The Hollins Loop had more foot traffic than usual on Saturday, November 16. That day, nearly 200 girls from 10 Roanoke County public and private elementary and middle schools ran a 5K course around and through Hollins University, cheered by 80 Hollins University athletes from across the athletics program.
The event was part of the Girls on the Run (GOTR) program, a one-of-a-kind national nonprofit that creates running clubs for third- through eighth-grade girls across the country. GOTR brings together young runners with older mentors to focus on confidence-building and the critical connection between physical and emotional health.
The fall meet was sponsored and organized by the Hollins Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), an NCAA organization. Hollins partnered with GOTR three years ago, and the enthusiastic response by Hollins athletes has been consistently overwhelming, says Mallary Meyer, head swim coach and aquatics director, who advises the GOTR Hollins chapter. “Every one of our athletes walks away with a smile on her face, and it’s something they very much enjoy doing together for the community,” Meyer says.
Hollins GOTR members help Meyer plan the 5K, and on race day they serve as course mentors before, during, and after the event. “We help with the race day village and pre-race activities, set up, take down, assist with parking and security, and manage stations throughout the course with signs to cheer on the runners,” Meyer explains.
If a runner is struggling, Hollins athletes often jump into the race to run alongside her and offer encouragement. GOTR “running buddies”—parents, siblings, and other community members—also may run alongside the girls.
“It’s a joyous occasion,” reflects Meyer, who serves as the Virginia Blue Ridge GOTR Run Coordinator for the Roanoke Valley. “Some of the girls just started running when the GOTR season started last September. It’s great to see them finish. There’s no pressure or time cut off. We are there cheering until the very last runner crosses the finish line.”
The route began on the Hollins track to cheers by Hollins students and runners’ families and teachers. The young striders tackled the Hollins Hill near the Equestrian Center, running the Hollins Loop with a scenic detour through Front Quad
There was even a unicorn at the finish line on the Hollins track: a Hollins athlete dressed in an inflatable unicorn costume, who served as the event’s sweeper. On November 16, Cassidy Henderson ’27, a member of the Hollins Volleyball team, “made sure that nobody was the last runner,” Meyer explains. “It’s one of the Hollins traditions for our GOTR events. There’s such great community spirit for this event.”
The goal for every young runner isn’t the distance covered, explains Meyer. It’s how far running can take her.
“GOTR is about empowerment of the individual and as a community,” she adds. “That’s our goal for the Hollins athletic program as well. When you look at the research, young women tend not to participate in recreational sports compared to young men.”
A recent independent study by the University of Minnesota on the impact of GOTR shows a 40% increase in physical activity level among girls who were least active at the start of the season. And 85% of girls participating improved in confidence, caring, competence, character development, or connection to others.
While the course length is a 5K, Meyer keeps her eye on the marathon. “GOTR teaches girls the importance of staying active and showing how athletics can teach character, teamwork, and resilience,” she says. “When the GOTR athletes are going forward into middle school, high school, college, and into the world, they’re going to be able to look back and have these fond memories to say, ‘That was really hard but I did that. And our athletes can be part of their lives, share their wisdom, and be role models.”
On April 26, 2025, Hollins’ GOTR chapter will sponsor another campus GOTR meet, adding Roanoke City Public Schools for the first time. Meyer is expecting 17 or 18 total schools to participate.
This unique community outreach is in perfect step with Hollins mission and vision, Meyer notes: “Hollins is very much about helping women find their voice, which is what GOTR is doing with a younger generation. It helps girls keep active and healthy and shows them how strong they are mentally and physically. For us to be a part of that is amazing.”
