'I've run every day for six years - I don't want to stop'

Mridul Manoj Mandampully intends to keep his running streak going

A man who has run at least 3km (1.9 miles) a day for nearly six years says he does not intend to end his streak any time soon and wants to "inspire minds".

Mridul Manoj Mandampully, who is originally from India but grew up in Dubai, has run through a range of weather conditions and injuries - including a sprained ankle - since 20 November 2019.

The 23-year-old is, however, concerned his marathon streak could end due to things like travelling between countries and the resulting time differences.

He added: "I don't even want to think about it [his streak ending] to be honest."

He explained his running exploits began when he opted for exercise over nights out while doing an International Business degree at Loughborough University.

When he first came to the UK in September 2019, Mridul planned to pursue cricket alongside his studies, but found he was no longer enjoying the sport.

After years of being active, he found himself "restless without any regular physical activity".

Mridul meticulously tracks his runs on paper and through apps - and believes he's closing in on 6,000km

Mridul, who graduated in 2023 and now lives in Goole, East Yorkshire, was also inspired after seeing a video of a US runner complete 365 consecutive days of running.

He said: "I didn't want to waste my uni years sitting inside my room and Loughborough campus is huge, so I must have covered the whole of it, I don't know how many times.

"You could maybe call it an obsession - I just can't tell the difference really, I just want to keep the streak alive.

"If you call that an obsession, then sure."

Mridul posed for a photo to mark 365 days of consecutive running

Despite the physical challenges, Mridul said he found running therapeutic and sometimes ended up crying while completing his daily run.

"If you run late at night, you can cry in peace and I feel a healthy cry is good every now and then," Mridul said.

He admits that he often doesn't want to run at all.

"One of the hardest challenges is putting the running shoes on and then I'm ready," he added.

Mridul has run in all kinds of weather conditions

Mridul has had some setbacks along the way.

"I did get Covid back in January 2022... I sprained my ankle once but still had to keep the streak alive," he said.

"I ran through extreme weather conditions when I went back to Dubai and the heat in Dubai is no joke, like, 30-40 degrees, I'm drenched, still had to keep the streak alive.

"Weather here in the UK is quite unpredictable - snow, rain, anything really.

"I ran through it all."

Mridul said he preferred to run late at night when there were no cars on the roads

Mridul will return to Dubai when his visa expires later this year, and dreams of starting a running club there.

"Down the line, I plan on starting my own run club, just trying to get people out there, you know, build a community," he said.

"I just want to inspire more minds to start their own journey.

"As long as these legs keep moving, the streak will be alive."