But INEOS doesn’t want The Daily Mile to stop there

AN INITIATIVE to get children fit for life has taken a giant leap since its launch in 2012. The Daily Mile has now spread to 10,000 schools in 71 countries – and it is still growing.

“Children really love it and that’s why it works,” said Daily Mile founder Elaine Wyllie, whose passion for children’s health and wellbeing has helped to drive the global campaign.

The 10,000th school joined the movement in October, bringing the total number of children, now running or walking every day for 15 minutes, to more than two million.

Next year’s focus for The Daily Mile Foundation, which is financed by INEOS, will be to increase the number of schools participating in America.

“At the moment, we’ve got at least one school signed up in half the states, with over 100 schools signed up across the country,” said John Mayock, Director of The Daily Mile project.

Bill Russell, a member of the foundation team, is based in INEOS O&P’s Houston office, and is leading the US campaign. His aim is to find partners, willing to help implement the scheme across the country.

“One such partner already involved is the University of Washington’s Sports Institute in Seattle,” said John.

The Daily Mile Foundation is also working with its super-human ambassador Eliud Kipchoge. who made history on the streets of Vienna by running a marathon in under two hours.

The foundation hopes he will spread the word to Kenya where he lives and trains.

“It would also be wonderful if his international pacemakers, many of whom are also ambassadors for The Daily Mile, took it to their home countries,” said John.

And with all eyes expected to be focused on The America’s Cup in New Zealand in 2021 – when Britain hopes to win the trophy for the first time in the competition’s history with INEOS’ financial muscle – the foundation will be exploring ways to sign up schools in Australia and New Zealand ahead of the race.

“It is going to quite a year,” said John. “We are aiming for world domination.”