Groveton man reaches his 200,000 mile running goal

GROVETON, Texas (KTRE) - An East Texas man has been running since he was a kid. Since then, he has taken his passion for running to new heights by reaching a milestone that many people have yet to accomplish.

Groveton native, Dave Dial has been a runner for over 40 years. He now runs about 18 miles a day.

“I started keeping a log and one thing led to another. Over the years, I just kept writing the numbers down,” Dial added.

By 1998, Dial says he ran 100,000 miles, according to his log.

Fast forward to early February of 2020 and Dial has officially reached his longtime goal of running 200,000 miles, which is a rare goal to meet.

“According to my research, only 10 people have done that. So, I’m currently number 10 on the all-time list,” Dial expressed.

To get a better perspective of how many miles dial has run, imagine running eight laps around the Earths’ equator.

When asked how it felt to reach his goal, Dial says it was a rush of emotions like he has never felt before.

“In order to stay motivated, I’ve been trying to some more cycling and I actually started thinking of running some races competitively again,” Dial explained. “But in the same token, I think if I just keep doing what I have been doing, I’m going to keep moving up in terms of lifetime mileage."

Dial says a healthy diet goes a long way, as well. He encourages people to stay motivated and inspired, no matter what.

“Whether your passion is running or anything else in life, if you just stick with it in life, you're going to reach goals and ultimately surprise yourself."

Dial says he’s a shoe fanatic and wears test shoes for companies often—but to be able to wear special-made shoes by Skechers once he hit his 200,000-mile marker was a dream come true.

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