Forres schools encouraged to get pupils to take part in the Daily Mile health and wellbeing initiative endorsed by marathon record-breaker Eliud Kipchoge and rugby’s All Blacks and now with 4 million children signed up and staying active

The Daily Mile children’s health and wellbeing initiative has broken through the 4 million participants milestone - and local schools are being encouraged to join the movement.

First developed by Elaine Wyllie MBE when she was headteacher of St Ninian’s Primary School in Stirling in February 2012, the life-changing scheme has enjoyed a big growth in popularity.

Born out of a concern around children’s lack of physical fitness, the Daily Mile first started when Elaine got her pupils moving for 15 minutes every day to improve their overall health and wellbeing.

Now schools across Moray and Aberdeenshire are being asked to take part in the free initiative.

Elaine said: “From a single school in Stirling to now over 16,500 schools and 4 million children, it is staggering to see how this initiative has grown into a global movement in a little over ten years.

"Being active is key for everyone’s health and wellbeing.

“I’d like to thank the children, teachers, schools and all of our partners in 90 countries who share our vision of helping children across the world to get fit for life.

"Reaching the 4 million milestone is a brilliant way for us to kick off the year and we’re excited to continue to make a positive impact on children’s lives in the years to come.”

Supported by global chemical company INEOS since 2016, the scheme has seen its number of participants double since 2019.

In partnership with ITV, organisers created an advert to promote the benefits of The Daily Mile, which highlighted how it can contribute towards improved academic attainment, and encouraged more schools to join the initiative.

It gained high profile support from sporting legends including marathon record-breaker Eliud Kipchoge and rugby’s All Blacks.

Research shows the benefits of The Daily Mile for children’s physical health, mental wellbeing, and learning. Increased activity means increased fitness, helping children feel happier and supporting children’s focus and concentration in the classroom.

Research by the Universities of Stirling and Edinburgh found that the success of the initiative lies in its core principles and ease of implementation.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS says: “It has been a natural fit for us to work with an initiative that is so passionate about helping more children enjoy exercise more often, and we look forward to its success as it continues to transform more lives around the world.”

The initiative is simple – but can be transformational to children’s health and wellbeing. It involves classes heading outside to jog or run around the school grounds for 15-minutes every day, at whatever pace suits the child best. It gets children active with their friends and teachers and refreshed for further learning. The Daily Mile is free, fun and fits in the school day easily.

Though named “The Daily Mile” (as children tend to average running a mile in the 15-minutes), the distance isn’t compulsory, and the ethos of the scheme is of inclusivity, enjoyment, and self-improvement over time.

The Daily Mile is intended to help all children, no matter their age, ability or personal circumstances, enjoy getting active every day – getting fitter and healthier now, but also developing healthy habits for a lifetime.

If you want your school pupils to benefit from taking part, find out more here.