St. Joseph claims title of ‘streak running capital of the world’
By Kyle Schmidt
What started as a challenge between three guys has turned into more than 600 people running daily and making St. Joseph capital of streak running.
Streak running might conjure a certain image, but in this context, it actually is about running a mile in under 20 minutes every day for 365 days straight. Trey Rowe, one of the three original people involved in St. Joseph’s Measly Mile Mafia, said getting the local group’s streaks recorded officially brought the special designation.
“The goal always was to run 365 and then we discovered S.R.I. Streak Runner International and told everyone to register their streaks,” Rowe said. “We got curious on the statistics regarding that and we learned St. Joseph has claimed the title streak running capital of the world.”
The group of runners has its headquarters at River Bluff Brewery. On the wall there, dog tags hang showing those who have hit 365-day and even 730-day streak milestones. Currently, 92 people have completed 365 days and more are on the way.
“A lot of people carry a lot of pride in their run streaks,” Rowe said. “Being able to say you achieved something every single day for a number of consecutive days, that is inspiring for others.”
Weekly side quests help members of the group stay motivated as well. These can range from running with the sunrise or running while wearing fun socks. With a group this large, accountability is key to making sure everyone is up to date on their streak.
“You can run it outside or on a treadmill, we just need to track it for verification, accountability purposes,” Measly Mile Mafia member Chris Denney said. “That is what keeps this group, the leadership, infrastructure and business model on the up and up and level.”
Another of the original members of the group, Chris Lanman, is tied for the longest streak in the group. He has been running for 1,019 days straight and said he enjoys watching the growth of everyone in the group.
“I always like to say that this was a running group created by non-runners,” Lanman said. “The group has now created runners and we have been lucky enough to attract really awesome runners.”
The tight-knit group has shared stories about times streaks could have ended but stayed alive. Member Justin Alvarez said he knows of three women who gave birth without losing their run streak. Denney puts into perspective how quickly a streak can be lost.
“When you think about it, a 365-day streak is pretty fragile … if you twist an ankle or some catastrophic accident or any trauma that you have,” Denney said. “It is more likely to assist you making better life choices.”
Solo runs are easiest for people to complete but when events come up, the Mafia gathers as many runners as possible. Recently, the group participated in the St. Joseph Marathon and won a trophy at a race in Parkville.
The Mafia gathered the largest number of people to run in a race with a fundraising cause for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. The group took 72 runners and brought a trophy back to St. Joseph, which it’s hoping to defend next year.
Most of the runners in the group are from the St. Joseph/Kansas City area and 64% are female. Whether new or veteran to the group, the bunch remains close.
“The group camaraderie is super cool, it’s one of the neatest things I’ve seen,” Alvarez said. “We have watched these people become strangers to extremely close friends and it is honestly really beautiful.”
The now world-renowned group has a documentary in the making about its journey. Coming up on three years from the original three-man challenge it has grown and more running journeys and streaks have started.
“If someone told me that three years ago that this would happen, I would not have believed them, I would not have bought in,” Denney said. “I would say I need to see your business plan, I don’t see this working in St. Joseph, Mo. I will say I was completely wrong.”
If you are interested in joining the Measly Mile Mafia, check the group out on Facebook or at River Bluff Brewery.
