This masters athlete hasn’t missed a run in more than 21 years

Walter Faion has one heck of a streak going as he’s made time each day for the past 21 years to get out for a training run. The lifelong runner, who got into the sport in grade school, realized in 1994 that he had not missed a run in the previous six months. He figured he wouldn’t stop there and has kept his streak, now more than 7,500 days, alive ever since.

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Faion has run many marathons in his life, with his fastest being 2:28, and often runs twice per day regardless of what the conditions are like. Canadian Running caught up with the running legend, along with his wife, Joy Kramarich, in Ottawa during race weekend.

“No matter what life has thrown at me, I’ve always managed to get a run in,” says Faion. While he was in Ottawa, he did runs along the historic Rideau Canal and near the Rideau Locks at Parliament Hill, the focal point of the nation’s capital.

The Toronto resident continues to race as a masters runner including at a recent London, Ont. 10,000m race.

10,000m track night in London – 3rd Master! Another weekend and another race! #masterathlete #tackie #runstagrammm #instarunners #runnersofinstagram #runitfast @uoft #oma #uttc #bleed #tracknation @canadianrunning @irunnation @brooksrunningca @polarglobal @athleticscanada @athleticsont @athleticsontario @runcrs @ottawamarathon @runottawa

A photo posted by Walter Faion (@walt42.2) on May 15, 2016 at 5:47am PDT

In September 1998, his son Spencer was born prematurely and Faion told the doctor when he went down to the incubator that he would never miss a day of running again. He says that his son’s birth is a motivating factor each day he wakes up in the morning.

RELATED: Man completes 150th marathon after 12 years of running.

“I try to run happy every day,” says Faion.

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