Seb Jellema, an 11-year-old boy from Scotland, has his eyes set on a major world record. The only catch is that he won’t break it until 2075 when he is in his 60s.
Jellema is looking to break runner Ron Hill’s record for most consecutive days running, which is set at 52 years and 39 days.
Hill, who passed away in 2021, ran at least one mile per day beginning on December 20, 1964, and ended his streak at the age of 78 on January 31, 2017.
Hill would even run when seriously injured. In 1993, he suffered a broken sternum, among other injuries, from a head-on crash. Defying the doctor’s orders, Hill snuck out to get a one-mile run in.
Even following a foot surgery, which resulted in a plaster cast for six weeks, Hill continued to run at least one mile each day.
Jellema began his running streak in January this year and has completed at least three kilometers each day. He has even run while he was on holidays, on school excursions, or in less-than-ideal weather conditions.
“The hardest bit so far was when I was ill in November; I had to keep getting out of my bed to run,” he said to BBC reporter Angie Brown, “I felt dizzy, and it was really hard, but I was encouraged to keep going because I did not want to break my challenge and also because I have raised £1,600 so far for charity.”
Jellema’s longest run was on his birthday in August, when he completed 24km across the seven hills of Edinburgh. After Jellema completed his longest run, he went straight to his birthday party.
“He ran that and then had his birthday party; that’s how bonkers he is,” his mother, Claire Jellema, told BBC, “We have never pushed him to do this, and I wish he would take a day off, but he’s really committed to this.”
His mother, who sometimes runs with her son Seb, has said that he is very chatty on his runs and opens up more than when he’s not running.
“What has been wonderful is that on the runs, he chats to us and opens up,” she said to BBC, “Before, he wouldn’t tell us any detail about school or anything, but on the runs, he’s not distracted by things going on in the house so he tells us things.”
To date, Seb Jellema has completed 1,300km and is hoping to complete another 50km before the year is up. To follow along Seb’s journey, he records all his runs on Strava.
