How to: Do the RNLI Mayday Mile

Running a mile a day for a month doesn’t have to be a chore – in fact, you don’t even have to run. You could walk a mile a day in May – or skip, or jog, or hop. It’s completely up to you. 

On average, there are 2,000 steps in a mile – take a look at our suggestions to make each one of those fun. 

Do a lucky dip

What better excuse to make your daily mile fun and silly, than by putting your fate in the hands of others? Get your friends, family or colleagues to write an idea down for how to complete a mile and choose one each day. You’ll get to enjoy a new way to do your mile every day, and there’ll be great photo opportunities throughout the month to share on your social media and inspire donations towards your brilliant commitment. 

Make it a chase!

If you crave the thrill of suspense (or even love the idea of escaping a zombie breakout), turn your Mayday Mile into a chase. A great way to get others involved, you can give friends and family the hilarious task of selecting a spontaneous time to chase you for a mile each day (even better if you’re not sure who it’s going to be, or when!). You can even do it alone too. Download an app like Zombies, Run! – an ultra-immersive virtual run that that gives you an audio adventure to escape zombies while you walk, jog or run a mile a day.  

Personalised playlists

The best way to get motivated is to have some great music to listen to – walking a mile a day (or running, if you’re more ambitious!) never sounded so good. For an extra reason to run, hop, skip, flip or however else you’re planning to smash your Mayday Mile, get a loved one to create a playlist for you. Even better, ask your friends, family or work colleagues to collaborate onto a playlist together for a Mayday Mile mega mix that will see you all through the month. Not knowing what your soundtrack is going to be each day will give you a boost to get going and find out! 

Go head-to-head 

Dancing, hula-hooping, pancake racing – however you choose to complete your Mayday Mile, why not make it a fun competition by going up against someone new every day in May? You could race, or simply choose a different friend, family or work colleague to do your Mayday Mile beside you, so no two days will ever be the same. If you’re going head-to-head, you could also add an incentive that your opponent must double their donation if you win!  

Run like an action hero

If you’re planning to run or jog a mile a day for Mayday, give it a theme by dedicating each day towards running like a different action movie hero! From running wildly like Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and sprinting determinedly like Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible, to doing that Monty Python walk and hurdling over fences like Inspector Nicholas Angel in Hot Fuzz. It’s a sure way to keep your daily mile interesting – and spark donations! 

Track your progress

Once you’ve signed up for the Mayday Mile on Funraisin, you’ll receive a fundraising guide and tracker. 

With a tracker, you can make yourself accountable for your Mayday Mile and see your progress in action. That way, you can keep track of your mile a day and, the most satisfying bit, tick off every time you complete your mile!

Make it a partnership

You don’t have to go it alone. Taking on the Mayday Mile is a fantastic reason to spend a pocket of time every day with a parent, child, sibling or even your neighbour. You can also use it to your advantage – why not make your daily mile a three-legged race to share the load each day? The achievement will be something special to share this summer, knowing you’ve helped to save lives at sea beside someone you care about.

A Mayday Mile of happy places 

Set yourself the goal to do your daily mile somewhere different every day. The only rule? To complete it in a place that makes you happy. From doing your mile on a stretch of the beach and doing laps of your family garden, to going around the car park of your favourite venue and visiting the place that holds special memories. By the end of May, you’ll have gathered a month’s worth of happy places – and that’s something worth going the mile for. 

Turn the final finish line into a Mayday Mile party 

It’s 31 May and you’ve reached the final stretch of your mile-a-day challenge – that deserves a worthy celebration! After all, you’ve been running every day for a month! So, turn your last finish line into a closing party with your loved ones, whether you end on the beach with a barbecue, in a pub garden on a sunny evening or even at your family home with a special dinner. Your friends and family would love to congratulate you in your incredible achievement, helping to save more lives at sea. 

You can make an extraordinary difference by taking on one mile a day, any way you like, in May to raise money for RNLI crews. Whether you run it, walk it or bounce it, you’ll be powering our volunteers to rescue in their busiest season – and that makes you a lifesaver too.