40,000 miles
Or, 64,373.7 kilometers, but thanks to SNL I will never transition.
Five years ago, I wrote this article in Runner’s World about how in 1990 I committed to run 10,000 miles for that decade – and have kept logging my runs ever since.
I hit 10,000 on August 30, 1998, in my hometown of Saddle River, NJ. Then I passed 20,000 on March 27, 2006, during a long training run in Bountiful, Utah. And 30,000 on February 5, 2016, right here in Ra’anana, Israel.
And this morning, June 29, 2025, I passed 40,000, also in Ra’anana.
As I described in the article, I was inspired to run and to log by my father. It gives me great pleasure that I have inspired many people over the decades to run, and that now my kids are taking to the sport. It’s probably a good thing that none have shown any indication of compulsive record-keeping, but for me, that has been my motivation.
It’s already been a decade since my last marathon, and this year has already been my hardest so far, having twice had to miss time for injuries, and I don’t expect to keep the 1,000 miles a year clip that I have most of these years.
But I am very grateful to have conditioned myself to this lifestyle; it has done more for my mental health than my physical health, and it has been a source of much satisfaction over such a long period of time. I hope that God gives me the health and strength to continue it for another 10,000 and beyond!
Thanks to family and neighbors who joined this morning as I crossed 40,000
!
