76-Year-Old Runs 278 Consecutive Races

Retired and Running: One Man Runs 278 Consecutive Races

Richard Bleecker, 76, has run at least one race per month for the last 23 years. With 278 races under his belt, he has no plans of slowing down.

Following a mid-life crisis in his mid-30’s, Richard Bleeker began a slow but deliberate process to change his lifestyle—eventually culminating in his first 5K some five years later. He went on to run a 10K, half marathon, and eventually, eight full marathons. When he began to feel as if he might be pushing his body a bit too hard, he began a new challenge: running one race each month.

23 years and 278 races later, the streak is still going strong with no end in sight. In fact, he plans doing a race per month until he’s 100. He’s got a long way to go, but with his attitude, he just might make it. Good luck, Richard!