Charity launches event to help youngsters boost fitness and mental wellbeing

Olympians and Paralympians were expected to be on hand to help inspire the next generation at celebrations for the inaugural World Daily Mile Day.

Around 1,000 children were expected to celebrate at a Daily Mile Foundation event in Scotland on Thursday, with more than 250,000 children across the world also set to join in with the celebrations.

The Daily Mile was started in Stirling, in 2012 by headteacher Elaine Wyllie, and aims to get children run, wheel, or walk for 15 minutes every day.

Ms Wyllie said: “We are so proud of the success of the Daily Mile over the past 11 years, and we want to keep this momentum going with the launch of this annual event, World Daily Mile Day.

“We have seen first-hand the benefits that The Daily Mile has on children’s physical, mental and social health and this event is designed to encourage children around the world to take part.”

Around 1,000 children in Dundee were expected to participate in the charity’s event in Baxter Park on Thursday, and they were set to be joined by special guests including including Olympian Eilidh Doyle, Paralympian Owen Miller, Paralympian Derek Rae, and long distance runner Jake Smith.

Retired track and field athlete Doyle said: “It’s fantastic to see so many schools signed up so far and I encourage as many schools as possible to get involved.

“I’m excited to be endorsing this programme because I feel passionately that youngsters should be given the opportunity to be active and that hopefully starts out at primary school.

“Exercising with friends is so much fun and being active from a young age has many benefits.”

The Daily Mile has been taken up by more than 17,000 schools and pre-schools in 90 countries, and since it was set up more than half of Scottish schools take part.