Competitive Runner

Personal Aspirations

David O’Meara’s aspirations drive him to continually refine his own training processes and push his body to new levels of performance. David started running late in life (36 years old) and three years later started running competitively in local races. In 2007, he came up with the idea that he should train for something bigger than a single race—he wanted it to be something that no one had ever tried—something that would celebrate his age.

He decided he was going to race 20 one-mile races, in 20 weeks, in 20 different North American cities. The caveat was that each race had to be completed in under 5 minutes (or the race didn’t count). To accomplish this aggressive goal, David was going to need a team of people to help him train and prepare for this event—and The One Mile Runner was born. He would start the 20/20/20<5@45 event in the summer of 2008 just after his 45th birthday and document his journey in a Blog.

The One Mile Runner

The One Mile Runner is David’s personal laboratory for research, development and testing of new exercises, training methods, recovery techniques, athletic equipment and vegan products. Originally, supported by a team of consultants, the mission was to discover and develop new training methods that would help him increase his speed, improve his technique, prevent injury, and quickly recover after racing. The team consisted of a running coach, a physical therapist, a chiropractor, a message therapist, a pedorthist, an orthopedist, a sleep specialist, a registered dietitian and a life coach (for mental preparation). The strength, speed, injury prevention, and recovery methods created by this team have become the basis of David’s Body Protection training program. David continues to innovate and drive himself to new levels of performance through intensive training and international events.

VISIT WEBSITE

The One Mile Runner Events

Since 2008, David has successfully completed six grueling 1-mile racing events around the world. Each event has had its own challenges and a specific goal in mind.

2008

In 2008, David accomplished the 20/20/20<5@45 event. That’s completing 20 one mile races in 20 weeks in 20 different North American cities in less than 5 minutes each at age 45. Over 5 months, from May to September, David traveled 45,000 miles, met hundreds of people, and executed the strategy he had been planning for the better part of a year. Miraculously, David was able to overcome the challenges of travel, jet lag, hotel beds, diet (he’s a vegan), sickness, weather and injury to achieve his goal.

2009

In the summer of 2009, David completed his second feat of speed and endurance. This one was even more difficult than his event in summer of 2008. The SmoothToe® New England Marathon… One Mile at a Time was 26.2 miles in 27 races, in 27 New England towns during the months of July and August (61 days). David finished under his goal time of 2 hours and 11 minutes (5 minutes per mile) with a final cumulative time of 2:07:09.14.

2010

David completed his 2010 feat on August 7, 2010… this time going intercontinental with his Around the World in Less Than 30 Minutes event. David ran 6 races, in 6 weeks, on 6 continents in a total time of 29:25:95 – under his 30 minute goal (5 minutes per mile).

2011

During the summer of 2011, David ran the Great Wonders of the World – five to be exact. The adventure took him to two US and three international locations traveling once a month over 5 months. The goal of 5 Wonders Under 25 Minutes was to average less than 5 minutes per mile at each of the 5 locations. He completed the event on September 10th in 24 minutes and 31 seconds.

2012

During 2012, the challenge was to run 7 one-mile races, on 7 different islands, in 7 different time zones, in 7 consecutive weeks, each under 5 minutes. During the 50 day Isles Mile Challenge, David traversed 12 time zones and travel over 30,000 miles. This event combined the themes from our first four tours: speed / strength / endurance (2008), recovery (2009), international travel (2010), and adventure racing (2011). He completed the event on the Big Island of Hawaii on August 11th with individual race finishing times ranging 11-21 seconds faster than his original 5 minute goal.

2015

In July 2015, David raced in the Cyclades Islands in Greece. He completed 5 one-mile races, on 5 different islands, all under 5 minutes within 15 days. He and his crew traveled only by boat between the islands. At 52 years old, the travel, terrains, and recovery proved difficult. David completed The Greek Islands Adventure event with the following times: Santorini 4:45; Folegandros 4:52; Ios 4:45; Naxos 4:41; and Amorgos 4:42.

2018

2018 was the 10th anniversary of the One Mile Runner. Now 55 years old, David set out to see how fast he could run the mile in The Midwest Challenge. With a time of 5:08 he placed 1st in the 50-59 year old age group at The Macklind Mile in St. Louis. The summer heat definitely impacted his performance.

2023

Celebrating 25 years of competitive running, the Completion in the Carolinas was David’s final One Mile runner event. At 60 years old, he completed two races in the Carolinas: Downville Mile (5:23) and Raleigh Rundown (5:20), placing first in the 60-69 age group in both events.

Mile Racing Retirement Announcement

My goal was to run a fast one-mile race in every corner of the world until I was 60 years old and it has now come to completion. I have been racing for 25 years. First the 5K, it took me 7 years (from ages 36 to 43) to finally break 16 minutes in the 5K. Then when I ran a 15:46, it was my last 5K. I moved onto my favorite race – the mile – racing 4:37 in 2007 at Boston Indoor Nationals just before my 44th birthday. Now after 15 years of www.OneMileRunner.com with the exotic travels and the wonderful people we have met along the way, it is time to retire from racing the mile. I hope to share all that I have learned over these 25 years of racing and training through my coaching programs. We begin in Africa in the summer of 2024. It has been a great run.

Thank you all for your love and support!

David

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