Nine schools in the Cook Islands participated in the World Mile Challenge 2024 completing 1610 miles.

Athletics Cook Islands (ACI) hosted 15 events across nine schools with 1500 participants.

Federation’s president Simone Fe’ao said that “Smiles for Miles” challenge captured the imagination of schools who have taken the time to measure the distances of the school fields and surrounding areas to make up the mile challenge.

Fe’ao said this showed that schools and individual classes can gain a simple and encouraging achievement through this.

She said three schools have accumulated laps corresponding to distances between 200 and 500 metres for individual students. These distances can be marked in colour on a chart with 1-kilometre intervals marked with stickers.

And this way it would be easy to chart how much they do per week, month or term, Fe’ao said.

She said that in support of this, Athletics Cook Islands will be designing certificates to give out where they can mark totals of 5 kilometres, 10km, 15km, and 20km.

She said that in support of this, Athletics Cook Islands will be designing certificates to give out where students can mark totals of 5 kilometres, 10 kilometres, 15 kilometres, and 20 kilometres.

Fe’ao added that using the kids’ athletics equipment of hoops and rings to occupy their focus while walking was successful to initiate the task and now, they are happy to walk without the props in a bid to improve on their last lap totals.

“And giving them the measuring wheel to see how far they walk has inspired them to do even more, making them keen to run more often to see the numbers move faster.

“It has certainly encouraged more engagement with walking and running, especially with those who would not participate at all previously.”
Fe’ao said the smiles for miles challenge has given Athletics Cook Islands the opportunity to show schools and students how they can accumulate measurable and achievable goals towards increasing their fitness and better health, but also for their training towards their inter-school athletics championships in October. 

She thanked all the groups that got involved with the World Mile Challenge.

“It is great to see all abilities get involved from our toddlers, to our youth and those who need a little extra help. We hope this has inspired you to carry on clocking up those miles.”