Mark Covert

Who is Mark Covert?

Mark Covert is an American runner. He is believed to maintain the second-longest streak of running every day in the world. Covert's running streak began on July 23, 1968 just after his senior year at Burbank High School in Burbank, California, and continued for exactly 45 years. Due to a chronic foot injury, Covert announced that he would end his streak after exactly 45 years on July 23, 2013 and he did as promised. His is the longest streak recorded by the United States Running Streak Association, followed closely by Jon Sutherland, who began less than a year after Covert. However, British runner Ron Hill is believed to have the longest continuous streak.

Covert has also run in competition, earning seventh place with a time of 2:23:35 in the 1972 US Olympic marathon trials. During those trials, Covert was the only surviving member of a pack of eight lesser-known runners to try to follow the blistering pace of Kenny Moore and eventual gold-medalist Frank Shorter, all the others failed to finish the race. By virtue of that race, he also claims the distinction of being the first person to cross a finish line wearing Nike brand shoes. In 1992 he was named to Nike's Hall of Fame.