On Thursday 30th November, Gareth Cooke has ran every single day for eight years. Even after suffering a broken foot on three occasions, and a pulled glute, nothing stopped him.
The born-and-bred Barnsley runner has completed 40 marathons, including the London Marathon, Milton Keynes Marathon, Hull Marathon, York Marathon and Edinburgh Marathon.
He said: “My average mileage is about 42,000 miles in that time so I’ve got more mileage on my legs than my actual car.
I’ve run every day for eight years. I’ve not had a day off, I’ve not had Christmas off. I’ve run before early morning flights… I’ve had to fit it in in some weird places.
If you want to get good at something, you’ve got to practise it – that’s my theory behind running every day – same as drawing a picture, learning to play guitar, learning a new language.”
Despite facing many injuries, the runner explained that nothing has stopped him. He said: “I’ve also broken my foot three times as well, which I wouldn’t advocate running with a broken foot.
Because modern day shoes have got carbon fibre plates in so it kept my foot straighter than what it would’ve done if it was in a cast.”
Cooke takes inspiration from Ron Hill, British runner and clothing entrepreneur. As well as achieving many marathon records, he hold the record for the longest running streak, after running every day for 52 years and 39 days from 1964 until 2017.
Between this time, Hill ran the day after a car crash, in which he broke his sternum, and after bunion surgery, where he used a crutch to help him complete his run.
Even motivation hasn’t held Cooke back. He said: “Some days it can be tough – you do have downward spirals but as does anyone.
It’s just like having a certain type of breakfast in the morning or taking the dogs for a walk – I know in the morning, I’m lacing up, putting my shoes on, going outside and running ten miles or five miles or whatever I’m doing that day.
I’ll run twice a day most days because I’m training for stuff – so Monday to Thursday I am going out twice a day so it’s just a routine – as soon as you start doing something enough, it does become a habit.”
The 29-year-old runner grew up with an interest in sport, but his passion for running began after his nan, Ann, passed away from lung cancer in 2012 – “I always joked I was going to do a marathon.”
After failing to gain a place in the London marathon, he signed up to the Milton Keynes Marathon in 2013 and finished with the time of four hours and four minutes. His personal best in a marathon is now two hours 25 minutes, which he achieved in 2019. It came full circle in 2017, when Cooke won the Milton Keynes Marathon.
Cooke shared that his love for running has developed because of the freedom it offers. He said: “It is free in sense that when you’re outside, you are free, you can go anywhere you want, you can do anything you want, you’re not tied.
It’s just a bit of space and me-time when you’re out and about doing your thing that you’re invested in.
It’s perfect, it’s like an industrial engine – you put something into it and you get a product out – I like that feeling with running as well.”
Cooke never used to run for a club. He is widely known as ‘The Running Man in Blue’ because he used to always run in a blue vest, instead of a running club t-shirt.
He said: “When you’re running in fields, if you don’t run for a club people look at you funny.”
He now runs for Barnsley Running Club, after previously running for Penistone Footpath Runners. He also created a group called Team Barnsley, which is a unified group of 1200 members made up of all the running clubs in Barnsley.
“I like to create a team ethos with it. We’ve got a group of about 40 like-minded runners who have started doing stuff together and training together, so it kind of helps.
I enjoy seeing other people I train with thrive and succeed – seeing them do well is always a perk.”
During his eight years of non-stop running, Cooke said his biggest achievement was the day after he ran the whole boundary of Barnsley on 4th June 2017. The 73 mile run left his legs so sore, that he considered his five mile run the day after the biggest success of the journey. He said: “My legs were banging the day after.”
The runner’s most recent race was the Doncaster 10k on 26th November 2023, where he achieved a personal best.
He said: “Obviously after 8 years of running every day, I’ve had peaks in that where I’ve PB’d every single race, but in the last couple of years, I think I’ve only PB’d in the 10k distance.”
After explaining that he struggles to run quick, he said: “Obviously it felt good to PB at the weekend [in the Doncaster 10k] and show that the training that I have been doing is doing itself justice now.
This weekend it seemed to have clicked at Doncaster and it felt almost like I was running on clouds when you feel like it’s working on that day.”
Cooke also entered Sheffield’s annual Percy Pud 10k this weekend for its 30th anniversary. He said: “Doncaster is quicker on paper but Percy pub gets a stronger and faster feel.”
When it comes to Cooke’s goals, he prioritises his marathons. He said: “I put all my eggs in one basket – my marathons – that’s my baby.”
As well as focusing on his marathons, he is still determined to run every day – “That’s always on my agenda.”
