Discover the top 10 benefits of school run clubs — from boosting student focus and fitness to building community spirit and lifelong healthy habits.
Why Every School Should Start a Run Club
If you’re looking for a way to keep your kids engaged, active, and excited to learn, school-run clubs are one of the most effective, affordable, and fun solutions.
More than 20,000 schools worldwide participate in programs like Mileage Club, helping millions of students build healthy habits, improve learning readiness, and develop confidence through movement.
But it's not just kids who benefit - teachers, parents, and communities all share in the rewards. Here are the top 10 reasons to start (or strengthen) your school's running club this year.
10 Reasons to Strengthen Your Schools Run Club
1. Reduce Playground Conflicts
Recess can sometimes lead to conflicts or accidents when kids have too much unstructured time. Running clubs provide a positive structure that helps kids release energy, boost their mood, and reduce behavioral issues.
Teachers report fewer playground hassles and a more focused, positive recess experience when Mileage Club or other run clubs are active.
Childhood obesity remains a serious concern in 2025, with nearly 1 in 5 US children classified as obese (CDC). This can lead to several health risks for children, both as children and later in life. Back in 2017–2018, a staggering total of 14.4 million children in the US were obese. To break it down even further, 13.4% of those children were 2-5 year-olds, while 20.3% were 6-11 year-olds.2. Combat Childhood Obesity
Regular, enjoyable exercise is key - and run clubs make it happen. Even short, daily runs or walk during recess or PE can dramatically improve cardiovascular health and mood, help target and prevent obesity for elementary school children.
In the 2019 - 2020 school year, Mileage Club students collectively ran over 7 million miles!
The COVID-19 pandemic increased childhood obesity concerns. With fewer opportunities for regular exercise during this time, all BMI categories except underweight children experienced significant weight gain. Severely obese children gained an average of 7.3 pounds over 6 months, compared to a weight gain of 2.7 pounds for healthy children.
Run clubs teach kids how to set, track, and achieve goals. With EZ Scan, Fitness Finder's easy-to-use tracking app, students can instantly see their progress while teachers gather valuable performance data.3. Build Goal-Setting Skills
As children reach mileage milestones, they build confidence - and learn that perseverance pays off.
Kids love rewards and recognition! When something is engaging and fun, kids will be more willing to participate—that’s what run clubs are all about! Programs like Mileage Club use colorful Toe Tokens and creative incentives to keep students motivated.
4. Make Exercise Fun and Engaging
Studies show that when rewards are introduced, participation can increase by 50% - and teachers agree: students look forward to every running day.
"A study based in Canada from the 1990s found that adding rewards to their run club increased participation from children by 50%."
5. Reduce Sitting Time
Ever heard that sitting is the new smoking? While the phrase was originally coined to call out the sedentary lifestyle of adults through their desk jobs, driving, and TV watching, it applies to children now as well. Between school, homework, and screens, children now spend over 60% of their day sitting. That inactivity impacts posture, energy, and even heart health.
Although seemingly harmless, sitting for extended periods can be quite harmful. For young girls who sit uninterrupted for just three hours, it can cause a major reduction in their vascular function (the body’s ability to carry blood through the veins and arteries). Because of these consequences, it’s important to get kids up and moving.
Run clubs give students a reason to get up and move - improving blood flow, mood, and energy levels while combating the effects of long sitting periods.
6. Boost Focus with Brain Breaks
With shorter attention spans, kids need movement to focus. Short "brain breaks" that involve running or walking help reset their attention span to recoup back to the task at hand and improve learning.
In 2016, psychologist Karrie Godwin measured students’ attentiveness throughout a class period. The results? Kids spent a quarter of the time distracted, meaning that shorter, bite-sized lessons with brain breaks in between better help kids focus on their lessons and their teacher. Plus, the study promoted other benefits that brain breaks provide, such as decreased stress, an increase in productivity and brain function, and more opportunities for kids to socialize with each other.
A 2023 study in Frontiers in Psychology confirmed that even 15 minutes of moderate exercise improves classroom concentration and reduces stress levels.
Run clubs provide the perfect, structured opportunity for those movement breaks.
Movement fuels the brain. Physical activity has been shown to increase memory retention and cognitive performance, making run clubs a powerful educational tool.7. Improve Learning Readiness
For example, one such study showed that physical fitness improved academic performance and expressly called for schools to dedicate time in the day for gym and recess rather than scrapping those for more class time.
Instead of losing class time, schools gain engaged, alert students ready to learn after their laps.
Run clubs help children internalize the joy of regular exercise. Using habit-building principles from James Clear's Atomic Habits, programs like Mileage Club pair clear cues, motivation, routine activity, and rewards - forming habits that can last a lifetime.8. Create Lifelong Healthy Habits
James Clear lays out a four-step pattern to create habits that improve your health:
Run clubs follow a similar framework by making regular physical activity part of a child’s routine and providing them with a tangible reward, like Toe Tokens®, at the end. With this in place, children are already well on their way to creating healthy habits that are easy to continue later in life!
- Cue—the trigger for a behavior
- Craving—the motivation behind wanting to do the habit
- Response—the performed habit
- Reward—the end goal
We highly recommend reading chapter three of Clear’s book, which contains more information on habit formation, to apply these principles to your own plans.
According to the National Center for School Mental Health, physical activity is one of the best ways to promote well-being and reduce anxiety in students.9. Support Mental Health and Social Skills
Sharon Hoover, a co-director of the University of Maryland-based National Center for School Mental Health, made it clear that schools “need to invest now in the mental health and well-being of our kids broadly and comprehensively—not just for children with learning disabilities and diagnosed mental health conditions, but for all students.”
Run clubs provide a goal-oriented social outlet, encouraging teamwork, empathy, and self-confidence - without the pressure of competition. Kids cheer each other on, building connection through movement.
Run clubs are also easily adjusted to practice social-distancing guidelines; kids can still gain benefits while maintaining safety for themselves and others!
Obviously! Kids love it. Running clubs don't just get kids moving - they help you make a lasting impact. When students associate school with fun, health, and encouragement, they thrive.10. Be the Teacher They'll Always Remember
You’ll be changing their lives—and the lives of their parents and the community—for the better. With this fun group dynamic, you’ll be everyone’s favorite teacher.
Get Started: Download Your Free Run Club Guide
The benefits of a run club will greatly impact students, teachers, and the community. Whether you’re starting from scratch or enhancing an existing program, Fitness Finders has everything you need from free planning resources to motivational awards.
Download the FREE Run Club Guide. In just a few weeks, your students will be more active, confident, and excited to move!
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