About Molly Barker, Founder

Molly Barker, MSW and four-time Hawaii Ironman triathlete is a visionary. Using her expertise in counseling and teaching along with research on adolescent issues, she founded Girls on the Run® in Charlotte, North Carolina. Girls on the Run® is a non-profit organization with the mission of educating and preparing girls for a life-time of self-respect and healthy living. The innovative, experiential program combines training for a 5k event with life-changing self-esteem enhancing lessons that enhance social, physical and mental health in 8 – 12 year old girls.

Molly began running at the age of 15 - an age when she found herself stuck in the “girl box,” where only girls who were a certain size with a certain beauty were popular; where girls who wanted to fit in had to mold their bodies and their personalities to fit the requirements of the box.

Molly kept running. During a sunset run in 1993, she found the inspiration that grew into Girls on the Run®. In 1996 she developed the earliest version of the 24-lesson curriculum with the help of 13 brave girls. Twenty-six girls came the next season, then 75, and so the program grew. In 2000, Girls on the Run International, a 501c-3 organization was born.

Today, there are Girls on the Run® programs in over 150 cities across North America, with tens of thousands of girls and women participating. In 2007, Girls on the Run® will host over 70 end-of-season 5k events across the United States and Canada.

Molly and Girls on the Run have been featured in many media outlets including People, Runner’s World, Redbook, Women’s Day, O Magazine, Running Times, CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, NBC News, NPR, ESPN and Forbes. In 2006, Molly was the recipient of several prestigious national awards including Redbook magazine’s “Strength and Spirit Award” which recognizes individuals who are building a better future for all of us, the “Woman’s Day Award” from Woman’s Day magazine which salutes individuals who have used their vision and heart to help fix pressing problems and the highly prestigious “Heroes of Running Award” from Runner’s World magazine.

Corporate sponsors for Girls on the Run International include New Balance Athletic Shoe and Apparel Company, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and Goody’s Hair Products.

Molly’s book, “Girls on Track, A Parent’s Guide to Inspiring our Daughters to Achieve a Lifetime of Self-Esteem and Respect,” was an Amazon top ten pick for best parenting book of 2004. Her newest book “Girls Lit from Within” is written directly for young girls and shares an inspiring and positive message.

The true success of the program, however, is told in the words of its past and present participants:

“I used to be shy, but now I’m not anymore.”
“I know that whatever I set my mind to do, I can do.”
“Girls on the Run helps me feel awesome about myself!”

And that's success.