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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.