MICHAEL RUNS BALTIMORE

A later-in-life runner (jogger) determined to run every street in his home city.

You can’t just wake up one day and decide that you want to run every street in a large American city. You have to run 4682 days in a row, no exceptions, to take on such a crazy task.

I spent my entire life as an overweight person. I can’t say I ever really exercised but I saw a picture of myself in 2010 and it changed everything. Whether it was about vanity or health, I needed to take control of my body.

I chose running because arthritis created such pain in my hands and my legs seemed like the best option for exercise. So I tried running, at night, while hiding from others. Every day I went a tiny bit farther. Within 3 months, I ran a 5K.

One motivation for this obsessive running routine was because for about the first 6 months, people frequently asked, “are you still running?” That translated into, “have you given up yet?”

So what does this all mean? After over 13 years of running every day; running one complete marathon, a couple half marathons, a handful of 10Ks, and enough 5Ks, I grew bored.

Last June, I read an article in my old hometown paper, the (Camden) Courier Post, where a man was running every street in Camden County, NJ in order to raise awareness of his father’s illness.

I wondered what it would be like to run an entire county? I wondered how much of Baltimore city have I run over the past 13 years? Was I close? It sounded like a fun idea to try. Besides, I had grown bored from running.

I’m old school so I couldn’t start without a road map and a marker. It took me only 3 days to find a paper road map of Baltimore. So I initially marked off all the roads that I 100% knew that I ran. That was step one, and then the project began.

It’s been an absolutely fascinating experience. It’s addictive and I just want to share some photos and stories. There is beauty all around, there is often hope amongst the decay. And there is one older, larger guy having an amazing and personal time learning about the city he’s lived in for decades.

Here are two images of my precious road map. The first image dates from July 6, 2023; the second is (updated) from December 26, 2023.

Here are a few questions that you may have. “Do you have proof that you actually ran (jogged) what you said?” No, you only have my word. And some photos. I’m not trying to win money or a new refrigerator by completing this project. “Are you running every inch of every street?” I’d like to but sometimes soreness or safety reasons cut some distances. Rest assured that I run (jog) more than you think on every street. “Isn’t Baltimore dangerous?” Sure, but what place isn’t these days? I’m always aware of my surroundings and always ready with a smile and a wave. That goes a long way and so far I have never been threatened in any manner.

UPDATE: On Monday, February 12, 2024, I ran Baltimore. And according to discussions with the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, that figure amounted (unconfirmed) to 1794 miles.

Did I run every inch of every street? No. Every foot? No. Can I say that I ran at least 90% of every street? Yes, I can live with that figure. (100% was always the number to beat.) And just to be up front, I started off with a 300 mile credit, as discussed above.

Damn, I sound defensive! That’s me. But if you have any doubts, I did do it. If you put your foot on a new piece of pavement every day, devote 2-3 hours to this every day, and follow a geometric route that prevents running a street twice, you too can do it. I highly recommend it. It was great. Enjoy the blog!

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