Xavier’s Claire Iversen keeps on running

CEDAR RAPIDS - For Xavier junior Claire Iversen, running never stops.

For the last 400-plus days, Iverson has not stopped running. She has run at least one mile every day since August 2015.

Iverson has ran on holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. She even ran on her birthday.

A member of the junior varsity cross country team her first season as a sophomore, Iverson made it her personal goal to make the varsity team for her junior year. By running at least one mile per day, this goal became a reality.

'I don't wanna break my streak, and I want to improve my times,” Iversen said.

Running takes a lot of time, effort, motivation, determination and ambition. Through Iverson's daily running goal, she improved her 5K time by a staggering three minutes. She had a 5K personal record of 21:33 at the MVC Super Meet at Noelridge Park on Oct. 6

Iverson runs outside most of the year, but she adjusts to running inside when it starts to snow. She runs on a treadmill at her house or goes to the downtown YMCA and runs on the indoor track. Her most outstanding accomplishment occurred Oct. 24, when she ran nine miles from her house to school.

'The reason I wanted to do this is because I wanted to say that I used running as a form of transportation to get to school,” Iverson said.

Iverson woke up at 4:45 a.m. to start her run to school. It only took her an hour and 20 minutes.

'The morning run was peaceful because it was just me running and it was quiet,” she said. 'It was nice to finish my run and get to school before seven o'clock.”

Iverson already is getting a good start on next season by continuing to run everyday and not breaking her streak.