Smiley Miley’s – how one mile is transforming mental health in Exmouth

In July 2022, passionate runner, qualified coach and Leader in Running Fitness, Kevin Palmer, founded Exmouth Running Club with a simple aim – to help people enjoy running while building meaningful connections. Kevin has always focused on creating sessions that are enjoyable, supportive and designed to help runners get the most from themselves. Since then, the club has grown into a supportive community built on friendship, motivation and shared experiences.
In 2024, Kevin introduced a new initiative that is already transforming the way people in the local community think about running and mental health. He called it Smiley Miley’s.

A simple idea with powerful impact

Smiley Miley’s is built around a simple concept: run just one mile for your mental health. The session takes place at a gentle, conversational pace, and people are encouraged to walk, jog, or run - whatever feels right for them. The short distance means that anyone can take part, including people with no running experience. What matters most is creating a space where conversations about mental health can happen openly and without judgement.

Kevin trialled Smiley Miley’s over several weeks at Exmouth Running Club, holding the session half an hour before the club’s main training run. The response was overwhelmingly positive and has created an environment that feels welcoming, informal, and genuinely inclusive.

“It has been working well as it is attracting those who have signed up to our main run and also attracted those who do not belong to the club as of yet but can see the benefits of running with a club – especially around motivation and support.”

Supporting mental health through movement and conversation

Kevin describes Smiley Miley’s as a chance to “run a mile for your mental health” and raise awareness of the powerful benefits that physical activity can have on wellbeing. The session is designed to feel safe and stigma-free. People are encouraged to talk about their own experiences if they wish, and the relaxed environment of the run often makes those conversations feel easier and more natural. free. People are encouraged to talk about their own experiences if they wish, and the relaxed nature of the run often makes those conversations feel easier and more natural.

Since launching the initiative, Kevin has found that many participants have opened up about mental health challenges they had previously kept to themselves. Several shared that running became a way for them to manage stress, anxiety, or difficult periods in their lives. Taking part in Smiley Miley’s has reminded them that they are not alone and that community plays an important role in staying well.
To offer further support, Kevin has added a mental health signposting sheet to the Exmouth Running Club RunTogether page, giving participants a clear route to professional help or additional resources if needed.

Growing a community initiative

Smiley Miley’s now runs every week, and Kevin plans to keep it as a regular fixture. He hopes the initiative will continue to reach people in the wider community who may not consider themselves runners yet, but who could benefit from a safe, supportive place to move and talk. When looking at the future, Kevin told us; “My intention is also to put on special Smiley Miley events to encourage more from the community to come along and follow this up with a social event after.”

The initiative has already shown how something as simple as one mile, running at an easy pace, can encourage people to open up, reduce feelings of isolation, and begin forming new connections. It demonstrates the powerful role that running groups and community led initiatives can play in supporting mental health. led initiatives can play in supporting mental health.

What began as an idea to help improve mental health has quickly become a meaningful, uplifting part of Exmouth Running Club’s identity. Smiley Miley’s illustrates what can happen when people come together with a shared purpose: to move, to talk, and to support each other.