Get Involved: The Daily Mile Santa Run School Competition

The Daily Mile Network (NI) in partnership with Daily Mile Foundation are hosting A Daily Mile Santa Run day in schools and early years settings across social media, to get children in Northern Ireland active together at the same time on Friday 3 December 2021.

The virtual mass participation event will see local schools from early years to secondary level, right across Northern Ireland get involved to help raise awareness of children’s mental health and wellbeing.

To get as many local schools involved in this free, fun and festive event, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is giving away a free snow tubing session at our Golf and Ski Centre to one lucky school class.

To win, please follow these steps:

• Be an early years, primary or secondary school based in the borough of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon
• Register for ‘The Daily Mile Santa Run’ taking place on Friday 3 December 2021
• Take a picture of your class participating in ‘The Daily Mile Santa Run’ and send to  by 4pm on Wednesday 8 December 2021.

Our winning picture will be selected at random – so it’s true what they say, you need to be in it to win it!

The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Alderman Glenn Barr commented:

“As a borough we’re no stranger to the fantastic Daily Mile initiative, seeing scores of local schools take part in the inaugural Northern Ireland Does the Daily Mile celebration event back in May; highlighting the importance our local schools place in providing daily physical opportunities for their pupils.

“Small but effective, the regular act of running or jogging for fifteen minutes outside is not only good fun but is also proven to benefit young people’s physical, emotional, social and mental health wellbeing. I would encourage all schools from across the borough to step up to this new festive challenge and take part in the Daily Mile Santa Run on Friday 3 December to have some fun and to continue to positively impact the health and wellbeing of all pupils!”

The Daily Mile currently has over three million children running a daily mile across 12,000 schools in 80 countries but this is the first national Santa Run event of its kind. The hope is to encourage more schools and early years settings to take up the Daily Mile.

The Daily Mile Network NI co-chair and Stranmillis University College Lecturer Dr. Brenda McKay-Redmond is encouraging schools to sign up to Northern Ireland does ‘The Daily Mile Santa Run’.

“Over 390 schools in Northern Ireland have signed up to The Daily Mile and now that we have children back in schools, we want to remind and encourage schools to continue to participate in The Daily Mile Santa Run. There will be a lovely gift also for the first and every 25th school thereafter that signs up to the Santa Run!

“Fifteen minutes of exercise, jogging or walking, whilst outside when it is safe to do so, can lead to everyone becoming happier, fitter and stronger. Self-esteem, wellbeing and satisfaction can also improve mental health, so let’s keep our hearts and minds healthy by having fun, fitness and freedom in the fresh air, by continuing to love The Daily Mile Santa Run.”

The Daily Mile is a transformative initiative where children run, jog, wheel or walk for fifteen minutes every day, in which time, most children will average a mile or more. The initiative has enjoyed phenomenal success since it was started by then Head Teacher, Elaine Wyllie just eight years ago at a single primary school in Stirling. Today three million children worldwide are now running a mile a day.

To register your school, for free, and receive a fun, downloadable Daily Mile Santa Run resource pack and certificate, click here.

For more information on how to get involved in The Daily Mile programme, visit click here.

For any further information on this initiative or the competition, please contact Amanda Mogey, Assistant Sports Development Officer at .