Haverford Runner Clocks More Than 2K Miles Since Coronavirus Hit

HAVERFORD TOWNSHIP, PA — The coronavirus led many people to find ways to stay busy as they stay home in hopes of preventing spread of the virus. Whether people were baking sourdough bread, learning a language, reading more, or adopting a pet, Americans found ways to cope with the situation.

But one Haverford Township man had something else in mind: run every single day.

David Walsh is that man, and he still hasn't stopped.

Walsh, 55, of Havertown, decided on March 13 when coronavirus mitigation efforts put the world on pause that he would run daily through the pandemic.

As of Monday, Walsh has counted 2,040 miles over 275 days.

"I usually do six to seven miles a day," Walsh told Patch. "I've been averaging about 50 miles a week."

Weekends, he said, are for longer runs, about 10 to 12 miles.

His longest of this project was 22 miles, when he ran from his home in Havertown to Camden, N.J. and back.

"It's about eight to nine miles to the [Ben Franklin] bridge," he said. The bridge itself is a mile and a half long and is uphill both ways (and also downhill, so there's a bit of a plus to jaunting across the Delaware River).

Speaking of hills, Walsh said one thing he's learned over his nearly 300 straight days of running is just how hilly Havertown is.

"When I looked at total elevation gain, it's over 100,000 vertical feet," he said. "You would never think that in Havertown."

And he knows Havertown very well now.

A resident for about 30 years, Walsh said at what is his current halfway point of the daily running he decided to run every street in town.

Using the running app Strava, Walsh began running every street in the township and marking the streets he covered on the app's map.

He said he used to run the same route and wanted to change things up to keep his runs fresh.

Walsh noted how diverse the homes in the township are.

"You'll see multi-million dollar mansions to row homes and apartment buildings," he said.

One thing that surprised him during the goal to traverse all the roads in the township was the ages of homes.

"I always thought Havertown had more 1950s style homes, but there are a lot of brand-new homes and some historic homes," he said.

It wasn't just the roads he was hitting, too. Walsh made alleys, dead ends, and other areas part of the goal.

"I got obsessed and coloring alleys and parking lots and things," he said of tracking his progress on the running app. "There are more alleys and dead ends in Havertown than you'd ever think."

All this running isn't new to Walsh, a Scranton native. He said he has been running for about 30 years.

He's run enough marathons that he lost count, 10 to 15 he told Patch.

Putting in this many miles is bound to leave a runner with injuries.

But not Walsh.

"Fortunately, I've been injury-free," Walsh said, going on to say he was knocking on wood. "People have asked how are my knees and feet. It's not completely pain-free, but I run through it."

Overall, the daily running has been a great outlet for Walsh, who runs a consulting business.

"Before the pandemic I used to travel almost every week of the year and was always a runner."

For those who are inspired by Walsh's dedication, he says to just go out and do it.

"I give credit to those people I see running for their first mile," he said. "No matter how fast or slow: just do it."

And it's not like Walsh always is excited to get up to run.

"There are definitely days when I wake up and say, 'do I really want to do this?'" But he still does. "I've never regretted it."

Walsh says anyone looking to get into running, or any other kind of fitness, to do what works for you.

"It's been working for me and I still feel good."

With the first coronavirus being distributed, the pandemic does have an end in sight. But until that end finally comes, keep your eye out for Walsh — as well as other runners, cyclists, and pedestrians of course — on roads in the Haverford areas he continues this Herculean feat.