50 Things to Do Because You Run!

A half-term reflection on school life, running and the adventures we collect along the way.

There’s a particular point in every school term when you realise your brain has approximately 47 tabs open, at least three of them are playing music, and you’ve forgotten why you walked into a room.

Thankfully, half term has arrived!

Over recent weeks, I’ve been working on something close to my heart: how we bring together all the experiences that help children flourish at our school.

We’re fortunate to offer children so many wonderful opportunities, but I’ve been thinking about how we can connect them more meaningfully. How do we make sure every child has the chance to discover something new, build confidence, develop friendships and make a difference?

Alongside this, I’ve been refreshing something we’ve had in school for years: our 50 Things to Experience at Howard.

The idea is simple. Every child has a passport of 50 experiences to enjoy during their time with us. Some are adventurous, some are creative, some involve helping others, and some are about discovering something new.

I’ve even been having some fun with AI to bring the passport to life visually. It’s amazing what you can create now, and I can’t wait for the children to see it!

But somewhere between designing a passport, reviewing experiences and contemplating what it means to flourish, my mind inevitably wandered.

To running.

Obviously.

What if runners had their own 50 Things passport?

Not 50 races to complete. Not 50 personal bests to chase. And definitely not 50 reasons to buy another pair of trainers (although I suspect some of us could manage that).

I’m talking about the experiences, adventures, friendships and wonderfully ridiculous moments that happen when running becomes part of your life.

So, with half term providing a little breathing space, I’ve put together my own list.

The STRIDE 50 Things Challenge

50 experiences to enjoy through running, jogging, walking and everything in between.

🌍 Explore: Go somewhere different

1. Watch the sunrise on a morning run or walk.
2. Run or walk somewhere you’ve never explored before.
3. Visit a new parkrun, just because you can.
4. Explore a coastal path and finish with fish and chips.
5. Follow a woodland trail and enjoy getting completely muddy.
6. Discover a hidden gem in your own neighbourhood.
7. Plan a route that takes you past a castle, monument or historic landmark.
8. Go for a run while on holiday and see somewhere tourists might miss.
9. Experience the changing seasons on the same favourite route.
10. Finish a run or walk somewhere with a spectacular view.

🤝 Connect: It’s better together

11. Introduce someone to running.
12. Volunteer at a running event and cheer everyone on.
13. Arrange a run or walk with someone you haven’t seen for ages.
14. Say hello to another runner and discover something you have in common.
15. Enjoy a post-run coffee that lasts longer than the run itself.
16. Join a community event where you don’t know anyone.
17. Encourage someone who’s just getting started.
18. Take part in a shared challenge with people you’ve never met.
19. Run or walk with a family member.
20. Celebrate someone else’s achievement as enthusiastically as your own.

✨ Discover: Try something new

21. Try trail running for the first time.
22. Take part in a themed or fancy-dress event.
23. Explore a route without constantly checking your pace.
24. Try a run-walk session and enjoy the freedom of changing pace.
25. Experience a night-time event with a headtorch.
26. Take part in a charity run or walk for a cause that matters to you.
27. Try a different type of event, from a relay to an obstacle course.
28. Create a GPS route that draws a picture or spells a word.
29. Go on a photography run or walk and capture five interesting things.
30. Try a local running group or community session.

💚 Make a Difference: Give something back

31. Volunteer as a marshal.
32. Help someone feel welcome at their first event.
33. Take part in a litter-picking walk or run.
34. Support a local charity through a movement challenge.
35. Share your favourite route with someone looking for inspiration.
36. Thank the volunteers who make events possible.
37. Help organise a community run or walk.
38. Encourage a colleague to make time for themselves.
39. Share your own running story, including the difficult bits.
40. Make someone smile with a little encouragement along the way.

🌟 Flourish: Enjoy the journey

41. Run or walk in the rain and discover it’s not actually the end of the world.
42. Enjoy a completely technology-free run or walk.
43. Stop halfway through an outing simply to admire the view.
44. Have a run where everything goes wrong and laugh about it afterwards.
45. Take a rest day without feeling you need to justify it.
46. Treat yourself to a post-run breakfast somewhere lovely.
47. Rediscover a route you loved years ago.
48. Do something you once thought was beyond you.
49. Look back at how far you’ve come, without comparing yourself with anyone else.
50. Find your own reason to keep moving — and celebrate it.

And what has this got to do with education?

Probably more than I first realised.

In schools, we sometimes focus so heavily on outcomes, progress measures and the next thing to achieve that it’s easy to overlook the experiences that shape us along the way.

Running can be remarkably similar.

We measure kilometres, pace, times and personal bests. We set targets, monitor progress and occasionally become rather obsessed with what our watches tell us.

But ask a runner about their favourite memories, and I bet most won’t start by telling you their finishing times.

It might be the sunrise they saw on a quiet morning. The stranger who encouraged them during a difficult race. The friend they made at parkrun. The first time they realised they could do something they never thought possible.

Or perhaps the cafe they discovered afterwards. Let’s not underestimate the importance of cake.

That’s what I’ve been thinking about while developing our children’s 50 Things passport.

The experiences matter. The people matter. The journey matters.

And just as we want every child to discover opportunities that help them flourish, perhaps we should remember to create those opportunities for ourselves too.

Your turn!

I’m certainly not suggesting anyone needs to complete all 50 things. That would rather defeat the point!

But perhaps there’s something on the list you’ve already enjoyed, something you’ve always wanted to try, or something I’ve completely missed.

If you could add just ONE experience to the STRIDE 50 Things list, what would it be?

I’d love to hear your suggestions. Perhaps together we can create the ultimate STRIDE community bucket list.

For now, I’m going to enjoy a little half-term breathing space, hopefully get out for a few runs, and try not to turn every relaxing moment into another school improvement project.

Although, knowing me, no promises.

We Run. We Belong. We Flourish.

By Michael Walker – STRIDE Founder

What does running give you?

STRIDE Stories are real experiences from people working across education — sharing what running, movement and community mean to them.

Share your story → hello@stride-education.org