Ron Hill has now run every day for 50 years...Sat 20th Dec 2014

76 year old Ron Hill from England has competed in no fewer than three Olympic Games and in his long career has also set several world records, including a 2:09:28 time at the 1970 Commonwealth Games marathon in Edinburgh.

He is also famous for having the longest running streak in the world having run every day for 50 years. Having started on the 20th of December 1964, his run at the Manchester Heathon Park parkrun on Saturday the 20th of December 2014 was the 50th anniversary. At a rough calculation and including leap years, that's over 18,260 days!

He still maintains a daily record of all his runs and has now clocked up 160,000 miles which is equivalent to running around the world six times.

Additional info...
1) BBC News
2) Athletics Weekly
3) Three runners from Cork travel to England for Ron Hill's 75th birthday
4)  Interview with Ron Hill from 2012
5) Article in the Irish Examiner by John Walshe...Sat 20th Dec

Denis McCarthy's record running streak comes to an end after 28 years...

According to the US Running Streak Association, the official definition of a running streak is as follows...."To run at least one continuous mile (1.61 kilometers) within each calendar day under one's own body power without the utilization of any type of health or mechanical aid".

In Ireland, it is widely recogised that the person with the longest continuous running streak is Denis McCarthy of East Cork AC.

Having started on the 5th of June 1985, Denis has run at least one mile per day up until the 10th of June 2013 when a bad fall resulted in a fracture to a bone in his leg. That makes a total of 28 years and 4 days without a break, an incredible 10,232 days of running.

(Photo courtesy of Doug Minihane)

US runner Steve Gathje hits 40 year running streak...

After starting on the 25th of September 1972, Steve Gathje of Minnesota has run at least a mile every day for the last 40 years, that's 14,615 days. He becomes only the ninth person documented to have run a minimum of one mile every day for 40 years and is currently rank eighth in the United States among active streak runners.

In an interview, he said........"It's taken a life of its own because you  certainly don't start something like that expecting to run every day for 40 years. At the start, I counted 100 straight days and I thought that was kind of neat. I got to thinking ... 1,000? 10,000? But it was never to the point of doing this for 40 years."

For the 40 years, Gathje has been running more or less injury free despite running more than 110,000 miles and 14  marathons. "I've had three or four sprained ankles and that's not pleasant,'' he said. He's also had to deal with traveling, weather, work and the birth of his children. Like second oldest daughter, Sarah. "My wife's water broke at 6 in the morning and we got up and got dressed,'' Gathje said, "but she (Laurie) actually said, ‘maybe you should go out and run before we go to the hospital.' '' And then there was his youngest son, Dan, when he was born on one March snowy day. "A typical March blizzard,'' said Gathje.  "We were in the hospital snowed in and couldn't travel. Luckily, I had my running shoes on, so I borrowed my wife's hat and mittens and went out and ran between the snow drifts along University Ave. in St. Paul.''

Gathje has run in close to 40 states and seven countries. He once ran in a Newark airport hotel when his flight was canceled. "Nothing in my control will stop the streak,'' he said. What Gathje does know is that he's not streaking for any glory. "It's a part of my life now,'' he said. "You get up in the morning and go run. Simple as that.''

The Irish person with the longest running streak is Denis McCarthy of East Cork AC. Denis has run every day since June 1985.

Interview with Ron Hill at the 2012 Brighton Marathon

Prior to the Brighton Marathon in mid-April, there was a Saucony seminar which included an interview with running legend Ron Hill.

Over his long career, Ron Hill has held many national and world long distance running records including a world record for 10 miles (16 km) (47:02, Leicester, April 1968; 46:44, Leicester, November 1968). Hill represented Great Britain three times in the Summer Olympic Games between 1964 and 1972, in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres events. At the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Hill placed 18th in the 10000 metres, in a time of 29:53.0, and 19th in the marathon, in 2:25:34.4. In the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City, he placed seventh in the 10000m. In 1969, Hill won the European Championships Marathon on the Marathon-to-Athens course. In 1970, Hill became the first British runner to win the Boston Marathon, by a wide margin, shattering the course record by three minutes with a time of 2:10:30. In July, at the British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, he became the first man ever to break the 2:10 barrier, clocking a world record time of 2:09:28. Hill's final marathon was the 100th Boston Marathon, in 1996. He completed 115 marathons, 112 under 2:50, 103 under 2:45 and 29 under 2:20.   

Hill was also famous during his career for his trademark string vest. When asked as to why he wore it, he said... “I was looking for a way to get more air passing over the body, which evaporates sweat and cools the body – it didn’t won’t work if the body is covered by a full, cotton vest. It was in 1968 that I had the thought to wear a string vest, as it’s full of holes! I went to my local Army and Navy store in Stockport, bought the vest and it worked. The first time I wore the string vest was in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City."

Ron Hill is also famous of course for his running streak in that he has not missed a day of running since the 20th of December 1964. That makes 17,295 days if you include today, the 26th of April 2012.

In the interview here, Ron Hill talks about his running career, his Marathons and about his famous running streak....

Longest US Female Running Streak Ends...

Starting on the 5th of July 1978, Julie Maxwell of Kasson, Minnesota had run every day for the last 33 years. Her 12,212 day running streak ended on the 10th of December after breaking her right ankle. She had the longest running streak of any female in the USA (and probably the world) as certified to the United States Running Streak Association (USRSA)

“It is with a heavy heart that I tell you of the end of my 33-plus-year streak,” said Maxwell to USRSA. “I fell Sunday morning and broke both bones in my right ankle! With my foot facing backwards, I knew I would not be lacing up my shoes for my daily run.” Maxwell plans to start another running streak when she recovers from her injury. “I assure you that when I heal, I will begin another streak.”

The official definition of a running streak, as adopted by the United States Running Streak Association is to run at least one continuous mile within each calendar day under one's own body power (without the utilization of any type of health or mechanical aid other than prosthetic devices). Running under one's own body power can occur on either the roads, a track, over hill and dale, or on a treadmill. Running cannot occur through the use of canes, crutches or banisters, or reliance on pools or
aquatic devices to create artificial buoyancy. USRSA Website HERE

From an Irish point of view, the person with the longest running streak is Denis McCarthy of East Cork AC who has run every day since June 1985! I'm not sure which Irish woman has the longest running streak?

Anyone want to start?? :o)

American runner Aaron Shatzman maintains 30 year running streak

There was a story on the Internet during the week about 65 year old Aaron Shatzman in Pennsylvania who has maintained a 30 year running streak. Starting on Oct. 9, 1981, he has run approx 53,700 miles since then and currently runs 3 miles every day. When asked how he managed to keep the streak going, he said..."It has to do with perseverance, persistence, hard work, and accomplishing a goal. It would be easy to take a day off and more fun to watch TV. Not giving in is the important thing."

Another person with another notable running streak is Ron Hill in the UK who has run every day since December 1964.

In Ireland, the person with the longest running streak is most likely Denis McCarthy of East Cork AC. Starting in June 1985, he has run every day since.