Feeling the effects of one-too-many mince pies? A new year campaign will encourage everyone, regardless of age, ability or fitness levels, to run, walk or jog just a mile in the settings of a local park.

The #JustAMile campaign focuses on the mile distance because it is assessible and achievable. It is being organised by EHM Legacy, the community arm of the popular Ealing Half Marathon.

Anyone aged four and upwards is encouraged to sign up to the monthly Ealing Mile, which takes place on the first Friday of each month at 12.30pm at Lammas Park in Ealing and attracts serious runners, casual joggers and walkers alike. You can sign up on its website.

Once the indulgencies of the Christmas holidays are over with, you might be thinking about how best to kick-start a new healthy lifestyle in 2020. If so, the #JustAMile campaign might be just what you are looking for.

The next Ealing Mile is on Friday, 3 January at 12.30pm. The course is recognised by UK Athletics as an officially-measured mile course and every participant receives an officially recorded time. A high turnout is expected at the January event with most children still off school and many people taking time off work after Christmas. Runners, joggers and walkers regularly return each month in an attempt to improve on their times. It is easy to sign up.

Rachel Job, race director, said: “The good thing about the mile distance is that it’s a great challenge for anyone of any ability. The fast and furious hope to edge towards Roger Banister’s famous four-minute mile barrier. At the other end of the spectrum, a mile of brisk walking really gets the heart rate up, critical to getting the benefits of exercise.

“A mile is also a manageable distance to have a go at running for the first time; we’ve had people who have never run before start with the Ealing Mile and then gradually build up to run the Ealing Half Marathon.”

The Ealing Half Marathon Legacy Community Interest Company (EHM Legacy) is the community arm of the Ealing Half Marathon. EHM Legacy is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to deliver and facilitate community projects and events within the borough that encourage physical activity and wellbeing. As well as the Ealing Mile and other ongoing projects, it has worked with Ealing Council – including on installing a new drinking fountain in Lammas Park.