Germany wins the Kids' Athletics Day Member Federation Challenge
Germany has been selected as winner of the Kids’ Athletics Day Member Federation Challenge after contributing two-thirds of the miles run in the World Mile Challenge.
Around the world, more than 300,000 children across all six continental areas participated in events to mark Kids’ Athletics Day – a global day dedicated to celebrating children and young people being active by participating in athletics.
In 2024, Kids' Athletics Day featured an exciting twist with the World Mile Challenge, commemorating the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile on 6 May 1954. Participants were encouraged to run, jog, walk or play a mile, and register their miles on the Global Mile Counter. Collectively, they ran an impressive 1,383,394 miles between 1 May and 19 May.
Member Federations were encouraged to participate in the Kids’ Athletics Day Challenge, with the organiser of the best Kids’ Athletics Day activation – measured by a combination of participation rates, social media engagement levels and overall innovation – receiving the prize of a US$10,000 one-off award to be used to promote and activate Kids’ Athletics (or an equivalent youth activity) in their country.
World Mile Challenge - Benin
Of the 120 participating Member Federations, Germany emerged victorious. They organised 300 Kids’ Athletics Day events during 1-19 May, reaching more than 100,000 children and collectively running over one million miles. German athletics clubs focused their May sessions targeting children on the World Mile Challenge and promoting the activities using a dedicated hashtag. Olympian Thomas Rohler and long jump talent Laura Raquel Muller created Instagram reels to further boost engagement.
Idriss Gonschinska, Deutscher Leichtathletik Verband CEO, said: “We are very happy to receive this award and we look forward to continuing our commitment to the development and strengthening of grassroots athletics and Kids’ Athletics in Germany.”
Paraguay and Benin were named runners-up, each receiving US$5,000 to support Kids’ Athletics in their countries. Paraguay celebrated with 46 nationwide activities, including mile races and fun Kids’ Athletics circuits, engaging close to 10,000 children. Benin held an impressive 507 events, reaching thousands of children and securing a strong second place on the mile counter. Representatives from the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Maternal and Primary Education, the Member Federation and NGOs active in the primary education sector collectively played a pivotal role in this achievement, with celebrations taking place in 23 stadiums and various local tracks.
World Mile Challenge - Paraguay
Events around the globe, including Ukraine and Palestine
The vision for Kids’ Athletics is that all children, no matter where they are in the world or their individual circumstances, get access to a quality physical activity experience. Kids’ Athletics Day activities highlight the true reach and power of athletics. Events were held in all corners of the globe including Ukraine, which hosted multiple events with more than 800 participants, and Palestine, where a special event in Nablus Municipal Stadium provided a much-needed respite for children, highlighting the importance of physical activity even in challenging times.
The Ukrainian Athletic Association said: “We want sports to unite and strengthen families, add strength and energy to both children and adults, and give unforgettable emotions. I hope that today’s Kids’ Athletics Day event will bring us one step closer to that goal, and our competitions will help children who have chosen a sport path to reach their goal step by step.”
Kids’ Athletics Day is the cornerstone of World Athletics’ Kids’ Athletics programme, a free initiative that aims to inspire children globally to be active, develop skills and confidence, and connect with sport for life.
Member Federations, clubs and schools are encouraged to join the Kids’ Athletics programme year-round. More information can be found on the World Athletics website.
