“It is not easy on the body but, then again, this is what I signed up for, so I can’t complain”
A man who admits he finds running “boring” has managed to maintain an incredible 2,086-day streak and is still counting. Mridul Manoj, 23, has been running a minimum of 3km every single day since November 20, 2019.
Even illness or a twisted ankle cannot deter him from his mission, a daily test of willpower he started when he was aged 18 while a student at Loughborough University. Now with a “physically demanding” job in Goole, Mridul has nonetheless managed to stay on track.
When Hull Daily Mail spoke to Mridul earlier this week about his runs, he said: “As of yesterday, it is 2,086. It has gotten to a point where, even if I don’t feel like doing it, me breaking the streak is going to hurt a whole lot more than me just not showing up.
“I have been ill, I have sprained my ankle, but still gone for my run because I want to keep my streak as long as I can really.” Mridul, who is originally from Dubai, added: “It is quite boring. If I can paint you a picture, the weather in the UK for most of the year, it is quite cold.
“I am in my room all tucked in, and I have got snacks, watching my favourite show or movie. Nobody wants to go and do that run because it is just uncomfortable, and it is boring.
“It is a way to convince myself to show up every single day. It is just defeating that voice in your head telling you not to do this or not to do that because it is difficult.
“It is easy to do something when you love it. It becomes a story when you have been doing something for so long, and you don’t love one bit of it.”
To maintain the streak, Mridul has to complete a daily run before midnight. He said he prefers to run in the nighttime because it is quiet and he can zone out with his headphones and enjoy the “me time”.
He runs 5km most nights, which takes 25 minutes. “I find my peace and quiet when it is dark outside and there is no-one there, just letting my thoughts run wild,” he said.
After a hard day of work, it is not easy to find the energy or motivation to go out again. Mridul said: “It is not easy on the body but, then again, this is what I signed up for so I can’t complain and you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.
“For me, it is about willingly seeking discomfort. I believe running has helped me with other aspects of life as well.”
Mridul believes the average person can be “mentally really weak”. He said: “The slightest bit of inconvenience they come across, they reach out for their phone, or any cheap source of dopamine, if I’m being honest.
“For me, it is just about making a promise to yourself and doing the thing you’ve told yourself all these years you are going to do. You can’t keep suppressing that voice, telling you, ‘One day I am going to start,’ waiting for the perfect running shoe or the perfect weather, a friend to run with.
“The stars are never going to align if you wait for the perfect day. To anyone who is afraid of running – or not just running, anything really – I would just say start. You will figure it out eventually.”
Mridul shares his progress on his Instagram @mridulrunseveryday and hopes to one day feature in the Guinness Book of World Records.