Decade of dedication: Lethbridge woman ends impressive streak of running a mile each day
A Lethbridge woman ran at least a mile a day for a decade, but now she's calling it quits.
Nicki Van Eck, 34, began her run streak Dec.1, 2012, when Lethbridge's Runners Soul running supply store hosted a holiday run streak and encouraged their customers and run club members to participate.
The concept was simple; run a mile each day of the month for a chance at winning a prize.
"I won a pair of shoes the first day," said Van Eck. "I thought, 'Oh darn, now I have to run the whole month.' It was challenging, but on Jan. 1, I was like 'What’s one more day?' Jan. 2, 'What’s one more day?'"
Van Eck just kept running. Over 3,650 days, she ran a minimum of one mile each day to keep the streak alive. In 10 years, she logged 14,971.62 kilometers and ran for 1,762 hours and 43 minutes. She had to get creative at times.
"I’ve had to run in a parking lot at 11 at night after work," said Van Eck. " had to run with the flu at Christmas on a treadmill.
"I did have a small fracture in my foot I ran through and I had Lasik eye surgery so I actually had to have my brother run with me so I could see where I was going."
Nicki Van Eck ran at least a mile-a-day for 10 years, beginning in December 2012.
Runners Soul has a plaque dedicated to those who have run a mile a day for at least a year. Van Eck was the first name to be added to the 10-year plaque. She celebrated the milestone then decided to end her streak a few days later, saying it just felt like the right time.
"Ten years is such a great milestone. It was a very emotional decision when I stopped but I feel really good about the decision."
As for whether she'll streak again?
"I don’t think I’ll do anything as long as 10 years again," said Van Eck, "but I'm sure next December I’ll be joining the run streak challenge with Runners Soul."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Princess Anne to take part in B.C. ceremony bringing new ship into Pacific fleet
Western Canada's first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel will officially be brought into the Pacific fleet today and Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles, is scheduled to take part in its commissioning ceremony.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake recorded west of Vancouver Island
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake was reported west of Vancouver Island Thursday evening.
More than half of Canadians say freedom of speech is under threat, new poll suggests
A new poll suggests a majority of Canadians feel their right to freedom of speech is in danger.
How falling for a stranger she met on a beach led this woman to ditch the U.S. for the French Riviera
Niki Benjamin, from the U.S., had travelled to a paradise island to do some soul searching, and her life ended up going in a very different direction when her dog ran up to a stranger.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Feds giving Toronto more than $104M to host 2026 FIFA World Cup
The federal government will provide Toronto just over $104 million in funding to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Police clear encampments as U.S. campus arrests exceed 2,300 amid pro-Palestinian protests
Police ordered pro-Palestinian protesters to clear out of a tent encampment at New York University early Friday, a move that follows weeks of demonstrations and police confrontations at college campuses nationwide that have resulted in more than 2,300 arrests.
Wally, the emotional support alligator once denied entry to a baseball game, is missing
Emotional support animal registrations in the United States reached 115,832 last year, by an industry group’s count. But in the eyes of reptile rescuer Joie Henney, there’s only one: 'Wally Gator.'