Long Island Man Runs 35 100-Mile Races In World Record Attempt

ISLIP, NY — Islip ultra-runner Billy Richards made headlines last month in the running world for completing the fourth most 100-mile races in one year. But Richards puts a unique spin on the grueling sport of ultrarunning, which is considered racing any longer than the marathon distance of 26.2 miles: He runs every race carrying an American flag. Richards, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army, was one of three runners trying to break the world record for most 100 miles completed in 2019, according to a Runner's World article last month.

Richards grew up in Islip and now works full-time as a personal trainer. He told Patch that he started running races in 2010 but that one Fourth of July in 2014 he decided to run with a flag as a patriotic gesture. Ever since then he's run 320 races on Long Island and across the country carrying an American flag on a PVC pole he constructed himself.

"I run to honor the military and first responders," by carrying the flag, Richards said. Although the flag isn't very heavy, holding it slows him down on uneven terrain and in winds. Attempting the 100-mile record, he said, was grueling on his schedule, wallet and body.

"I basically tore my body to shreds."

Richards finished 35 100-milers during the year-long attempt, and has taken off since then, trying to recover from a collection of injuries he sustained. Although he didn't break the record of 41 races in the calendar year, he feels it was an accomplishment that can inspire others.

"I don't recommend my clients do anything like this," he laughed, "but when they see me running 100 miles every weekend it's harder for them to make excuses."

Balancing full time work and travel was the hardest part of the effort, according to Richards. He logged one 12-week stretch where he ran a 100-miler every weekend. He would rest between the races, which took him anywhere from 30 to 39 hours to complete. He would usually stay awake for the entirety of the races, downing energy drinks to stave off tiredness during the events, which he says "were generally pretty miserable."

Richards hopes to recover enough from his current injuries to run the prestigious Badwater 135 race in July, a famous ultramarathon that is notoriously difficult to get into. He's inspired by a motivational speaker and former Navy Seal David Goggins, who wrote the book Can't Hurt Me, which Richards says is about challenging the limits of what our bodies can accomplish.

Last week, Richards was honored by the New York Islanders as one of their weekly local military heroes.