The Man Who Could Run Forever
Al Howie was on the lam from Interpol and living as an illegal alien in Canada when he became one of the most stupefying runners in history.
From 24-hour runs to six-day races to 1,300-milers, Howie ran on pavement in thin Ron Hill sneakers and lived on a diet of fish and chips and beer. Yet, he managed a staggering 84% winning percentage the first decade of his ultra career with zero injuries. If you’ve heard of him, you’ve wondered if he was myth or man? The truth is, he was both.
Howie’s world records in ultrarunning, just one of the many mind-blowing distances he covered during his lifetime, are thoroughly documented. Two still stand today: his 360-mile non-stop run at UVIC Stadium in 1987 and his 4,500-mile FKT across Canada from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia. Both runs were meticulously monitored by the University of Victoria along with hundreds of witnesses and extensively covered by journalists, often interviewing him while he was running. But those runs may not even be his most impressive. It is said record books are like phone books: a lot of numbers and no truth. For that you need context.
Sri Chinmoy was a guru from Bangladesh, singularly obsessed with records. From pogo-stick records, to weightlifting records, to walking backwards and chewing gum records; he wanted his followers to win them all. But his core fixation was on extreme distance running. He was so meticulous in the creation of his races that he insisted
