Rebecca Lessard decided last year to leave her friends in her dust.
Her 12-year-old engine kept her at a running pace for the entire five-kilometre distance in the Prince George RCMP Girls' Run for Fun and she cut 20 minutes off her time from the previous year.
"The first year I did this I got a bad time, like 45 minutes to run a 5K, but last year was 25 minutes," said Lessard. "I abandoned my friends because they were walking the whole time."
On warm, sunny morning, Lessard covered the 5K course Saturday in 39:33. The race through Fort George Park was the culmination of an eight-week program of twice-weekly workouts and counselling sessions for the girls-only group of about 50, who range in age from 10 to 15. Lessard has been involved with the Girls Run for Fun every year since it started in 2011.
"They talk about drugs and stuff like that and then we go for a run after," said Lessard. "They taught us to be aware of people who don't look all that friendly and be aware of needles and drugs."
Race winner Aspen Vassallo, 11, joined the group last year and she's also noticed considerable improvement in her fitness and running ability. The RCMP's involvement in counselling sessions has taught the girls how to be more aware of their surroundings and how to avoid dangers on the streets.
"They talk about sexual abuse and alcohol, and if you're walking on the street, walk with a friend," said Vassallo. "If you're listening to music have earphones around you neck so you'll hear people coming up to you.
"I love being out with just girls, it helps me get more confident. It's taught me how to run faster and how to prevent cramps. I'm a much faster runner now that I've been doing this for two years."
Both agree the same program should be offered to boys.
"Boys don't listen and they are not the nicest to girls," said Vassallo. "This would help."
Vassallo's time of 26:58 was the quickest of the day, followed by Nancy Li (28:17), Katherine Li. (29:23) and Natalie Hirt (30:13).
Kim Forsdick's 12-year-old daughter Ateya joined the program this year at the urging of one of her Grade 7 friends at Heather Park elementary school. Already active in sports in speedskating and soccer, the chance to run in a strictly-female group was appealing to Ateya.
"She liked it a lot and she's had fun," said Kim Forsdick.
"She was a shy kid when she joined and still is and I think that's why she was nervous about the race today. It's good for her.
"I'm very impressed with how they run it. What I like is it's just girls. Being that my daughter is a little shy, I don't know if I could have got her into it if there were boys. She'd be a little intimidated because boys are more athletic."
As organizers of the program, Linda Parker, Prince George RCMP's community policing co-ordinator, and Krista Levar, the RCMP victim services co-ordinator, are role models for the girls. They share their experiences as police officers to teach street survival skills which help their young subjects build confidence and self-esteem.
"We test them at the beginning and the end and when they find out how much they've improved and what the running has done for them, it's so inspiring," said Levar. "We have the ability to talk to them and reach kids on a different level. In my job I usually deal with kids in crisis, so its so different to be able to reach out and have relationships with kids on a positive level."
