2023 Find Your Kind 5k & Youth Run recap!

Sunshine, smiles and an overwhelming amount of support from our community made for the best 4th Annual Find Your Kind 5K, presented by Essentia Health, in Fargo! In case you missed it (dang it), we’ve got you covered with a quick recap. Plus, some pretty heartwarming pictures.

on your mark, get set, go!

The fun began the evening prior to race day for packet pickup at BIO Girls HQ! It was so fun to welcome our community into our office. Community runners, BIO Girls families and program volunteers had the opportunity to connect with our generous sponsors as they picked up their race bib, t-shirt, and some pretty neat swag.

Race day rolled around and the day couldn’t have been better - sunny and nearly 80 degrees with a slight breeze. And the picture-perfect weather lasted all day long. (Hello summer and a few sunburns!?)

Our volunteers helped us set up our course with signage, thanks to Sign Badgers! They also helped prep the finish line with water, medals, and snacks. Lastly, a handful of NDSU football players volunteered some extra muscle to help us place bike rack. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Our friends at Microsoft were the best hosts. Their beautiful campus was the perfect location to gather and celebrate our:

500 BIO Girls & Program Volunteers
250 Community 5K & Youth Runners
100 Event Volunteers
1,000(+) Community Cheerleaders

The energy was high as the crowds began to pour in. BIO Girls gathered with their respected site in the BIO Girls coral and stretched, danced, and laughed as they waited for their wave to run! HOKA hooked us up with a neat photo booth and a custom sign-making station, perfect for the BIO fams and friends ready to cheer along the route.

The activities kicked off with the Youth Run! A half-mile, sponsored by Edge Fitness, perfect for kiddos of any age. The enthusiasm from our youngest supporters was nothing short of amazing. (Big kudos to the parents carrying their youth across the finish line when their little legs were done.)

Next up, nearly 200 community participants hit the start line and were followed by three full waves of excited BIO Girls and their mentors. The entire 5K route was lined in every direction with undeniable, loud and proud support, keeping spirits up!

Before we knew it, the finish line was bumping again as runners made their way back to Microsoft. Participants were cheerfully greeted by volunteers with the cutest pink medals and some, okay maybe lots of, water.

Celebrations continued with loved ones and fellow BIO Girls that each BIO Girl trained with over the course of their season. Tears, hugs, and of course high fives all around.

Our 2023 Find Your Kind 5K was truly a magical experience, one that is hard to put into words. Witnessing our second through sixth graders accomplish this HUGE milestone? Seeing the outpouring of support from community runners and supporters?

A day we will never forget and one that fuels us to reach even more girls with our preventative, mental wellness programming.

We’re so, so, so grateful to everyone, including our generous sponsors recognized below, for making this event possible. Thank you for supporting the mental health of our adolescent girls.

Find Your Kind 5K 2024, we can’t wait for you!

With Kindness & Grateful Hearts,

The BIO Girls Team