The majority of miles in 100 Mile Club® will be completed at school during school hours. Before, during, and directly after school are the times when most miles will be accrued. Really, you can complete all of your miles at school and run quite a successful club.
BUUUUUT, if you want to add some spice and shenanigans to your 100 Mile Club, why not try creating some themed Fun Run events in 2020? They are easy, low or no cost, and help bridge the gap between schools, families, and their communities, creating genuine and valued family and community engagement at your school and beyond.
Adding a theme is fun, silly, and will add a lot of flair to your Fun Runs, Family Nights, or Run-Togethers. Always have music or a fun seasonal playlist going, take pictures, and celebrate MILEstones as they are achieved.
Here are a few ideas to get your 2020 creative juices flowing:
❄️ January
- New Year, New YOU. Bring a New Year’s wish or goal and drop it in a “wishing well” (a sparkly or decorated tub)
- Hot Cocoa Winter Waddle. Bundle up and have some healthy hot cocoa ready for your little runners!
- Winter Warm Up. Gather outgrown jackets or new blankets to donate to a local shelter.
❤️ February
- Friendship Frolic. Bring a friend or loved one to your Fun Run! Maybe someone new who has never been before. Offer “Friend ‘Fotos” and share post-event for families to cherish.
- Valentines Day Dash. Have a face-painter on hand to bring some sparkle to your Valentine’s Day Fun Run.
- Love Walk. Hearts EVERYWHERE!
☘️ March
- Shamrock Scamper. Host a Fastest Feet mile or half-mile during your fun run. Winners get sparkly Leprechaun Hats!
- Musical sMILES March. Have students submit a song for the Fun Run playlist (check for appropriateness, of course!). Play this new playlist at your Fun Run and watch smiles light up when “their” song comes up!
- Books4Books. In honor of Read Across America Day (Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!), host a book swap and donate extras to a local youth center or school library.
☔️ April
- Bunny Hop. Bunny ears all around! Host a Bunny Hop Relay.
- Spring Fling Pet Food Drive. Pet food drives are not only a wonderful idea, but also a community necessity. Host one in spring, with proceeds going to the local rescue or animal shelter.
- Raindrop (or BUBBLE) Running! Reinforce that NO EXCUSES mantra. Rain or shine…it’s on! (Puddle stomping optional. Bubbles are a blast!) 🙂
🌸 May
- Flower Power. Peace, love, 70s theme.
- Mother’s Rock & Run! Bring flowers for all of the mamas. They will love it!
- Sunshine Scramble. Sun themed photo props and orange smiles for refreshment.
- STAR WARS RUN: May the 4th be with you.
😎 June
- Coastline Cleanup. Whether a lake, river, or ocean, we can all do our part. June 8 is World Oceans Day, but it all drains there, right? Host a little coastal run and then grab some gloves and a trash bag and fill one up!
- Solstice Strut (June 20, 2020). Celebrate the first day of summer with healthy popsicles or fresh fruit kabobs.
- sMiles and a Movie! Host a movie after a short sunset run session.
🧨 July
- Patriotic Prance. Wear red, white, and blue. Pass out little flags for great photo ops. Have one giant flag to carry for a timed Flag Lap. Fastest lap takes the flag home or wins a little prize.
- Beach Blanket Bingo. Beachballs, Big umbrellas, beach towels, sunscreen, water play, and BINGO with prizes!
- Warm Summer Nights. Wait till the sun goes down for some cool miles and sMILES.
☀️ August
- Full Moon Fun Run. You can do this one ANY month! Here is the 2020 moon phase calendar.
- Summer Sprint. Have misters or spray bottles of H2O to cool down.
- Go, Go, GLOW! Get glow sticks for a nighttime run if the day is too hot.
- Big Giant Kickoff Bonanza! Invite a bunch of schools for a fun afternoon or evening to kick off your year and your 100 miles TOGETHER.
🍎 September
- Back to COOL. Wear fun and funky sunglasses.
- Jersey Jaunt. Wear your favorite sports team jersey or colors.
- Apple Madness! Host an apple tasting, provide apple themed snacks, or serve warm apple cider on a cold day.
🎃 October
- Jack-o-Lantern Jog. Host a chance drawing for pumpkins donated by local markets or friends. Better yet, host a pumpkin carving afternoon!
- Harvest Hustle. Start your community canned-food drive now. Food is needed year-round.
- Costume Party Run. Have someone ready to take pics of cute little costumed runners!
🍁 November
- Turkey Trot/Gobble Wobble. Gather canned or nonperishable foods to donate to a local food bank or shelter)
- A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Watch the animated feature and then have a real-life Charlie Brown Thanksgiving “feast”!
- Salute to the Military (Veterans Day). Wear red, white, and blue. Invite local veterans to come run or walk with families.
🎄 December
- December MustDash. Yes, everyone wears mustaches for this one. It will keep your lips warm!!
- Jingle Bell Jog. Attach jingle bells to little running feet using pipe cleaners and listen to the miles!
- Snowball Shuffle. For every mile run, kids can enter a “snowball battle”. Use yarn pom poms, CLEAN old white socks balled up, or these. NOTE: Collect NEW packaged socks for local shelters or disaster relief organizations.
If you want, you can…
- Share your nights with another school and double your mile-earning time.
- Use these fun runs as mini-fundraisers and invite a healthy food vendor to join you, sell dinner or treats, and receive a percentage or proceeds back to your school.
- Invite local Fire or Police to come run with you.
Have fun with these Nights and Meet-ups. They will evolve and grow naturally as will your 100 Mile Club.
We could do this ALL day!
We love nothing more than to help schools create 100 Mile Clubs that are FILLED with creativity, passion, and inspiration. There are infinite themes and endless support in our 100 Mile Club Coaches group on FB and support pages and resources for 100 Mile Club Schools. We all work together to make our clubs sustainable, joyful, and filled with Healthy, Happy, Connected Kids®! JOIN US!
Not registered yet? Learn more about 100 Mile Club®, our mission, vision, spirit, program and package options, and how we can fill your school with Health, Happy, Connected Kids®…one mile at a time!
