INPERSON
Baldwin’ s Rich Wright is
Going the Distance
In less than one year, Rich Wright will celebrate 10,000 consecutive days of running.
BY W. B. FRESA
Photo Credits: Richard Wright and Baldwin High School
In 1990, Rich Wright set a goal without end— to run at least one mile or more every day without fail.
He has run in bad weather, on cruise ships, and even before a surgery just to make sure he keeps his streak alive. In fact, he holds the 75th and 77th longest running streaks in the United States and internationally, respectively, as registered by the United States Running Streak Association.
“ I know it’ s crazy,” says Wright.“ But it becomes a bit of an obsession... luckily a healthy one.”
He remembers loving to run from an early age.“ Growing up in Dormont, I ran everywhere just to get to where I needed to be. Once I entered high school, I joined the track team and was doing pretty well until I was injured in a car accident in the Armstrong Tunnels. Luckily, I recovered but wasn’ t able to do much running. It wasn’ t until the early’ 80s when my oldest son, Rick, was about 12, that I decided to get back into shape. I weighed 256 pounds, the most I’ d ever weighed in my life, and made the decision to give running another try.”
Wright and his son trained together and ran the Pittsburgh Marathon in 1985, where his son became the youngest finisher that year. However, in 1986, Wright, his wife Kathy, and their sons were coming home from a family trip when their vehicle was struck by another car.
“ That was a difficult recovery for both of us and, once again, I was unable to run due to my ongoing rehabilitation,” he notes.“ But Kathy and I recuperated, and we’ re still thankful today for our good health.”
During Wright’ s recovery at the tail end of 1986 and into 1987, he began volunteering at Baldwin High School as the cross-country track coach. He started with the 400- and 800-meter runners and assembled the 4 x 4 teams too.
“ To say I’ ve done some crazy things to keep my streak going is putting it mildly.”
“ It was great to work with the kids to help them become better runners,” he says.“ I set easy goals for them to achieve and encouraged them to keep working hard no matter the outcome that day.”
In 1992, Wright became a permanent member of the track and field coaching staff at Baldwin, where he has seen many of the athletes become terrific runners and some move on to college with scholarships to help pay for their education.
“ It’ s one of the best accomplishments for me— to see kids I’ ve helped train excel and be able to use what they’ ve learned here and apply it beyond the walls of high school athletics. It really warms my heart and I can honestly say I’ ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
The past 30 years of coaching has also propelled his own running streak.
“ To say I’ ve done some crazy things to keep my streak going is putting it mildly. Besides running in bad weather, I’ ve also run before a surgery, run on a cruise ship where I had to adjust my Garmin to account for the ship moving in nautical miles, and even delayed a vacation with my wife for 45 minutes when I realized I forgot to run. There was also the time I drove to my dad’ s house and, when I arrived, somehow fell asleep in my car. When I woke up it was 11:55 p. m. I jumped out of the car and hurriedly ran a mile.”
Wright’ s running has definitely become part of his daily routine, but he has a second streak he’ s equally proud of— he’ s attended Mass once a week for the past 25 years.
“ No matter where I am or what I’ m doing, I attend Mass,” he says.“ If my wife and I are going on vacation, especially a cruise where we may not be docking, I make sure there is a priest on board. It’ s something I’ m just as passionate about as running.”
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