Torbay Council’s Public Health Team is teaming up with the Herald Express and Golden Mile, sponsored by Premier Sports to promote the Run For Your Life initiative, encouraging children to engage in daily physical activity.

Run For Your Life is a campaign where primary school pupils simply walk, jog or run around a measured mile track within the safety of school grounds. It is a great opportunity to reward personal achievement and encourage pupils to take part in daily physical activity. 

Executive Lead for Health and Wellbeing, Cllr. Jackie Stockman, said: “In Torbay, the majority of children’s physical activity takes place during the school day. Run For Your Life is a safe, simple and measurable initiative to engage children in regular daily physical activity.

“The campaign has proved to encourage regular healthy competition and physical activity across the week, along with health and psychological benefits, it also empowers pupils and develops leadership skills.”

Schools will start ‘running’ after the February half-term and the campaign will continue until 12 July when a celebratory awards event will bring it to a close. Schools who have signed up will have the chance to use the Golden Mile software until January 2019.

The number of overweight children in Torbay, in line with the national trend is escalating year on year. Engaging in physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day can lead to benefits such as improved cardiovascular health and the maintenance of a healthy weight.

For more information on Golden Mile and the Run For Your Life campaign, please visit schools.golden-mile.org or the Run For Your Life page.