Hundreds turned out Saturday to run like a girl.

They ran strong, they ran fast, they ran in teams, and used high-fives to turbocharge their strides. Some wore glittering tutus and others wore capes.

They did it all in the name of Girls on the Run of Northwest Ohio, an after-school program that pairs girls in third, fourth, and fifth grades with coaches who help the girls with running, life skills, and building self-esteem. The 10-week training culminates with a noncompetitive run.

The 5K race — 3.1 miles — kicked off just after 9 a.m. Saturday at the Shops at Fallen Timbers in Maumee. Hundreds of girls, their running buddies, and supporters crowded the starting line.

IN PICTURES: Girls on the Run 5K

While Isabelle Underwood, 10, of Toledo, waited to run she thought, “I can do it,” she said. “I was a little nervous.”

Isabelle, a Trinity Lutheran School student, said participating in Girls on the Run taught her “to always be brave.”

The race route was lined with cheerleaders — moms, dads, and friends — urging the runners on. Many held signs for individual participants and others encouraged all with signs like, “You were made to sparkle.”

For Isabelle and Laina Graber, 8, a Beverly Elementary School student, finishing the race was the best part.

“Everybody was cheering for me,” she said. “I felt like I could do more races.”

That’s what Girls on the Run is about — inspiring young girls to do well and to become confident.

Sarah Diller, a board member of the group’s Northwest Ohio chapter, said she gets emails from parents who thank the coaches and program for inspiring confidence in their daughters.

The fall race — there is one in the spring too — saw 1,007 runners, said Ms. Diller, who, this year, was a coach and the race director. Of the runners, 302 were girls in the program.

Contact Taylor Dungjen at tdungjen@theblade.com, or 419-724-6054, or on Twitter @taylordungjen.

First Published November 23, 2015, 5:00 a.m.