Episode 21: Twenty-Four Years

Run streakers people committed to running at least a mile every day. There are now Facebook groups filled with run streakers and a national organization. But before any of that, Brent Burmaster decided that he would run at least 5k, or 3.1 miles every day for the rest of his life. That was in 1993. More than 8,800 days later, Burmaster is still at it. But in the twenty-four years between then and now, his life took a dramatic turn. Burmaster had always been a heavy drinker, but his big nights out were mostly confined to the weekends. However, when his first marriage fell apart, he plunged into alcoholism, going to bars every night.

Was running holding his life together or enabling his addiction? Keeping him healthy or keeping him trapped in another addiction? That’s our story this week.

Additional Resources:
2017 Runner’s World Summer Running Streak
Soul’s Harbor
Alcoholics Anonymous

Host: Rachel Swaby
Producer: Rachel SwabyFeedback from: Brian Dalek, Sylvia Ryerson
Special thanks to Hollis Karoly, a doctoral student at the University of Colorado Boulder, for help with the science of alcoholism and exercise.
Theme music: Danny Cocke
Human Race editor in chief: David Willey
Human Race is a proud part of Panoply.