Run Every Street Challenge

I am grateful to have finished the Run Every Street Challenge for my city, the City of Ormond Beach. It took ten months, and in total, I ran 410 miles throughout the challenge. What I did not expect was what I would gain from the experience itself.

I first heard about this challenge last March while attending Rotary President-Elect Training. During one of the sessions, a fellow Rotary member shared that he was running every street in the City of Jacksonville. In the breakout session that followed, I raised my hand and said, “I’m going to do it.” At the time, I had no idea how many streets were in Ormond Beach or how many miles it would take. I simply knew I could do it.

I feel a real connection to the place I call home. I was able to see roads, neighborhoods, and historical locations that I had never visited before. I have lived in Ormond Beach, Florida, for the last three years, but like many people, I have taken the same streets to work and jogged down the same sidewalks in the same neighborhoods time and again. This challenge encouraged me to see the city in a whole new way.

Along the way, I passed so many places that reminded me just how rich the history of Ormond Beach truly is. I ran along Old King’s Road, the first graded road built in Florida. I passed the Ormond Fire House, built in 1937, and the Nathan Cobb Cottage. I ran by the Ormond Garage and along Riverside Drive, where the first house in Ormond Beach was built in 1868. Of course, there is the beach itself, known as the Birthplace of Speed, where the shoreline once served as a racecourse. And no run through Ormond Beach history would be complete without The Casements, the winter home of John D. Rockefeller. Seeing these places firsthand, not from a car but on foot, gave them an entirely new meaning.

I planned my routes carefully, knowing I wanted to begin and end my final stretch at the beach. Finishing the challenge there felt meaningful and full circle, and a reminder of why I enjoy running in this community and how much this city has to offer.

I would encourage anyone who is looking for a new challenge to give it a try and simply start. If you don’t start, you will never know what you could have seen. Even running or walking a few streets in your city may lead you to places you might never have noticed before.

We are fortunate to live in paradise, and our city is tremendously beautiful. I am proud to call myself a citizen of Ormond Beach, the birthplace of speed, the former home of Rockefeller, and a community with a rich and meaningful history.

Thank you to everyone who listened to my running stories over the past year. I know there will be more to come, as I am sure another challenge lies ahead. I don’t know exactly what that will be just yet, but I am confident it will come in time. If you are looking for your next challenge, I invite you to go for a walk, go for a run, or choose a different street or trail than you normally would. I believe you will find as much enjoyment in it as I have.

The local newspaper recently shared a story about this challenge and the experience of running every street in Ormond Beach. You can read it here.

Happy trails and stay safe out there!