Earning a Mile Club shirt is one of the most desired achievements at McAuliffe Middle School. If you don’t know what a Mile Club shirt is, it is a dri-fit P.E. shirt. Boys earn the shirt if they can run a mile under 6 minutes and 15 seconds and girls have to run it under 6 minutes and 45 seconds. 

There are currently 68 kids in Mile Club at McAuliffe. Mile Club members’ times are also recorded for the school record. The sixth grade record for boys is 5:37, the seventh grade record is 5:35 and the eight grade record is 5:07. The sixth grade record for girls is 6:01, seventh grade is 5:52 and for eighth grade, it is 5:47.

There are many tips to help others run faster. Kedric Delaney, who has an impressive mile time of 6:01, explains, ‘’Every lap I try to increase my speed.’’ 

The fastest time in the world was achieved by Hicham El Guerrouj, holding a record at 3:45. Experts say that he does not focus on speed, but rather on his fitness and how long he can go. 

Mr. Maffett, a McAuliffe P.E. teacher, has stated that it is more stamina than anything. 

Now, how can we improve or increase our stamina? There are a couple of ways. For example, running at least once a day can help tremendously. Experts say to run for at least the amount of one song. Eating well is also a fundamental aspect of running faster and longer. If you know you are eating unhealthy foods, that could affect your fitness. According to English Language Centers, you should drink milk and eat yogurt, fish, and salad. Getting fit will not happen overnight, but you will see results in about six to eight weeks, and you will notice you can run longer, according to Healthline.

Breathing well will also help with endurance while running the mile. We do it every day, but when we run it is harder to breathe. The key to stop feeling out of breath while running is to breathe through your nose and out your mouth. This takes time to get used to, but once you master this, you can run for longer periods of time. 

This list of suggestions might not get you into Mile Club, but they will definitely help you improve your time and your P.E. grade!