• Phenomenal growth from 30 children in a single school in Scotland in 2012 to 5 million children across 20,000 schools in 96 countries today.
• The Daily Mile Foundation is celebrating the achievements of schools and teachers across the world who are committed to improving the fitness, health, and wellbeing of their children.
• Scientific research confirms The Daily Mile can significantly enhance children’s fitness, heighten their alertness, and boost concentration levels in class, supporting improved learning outcomes and helping children feel happier.

The Daily Mile Foundation today announced that over five million children spanning 96 countries are actively involved in the physical activity and well-being initiative, running, wheeling, or walking for 15 minutes at school.

Scientific research has reinforced The Daily Mile can significantly enhance children’s fitness, heighten their alertness, and boost concentration levels in class, supporting improved learning outcomes and contributing to children feeling happier.

The Daily Mile, is adopted by schools across the world, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa amongst others. It is recognised by accomplished sporting ambassadors such as The world’s greatest Marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge, The world’s most decorated sailor, Sir Ben Ainslie, and the world’s most successful rugby team, The All Blacks, as a simple initiative that is having a direct impact on children’s physical and mental wellbeing.

Founded by Elaine Wyllie MBE in 2012 – The Daily Mile was born out of a concern around children’s lack of physical fitness. As the headteacher of St Ninians’s Primary School in Stirling, Scotland, Elaine encouraged her pupils to move for 15-minutes every day to improve their overall health and wellbeing. The initiative, which is supported by INEOS, has grown from a single school in Scotland to a worldwide movement in a little over a decade.

Elaine Wyllie MBE said: “Today we are recognising the tremendous milestone of 5 million children worldwide engaged in The Daily Mile at their schools. However, it is the teachers and pupils who get outside every day to enjoy their Daily Mile and the stories about the positive impacts on their lives that we are really celebrating. I am immensely proud of the achievements of schools, teachers and children over the past 12 years, and the role that we at The Daily Mile Foundation and our partners have played in supporting this.

And we still have work to do. We are committed to our vision of a world where every child can enjoy the benefits of physical activity. We want more schools, teachers, parents, and children to establish daily physical activity as a core part of their school day, ensuring our children become healthier, happier, and better learners.”

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman and Founder of INEOS, which supports The Daily Mile, said: “My personal congratulations to Elaine, The Daily Mile team, and the growing Daily Mile community –We know that the positive experiences we have at a young age shape habits for life – which is why it’s so key to help young children enjoy getting active daily. Running is the simplest, most natural exercise you can do, it’s fun and social, and it helps to teach the basics of a healthy lifestyle. As childhoods become more sedentary than ever, we’re proud that The Daily Mile has helped over 5 million children get up and running since 2012 – and is inspiring their families, too.”

A teacher from Escola Básica da Moita, in Portugal, said: “We started The Daily Mile in September 2022, with 250 children taking part, and we’ve not stopped since! By doing The Daily Mile every day, we’ve noticed the children show greater motor development, concentration, and attention in class. The children are usually the ones who remind the teachers that it’s time for The Daily Mile. The kindergarten teachers and children really enjoy The Daily Mile, and it is now just part of our daily routine”.

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Boxmoor Primary School Celebrate One Year of The Daily Mile

Herts Sport and Physical Activity Partnership teamed up with The Daily Mile Foundation to celebrate Boxmoor Primary School’s first anniversary with The Daily Mile.

During his visit, Gordon Banks, Global Director of The Daily Mile Foundation, witnessed the program in action, gaining valuable insights into its challenges and successes. Timed with Children’s Mental Health Week and the theme ‘My Voice Matters,’ the visit highlighted the significance of boosting children’s confidence. The Daily Mile initiative champions regular physical activity, fostering improved health and wellbeing for children—a vital resource embraced by the Boxmoor community, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when opportunities for physical activity were limited for children.

A Youth Sport Trust Survey (2020) revealed that 75% of teachers observed decreased physical fitness in students upon their return to school. Research highlights The Daily Mile’s positive effects on children’s health and wellbeing, leading to improved focus and attentiveness in the classroom.”

Vicky Campos, Headteacher at Boxmoor Primary School said:

“The Daily Mile has been one of the best things that we have introduced in our school. We love the fact that it is inclusive, everyone takes part, even the staff! It does not matter whether you are the fastest runner or whether you prefer to fast walk, The Daily Mile is for everyone. We have seen huge benefits on our children, both physically and mentally. Some of our children now take part in weekend parkruns with their families and cross-country events thanks to The Daily Mile. It is the perfect way of preparing our children for learning. Boxmoor loves The Daily Mile.”

At the celebration, Steve Frew, a Youth Sport Trust Athlete Mentor, shared his inspiring journey from setbacks to winning a Gold Medal in Gymnastics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and emphasised the importance of self-belief and a positive mindset. Year 6 Sports Leaders asked him about his career and dedication to gymnastics, learning from his early role models. Steve ended with some gymnastic moves, increasing excitement before joining pupils for their Daily Mile activity in the playground.

Enthusiastic pupils shared their thoughts on The Daily Mile:

Alex “It’s very fun. It is nice to have a short break from learning to get some fresh air. It also helps me to concentrate more as I have released some energy through The Daily Mile”.

Millie “It’s fun! It also helps you concentrate in lessons and get all your energy out which means we fidget less!“

From Class to District
Plato Elementary School | Plato, Missouri

Once upon a time, there was a bubbly kindergarten teacher named Amy who had a brilliant idea. She decided to bring The Daily Mile to her class. The Daily Mile is a whole-child initiative that takes children and their teachers outdoors for 15 minutes of movement and connection during the school day.

Amy’s class loved The Daily Mile so much that they ended up doing The Daily Mile for 100 days in a row! To celebrate their achievement, Amy shared some adorable photos with The Daily Mile, who then posted them on social media. Little did she know that a member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition (PCSFN) named Rob Wilkins would see the post.

Rob was so impressed by Amy and her class that he decided to send them a special commemorative PCSFN coin to congratulate them on their achievement. This made Amy’s students feel super special and proud of themselves.

As the school year was coming to a close, the Plato School District decided to join in on the fun and organized an all-district Daily Mile. It included daycare, preschool, and K-12 students! Amy was thrilled to see her idea spreading across the district.

One teacher approached Amy and said her that her students were unusually well-behaved afterwards. Amy smiled and said, “That’s one of the purposes” And so, with a little idea and a lot of determination, Amy brought joy and health to her school community.

Al Eethar Kindergarten, Abu Dhabi

Hello! We are Al Eethar Kindergarten located in Abu Dhabi, and we’ve been doing The Daily mile since November 2023. We have over 320 children who regularly take part and we complete our Daily Mile in the Kindergarten outdoor playground.

The whole kindergarten, teachers and children, love taking part and we have found that students arrive for the school day already excited about when they are going to be able to get out and do their Daily Mile. Since starting, we have noticed that the children have become more active and have lots more energy.

We have students with disabilities who also love the experience of taking part in The Daily Mile. We’ve even been on school trips and children want to do their Daily Mile there and then because they love walking all together.

We have linked The Daily Mile with our curriculum in supporting the quality and well-being of the students as well as teaching them how to follow instructions. Also, the kindergarten Mothers council have participated with us in several Daily Mile’s so far and look forward to joining in even more.

While doing their Daily Mile, our students at Aleethar Kindergarten always chant “Exercising gives us energy and keeps us healthy”.

Noora Alhamadi, School Principal says; I am very grateful for The Daily Mile, it has really benefitted us as teachers and gives us energy throughout the day. Children have built bonds together while running, wheeling or walking and it is so great to see them working together to support each other. We can’t wait to continue with The Daily Mile in the future!

Cornerstone Christian School, New Zealand

We are Cornerstone Christian School, located in a suburban area of New Zealand’s Manawatu region, and we’ve been doing The Daily Mile for seven years. We have 600 children regularly taking part and we do our Daily Mile in the school playground.

Initially, there were challenges with the route as we attempted a longer loop around the road, but we addressed this by creating a smaller course within the school grounds.

Since starting The Daily Mile, there have been various benefits for our students and the school community. It has fostered a sense of community among the classes. This activity not only promotes physical health but also provides opportunities for teachers to connect with students outside the classroom. It encourages inactive children to engage in healthy activities and supports keen runners in preparing for events like cross country races. The outdoor activity also contributes to enhanced learning experiences for our students.

At Cornerstone Christian School we have found that The Daily Mile promotes physical fitness and fosters relationships and personal growth beyond the classroom environment.

Below are a few quotes from some of our students who love doing The Daily Mile and have highlighted their personal benefits:

Mila says; I used to be the slowest person at running but now I’m quite fast. When I do work it feels like my brain has butterflies in it but after doing The Daily Mile my brain is refreshed and ready to learn.

Gabby says; It started off really hard but as we did more it became easy.

Ryder says; It’s kinda good because when I’m doing it, I’m getting faster which is good practice for cross country.