About 600 local elementary-school-age girls will run through downtown Wilmington on Saturday morning in the 6th annual PPD Holiday 5K run. The race is open to anyone, but the young female athletes will compete as part of their graduation from a 10-14 week training program aimed at developing self-esteem and healthy lifestyles for young women. Proceeds from PPD’s Holiday race will benefit non-profit organization, Girls on the Run of the Coastal Carolinas.

The race downtown begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4. Registration is open until tomorrow, Dec. 1 at 8 a.m. and costs $30. Register on-line at http://www.setupevents.com/?fuseaction=event_detail&eventID=1667#pricing-text

Girls on the Run is a non-profit organization started in the 1990s by Molly Barker, a four-time Hawaii Ironman triathlete in Charlotte. It is now a nationwide program that combines an interactive curriculum and running to inspire self-respect and healthy lifestyles in preteen girls. The core curriculum addresses many aspects of girls' development - their physical, emotional, mental and social well-being.