically disadvantaged = Black

That's because those type of fun runs are the domain of slow white children. All the black kids are doing summer track.

I do not understand how the organization can do this and not pay their coaches. That person is THE most important person out there, and they just use volunteers. You don't even have to be a qualified coach. And get this...if the weather is bad, the race is CANCELLED. No make up date, no nothing. Too administrative heavy for me.

I know you will never believe I am not a troll.

I do not think the fee is out of line. My daughter did GOTR when she was in the 4th grade.

At the end of the program, she was fired up because she saw she could run as well as the 5th graders and did summer track for the first time and has been running ever since.

However, long before the program was over, she and her best friend said they would never do GOTR again. They hated the non-running part of the program.

"Any troll here who seriously laments 3rd through 5th grade girls learning about healthy body image, positive self esteem, and teamwork among others and decries lack of 5K "training" should be banned from coaching athletes of any age."