Throughout the course of a cross-country season, Barrington coach Annmarie Marino works with each of her runners, helping them to build a solid running base and develop a game plan so that every time they take the starting line at a meet, they are prepared to give their best effort both for themselves and the rest of the team.

But Marino wants the experience of running for the Eagles to be about more than just trying to win a high school race. She hopes to instill in them a love of the sport that will inspire the girls to continue running long after they graduate.

That’s why Marino thought it would be great for her team to participate in today’s inaugural Providence Ronald McDonald House Women’s Classic 5K Race & Shape Up R.I. 3K Walk and Wellness Fair in Providence.

The event, which will be held at Brown University Stadium, 400 Elmgrove Ave., is the sole women-only race in Rhode Island.

“I think this is a great event; there are not many all-women’s event’s like this,” said Marino, an avid runner herself, who plans to join the Eagles’ on tomorrow’s run. “It will be a great opportunity for them to do something good by supporting the Ronald McDonald House. It will also be good for them to see the many women enjoying the sport they love. Hopefully, I have instilled in the girls that running can be a lifetime activity that they can not only enjoy now with their friends and teammates, but will also continue to enjoy as they grow older.”

The race and walk is being hosted by the Ronald McDonald House Running Club, which was established last year by former Brown running coaches Bob and Anne Rothenberg, longtime high school running coach Clem Soscia, and Jon and Anne Hird, two more fixtures in the Rhode Island running community.

A number of other girls high school teams, including Cranston West, Portsmouth, Lincoln and Sophia Academy in Providence, are planning to participate in the event, which is sanctioned by the Rhode Island Interscholastic League.

The 5K (3.1 miles) and 3K (1.8 miles) will both set out from the Brown stadium and travel along a flat and fast course through the East Side of Providence, before ending with an Olympic-style finish on the track.

Before the women-only races, a series of free kids’ races, ranging from 100 meters to 400 meters, for boys and girls ages 4 to 12 will be held on the track beginning at 8:45 a.m. with all finishers receiving a cookie and a toy.

Entry fee for the 5K or 3K is $20; $10 for those 18 and under, with all proceeds going to the Providence Ronald McDonald House, which provides a home away from home for families whose children are being treated at local hospitals. Race-day registration opens tomorrow at 8 a.m.

For more information, log on to the race Web site at http://www.prmhclassic.org

cthorn@projo.com