Mark Covert is a truly unique individual, for many reasons. Covert competed in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic marathon Trials, running huge miles, as much as 6,000 miles in a year. Mark Covert gave up his job at a little company called Nike, because it was taking away from his running time. Mark Covert started his running streak with a fifteen mile run as a teenager, and he did not stop for 45 years.
On Tuesday, July 22, 2013, Mark Covert ended his running streak at 45 years, he has run 16,436 days, and 149,653 miles. I am sorry I was not there for this day. I was at his 25th anniversary of the streak, and I will never forget that. Mark Covert is an original. I believe he was employee number three or four at Nike, but he quit because the job hampered his running. At that time (1972-74), Mark was running about 6,000 miles a year. His pb of 2:22 for the marathon was one of the best in the country at his time. Covert ran 150-170 miles a week and lived to talk about it.
Mark Covert is the track coach at Antelope Valley Community college in Lancaster, California. He is a man of great conviction, and his streak was a living, breathing part of him. His athletes love him, and come back to see him.
I knew of Mark Covert in the mid 70s as a serious runner, from the 72 Trials and 76 Trials. I first met him when I was a track coach at Foothill College. We email each other a few times a year. I am looking forward to reading his book.
He told Amby Burfoot recently that he would tell people who want to start a streak an emphatic “No”.
Makes sense….