Daily Mile track markings
The Daily Mile asks children to run or jog for fifteen minutes during the school day, at their own pace, in their uniform. It needs no special facilities, but many schools find a marked loop makes it run more smoothly: children know the route, staff can see everyone, and laps are easy to count.
A track marking is usually a lane line, distance markers and a start and finish, laid in thermoplastic around the edge of the playground or a field path.
- 15 minutesthe Daily Mile, door to door
- 1,609 mone mile
- £15,000one council’s 2019 award for tracks at 12+ schools
A marked track helps when
- Classes go out at different times and need a route that does not cut through games.
- Staff want to see every child from one spot.
- Children count laps and like to know how far they have gone.
- The field is too muddy half the year, so the run has to happen on tarmac.
- Lunchtime supervisors want a clear, self-running activity.
- The playground has an obvious perimeter that is free of doors and steps.
What a marked track costs
| Item | Guide, before VAT |
|---|---|
| Fitness and active trails Lane line, start and finish, distance or lap markers | £300 to £2,500 |
| Track as part of a larger scheme Added while the contractor is on site for other markings | Lower end of range |
| Enfield Council programme, 2019 Thermoplastic circuits at 12 or more schools, whole contract | £15,000 |
Where these figures come from
Installed ranges are from published UK contractor price guides (autumn 2026). The Enfield figure is the published award value on Contracts Finder for designing and laying mile-a-day circuits at at least twelve primary schools in 2019: about £1,250 a school or less. Before VAT. A guide, not a quote.
Planning the loop
Measure the lap
Walk the route with a measuring wheel. A 120 m loop is about 13 laps to the mile; a 200 m loop about 8.
Keep it visible
The Daily Mile guidance asks that children stay in sight of the teacher most of the time, so avoid blind corners behind buildings.
Stay off the games
Run the lane around the edge of the playground so runners do not cross hopscotch or courts in use.
Mark the distance
Small markers every 10 or 25 m, or a lap counter at the start, let children track how far they have gone.
What the Daily Mile asks for
A council guide to setting it up (Leicester City Council) describes fifteen minutes from leaving the classroom to returning, on any surface children normally play on, with a circular route that allows laps so faster and slower runners finish together. It says no special facilities, kit or footwear are required.
So a marked track is a convenience, not a requirement. Its value is in making the routine quicker to start and easier to supervise, which is what keeps a daily activity going past the first term.
Laps to a mile
Divide 1,609 by the lap length in metres. A typical primary playground perimeter of 100 to 150 m gives 11 to 16 laps to the mile; children rarely run a full mile in fifteen minutes in the early weeks, and that is fine.
Want a running loop marked out? Send the brief and we find a contractor near you who lays track markings.
Get marking quotesHow a track gets marked
Walk the route
Agree the loop with the PE lead, avoiding doors, steps, drains and parking.
Layout drawing
A scaled plan showing every marking, its size and colour and the gaps between them. Ask for it in writing; it is how you compare two quotes fairly.
Clean, prime, lay
The surface is swept and dried, primed where the tarmac is old, then each marking is set out and heated or sprayed into place. Most schemes take one to three days.
Handover
Markings are ready to walk on once cool or dry. Keep the layout drawing and the contractor’s guarantee terms with your site records.
Questions schools ask about markings
How much does a Daily Mile track cost?
Typically within the £300 to £2,500 range for fitness and active markings, before VAT, depending on the lap length and how many markers you want.
How many laps of the playground is a mile?
Divide 1,609 m by your lap length. A 120 m loop is about 13 laps; a 200 m loop about 8.
Do we need a marked track for the Daily Mile?
No. Any safe surface children normally play on will do. A marked loop just makes it easier to run and supervise.
Can the track go on the field?
A painted grass line wears off and needs remarking. A tarmac or path loop marked in thermoplastic lasts for years and works in wet weather.
Can the PE and sport premium pay for markings?
Repainting existing lines, yes: the conditions of grant for 2026 to 2027 name it as allowable maintenance. New markings that your school’s accounting policy treats as an asset count as capital spending, which the premium cannot fund, unless the cost falls under your de minimis threshold.
Get quotes for a running track
Three short steps: where the school is, what you want marked, and how to reach you. It takes about two minutes.
We are a free matching service, not a marking firm. You get the contractor’s name from us first, and the brief only goes to them once you say yes.
Thanks, your enquiry is in.
- We look for a marking contractor who covers your area, then email or phone you with their name.
- Nothing is passed on until you tell us to go ahead.
- The contractor looks at the tarmac, draws a layout and prices it. We never send marketing.