pretty amazing

Thats amazing, but why? Doesn't a day off here and there do a body good?

Gosh Dude 90+ a week!?? are you blazing! I hope! If I did 90

+ a week I'll be ranked nationally in something! Even at 34!

he was nationally ranked ... not 34 now ...a bit older than 34

Okay, this guy ran all those miles. Consistently. My hat off to him. That's a freakin amazing feat.

MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION:

How Much Did He Improve?

It would be interesting to know, because after all JK (the distance master mind of all time) says to build and build the base. So did this guy reap the benefits? He doesn't have to be world class but did he continue to improve with this awesome base?

What happened?

Do Tell.

yep - yep yep - this 'started' in 1968 .. he ave over 110 through the entire 70s .. we are old farts - and don't even know who jk is .. just a different era ... but streak-boy trained under laslo tabori - look him up .. and that was no easy task - a much different approach with just as impressive results. Between us we were coached by 5 or so pre 60s Olympians and quite a few post 60s icons (from time to time) -war stories were great. results: All american in college div and university (just two divisions then) sub 2:20 several times as I recall .. his extended running streak has become somewhast an obsession and his 'portfolio' is ample ... just from the 70s - I'm not sure if he 'competed' into the 80s. Bottom line - much dif time. I havn't seen too many workout regimes that equaled ours ... but then again I have to admit some of our best races happened in workouts. ok I've said enough

Very cool! Totally compulsive. Undoubtedly amazing.

So, what was the minimum to constitute a "run"? Surely, at least a mile, right?

But Did He Keep Improving or Level Off After a While With the Same Times?

Did The Base Pay Off Long Term?

Or Was It Improve For a Few Years and Then Just Grind Out the Streak?

3 miles

... well age does take its toll. He has kept meticulous records of at least the daily totals. Sure he leveled off ... sure the serious stopped and the 'grind' began -but I'm not sure when. Currently runs about 3 - 7 miles a day - depending. But think about 34 yrs .. there were pretty severe injuries and sicknesses that plague any serious athlete. It's not something for 99.9% of the running world, and surely not recommended.

Kinda obvious that a number of posts are from younger runners with comments like "Or Was It Improve For a Few Years and Then Just Grind Out the Streak?"

My guess is that you haven't experienced a little thing called the aging process.

I think this is pretty amazing. I mean, shit, to run 90 mi weeks may not make some world beaters (due to genetics, etc...), but it's still damn impressive.

Cheers to Ron Hill!!!

Rick (13 yrs and counting)

some math = amazing (last 5 yrs = ave 6 miles day)

1969 5401

1970 5566

1971 6342

1972 6331

1973 5410

1974 5274

1975 6265

1976 5265

1977 5574

1978 4856

1979 4319

1980 4372

1981 4152

1982 2770

1983 3890

1984 3532

1985 3282

1986 3257

1987 2745

1988 3078

1989 3074

and so it goes

good job Rick - and so you go ...

'But Did He Keep Improving or Level Off After a While With the Same Times?

Did The Base Pay Off Long Term?

Or Was It Improve For a Few Years and Then Just Grind Out the Streak?'

He's continued to improve for the past 34 years. He's run under 1:30 for the 'thon. (g)

Will you people think before you post.

I know who the streaker is and he improved for a number of years and then leveled off. Same as the rest of us.

I assume this is the guy you are talking about. This appeared on RW Daily news site on same day as your post.

Did You Run Today? Mark Covert did. Over the weekend, Covert completed his 34th consecutive year of running every day. His streak stands as the second longest in the U.S. (to Bob Ray of Baltimore, Md.), but Covert has covered the most miles by far. During the 12,411 days of his streak, he has averaged 10.2 miles per day. His highest year was 1971, when he logged 6342 miles. At the time, Covert was one of the country's leading marathoners. He also won the NCAA Division II cross-country title in 1970 while a Cal State Fullerton student. Today, Covert is a PE teacher and coach at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, Calif.

Man - no keeping a secret from you guys. You can do the math on the numbers, but the real secret is 'HOW' the miles were run ... if you know Tabori, you know the 'HOW'. Tabori had his 'criteria' for a hard workout. All that and Mark has much less hair today - a different kind of accomplishment and with much less effort.

The point is that this whole B.S. JK sings to you guys all day about the base being long term is well...B.S.

But you all eat it up like the little followers you are. If you look at the majority who can make it long term with high miles you'll see that improvement basically stops after just few years of the high volume. The the grind starts.

Oh true, but most of us are willing to put in the miles because there is no other way to improve. Even if I stop improving (which I have) I am still better than if I ran no mileage. The price we are willing to pay I guess. I think everyone stops improving at some point.

Very impressive. I couldn't do 1/4 of that. However, the line..."his extended running streak has become somewhast an obsession" is an understatement. The streak owns him. We all have our addictions. If he takes a day off, he'll take a lot of pressure of his life.

If he's running 10+ miles a day in Lancaster in the Summertime, then Hell will seem like a treat if he ends up there.

Obsession? An acquaintance of mine has got about 30 years going, every damn day since he was 15. One morning a few years back he had a kidney stone attack while out on his run. Yet he managed to get himself out of the hospital before midnight the next day, lace 'em up and stagger down the road a few miles.