• Question: is it possible to run forever and never stop?

    Asked by dukesta to Mark on 13 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Mark Burnley

      Mark Burnley answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      The short answer is no!

      The long answer is that it is surprising how far you can run without stopping (over 100 miles!). Theoretically, you have enough energy in your body to run about 2000 miles, but what stops you is tiredness, boredom and muscle damage or joint injury. Studying extreme or “ultra-endurance” events is very difficult and obviously time consuming, but there was a study done last year in which runners spent 24 hours running on a treadmill, so we do know that it is possible to run for a whole day without stopping.

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