Girls on the Run New Hampshire Celebrates 25 Years of Empowering Girls Across the State

Girls on the Run New Hampshire (GOTR NH) celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026, marking a quarter-century of inspiring girls to recognize their inner strengths and build confidence. The year-long celebration will culminate with the Sneaker Soirée, an inspirational evening of fun, dinner,drinks and donations on October 1 at The Venues at the Factory in Manchester, NH.

GOTR NH has built a powerful legacy of empowering young girls through a program rooted in confidence, physical wellness, emotional resilience, and leadership development. The organization’s impact reaches far beyond the finish line by helping girls develop lifelong skills that shape how they see themselves, their relationships, and their future.

“25 years is an incredible milestone for us,” says GOTR NH Executive Director Jen Hubbell. “There is so much to celebrate: our history and impact on New Hampshire communities, the girls who’ve gone through our program, the volunteer coaches, parents, caregivers, and family members who have supported them throughout their GOTR journey. It’s going to be an exciting year!”

Founded in 2001, GOTR NH, a 501(c)(3), is one of 160 GOTR councils across the U.S. and Canada. The NH chapter started with 142 girls at seven schools in Strafford and Rockingham Counties. To date, GOTR NH has served over 27,000 girls in its 25 years and worked with over 2,400 volunteer coaches. Over 230 sites have hosted the GOTR program in all ten New Hampshire counties.

To highlight GOTR NH’s success and honor itsgirls’ achievements, the organization is spotlighting former participants and coaches throughout 2026 online and in its social media channels. Notable former GOTR NH girls and coaches include:

Lauren Arkell, a standout GOTR NH alum who proves there’s no limit to how high you can soar when you chase big goals. As a flight controller at Firefly Aerospace, she played an instrumental role in guiding the “Blue Ghost” lunar lander, marking a commercial company's first fully successful moon landing. She credits the confidence, resilience, and teamwork she developed during her days at GOTR for empowering her to pursue a career in STEM and defy gender stereotypes in aerospace.

Jackie Gaughan, a GOTR NH participant in 2010, who continues to run as an adult. She ran for the University of Notre Dame and participated in the US Olympic Time Trials for the marathon in February 2024. Keeping joy front and center with her running is a priority.

Alli Hobbs, a alum of the original GOTR NH program at Mast Way School in Lee, later ran at Oyster River High School. She's been in and out of running over the years but remembers learning a key lesson about body image and why comparing oneself to others isn’t healthy. “As a young girl in the early 2000s, that lesson was critical,” Alli remembers. “It played a huge role in developing a healthy body image and self-esteem.”

About GOTR

GOTR inspires participants of all abilities to recognize their individual strengths while building a sense of connection in a team setting. Trained volunteer coaches facilitate lessons that blend physical activity with life skill development to enable participants to adapt to whatever comes their way. The original GOTR chapter was founded in 1996 in Charlotte, NC, with 13 girls; since then, more than 2.7 million girls have gone through the program. Each GOTR season ends with the non-competitive 5K Celebration, giving program participants of all abilities a sense of accomplishment and sets a confident mindset into motion. The national GOTR 5K series is now one of the largest 5K series in the U.S.

For more information about GOTR NH and the Sneaker Soirée, visit www.girlsontherunnh.org.