Its4Girls Teenage Event 2026
(Secondary School Girls)
Entry for teenage girls aged 12-18 in secondary school is just €10!
(Secondary School Girls)
Entry for teenage girls aged 12-18 in secondary school is just €10!
Mayo Sports Partnership's objective is to increase participation in sport throughout the county, particularly among women and girls.
The Its4Girls Teenage participative event offers girls in Mayo secondary schools the opportunity to participate in the Mayo.ie Western People Mini-Marathon for just €10!
All participants in the Its4Girls Teen event will receive a t-shirt, race number, medal and downloadable record chart (see below).
This is a participative event, however runs will be timed and there will be a prize for the overall winner in this category.
Teenage girls can register through their schools (see instructions below), or they can be registered individually via the link below.
Contact [email protected] or [email protected] with any queries you might have.
How can I register a group from my school?
The deadline for schools group registrations is Monday, April 6, 2026!
The deadline for schools group registrations is Monday, April 6, 2026!
This year, school groups can be registered online by a dedicated person in the school, to allow for accurate collection of information and t-shirt sizes.
If your school would like to register a group, please send an email to Deirdre Donnelly [email protected] with an estimate of the numbers you will be registering.
Deirdre will then send you instructions to register via our Eventmaster portal, using a dedicated Access Key. Once you have completed the online registration, we will send your school an invoice for all entries, and for P&P of race numbers and t-shirts. These can then be distributed to the girls so they can wear them on the day if they wish.
**Please note that we have 1900 t-shirts and these are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you register, the more likely the girls are to get a t-shirt and their requested size**
Teens Target 30
Just 30 minutes a day in the run-up to the event!
Just 30 minutes a day in the run-up to the event!
Download your tracker
An easy way to keep count of your training days.
An easy way to keep count of your training days.
'The Girls Squad'
Expressions of Interest Open for 2025/2026 Academic Year
Mayo Sports Partnership is delighted to partner with Athletics Ireland to roll this programme out to schools in Mayo.
Expressions of Interest Open for 2025/2026 Academic Year
Mayo Sports Partnership is delighted to partner with Athletics Ireland to roll this programme out to schools in Mayo.
At a time when getting teenage girls to do activity is tough and the dropout rate across all sports by teenage girls is still high, The Girls Squad is doing amazing things in secondary schools.
In 2024 between September and November, over 3,500 teenage girls took part in The Girls Squad programme. Combining participation, mental health, wellbeing and education as well as leadership skills and confidence building, this programme has the unique ability to cater for self-proclaimed ‘sporty’ and ‘non-sporty’ girls alike.
The programme is teacher-led and includes journals for the girls to explore and document their athletics journey as well as teacher resources and Girls Squad Merchandise for the teens.
A HER Moves programme endorsed by Sport Ireland, the programme continues to spark the teachers and teens imagination and bring athletics to schools around the country in a meaningful and empowering way.
The aim of this programme is to introduce young girls to the sport of athletics and to a general fitness regime through a physical and educational athletics programme. This programme will explore elements of track and field such as throwing, running and jumping in a fun and sociable environment. The students will also further explore heathy lifestyle habits through healthy eating and positive health and wellbeing activities.
The programme includes:
1. Basic athletics movement skills
2. Yoga/Pilates
3. Basic Strength and Conditioning
4. Relays and Team Games
5. Leadership, Communication and confidence development
The self-development journals have information for the girls developed by leading industry experts on periods, sports bra use, mental health and pelvic floor health. There are also sections in the programme looking at the Period Supportive HER Moves project.
What support do we provide?
Teacher Resource (weekly session plan and access to the on-line video resources) Student Journals
Teacher Webinars at the start of the programme
Social media toolkit
Why Take Part?
Athletics is a life-long sport and can make a significant impact on the girls. We hope that The Girls Squad will encourage schools to foster student ability and to encourage interest so that students will have a life-long interest in a sport by supporting the local athletic club, their local park run, becoming a coach or an official.
Programme Costs - DEIS Schools:
If your school is a designated DEIS school or you can demonstrate, using the Pobal Deprivation Index, that the school is in an area of below average deprivation, this programme is heavily subsidised through Sport Ireland, Dormant Accounts Funding.
Cost Per Student €1.50
Dormant Accounts Funding is a limited pot which means we can only take a certain number of schools. If we have more schools subscribe, we can offer you early sign-up for the next round of programmes.
Programme Costs - Non-DEIS schools:
If your school is non-DEIS or not in an area of deprivation, the costs are as follows:
•Cost Per Student €3.50
If cost is a significant barrier to taking part in the programme, please let us know and we can work on case-by-case basis.
Interested?
If this programme is of interest to your school, please visit www.thegirlssquad.ie.
If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact Anna Grealish Women in Sport Lead, [email protected] or Deirdre Donnelly Mayo Women in Sport Mayo Sports Partnership [email protected]
Schools Testimonial :
The Girls Squad hear from Mick O Toole, TY Coordinator (St Paul’s Secondary School)
