ALMA — A lot has changed since March 5, 1973, but at least one thing has remained constant: Derick “Sandy” Hulme has run a mile every day in that time span.
Hulme, the Arthur L. Russell Professor of Political Science and nationally competitive scholarship advisor at Alma College, is expected to complete 50 consecutive years of running at least one mile every day on Sunday, March 5, 2023.
In order to commemorate Hulme’s accomplishment, the college is welcoming students, staff, faculty and the community to “Run a Mile with Dr. Hulme” at 4 p.m. Monday, March 6, 2023. The run begins at the Alma College Model United Nations (MUN) House, 525 W. Superior St., and continues to the downtown Alma area, and then back.
“It’s hard to believe that something that started as an idea so many years ago has continued on to this part of my life,” Hulme, 61, said. “I’ve been very fortunate for my health and the opportunity to do what I love for decades and decades. Not everyone has those kinds of opportunities.”
Hulme documents his daily runs in writing. He someday plans to submit his active running streak to the U.S. Running Streak Association, which keeps an active list of streak runners. As of Feb. 23, 2023, the nation’s longest streak stood at 53.75 years. Hulme credits his running streak with instilling a sense of discipline that has aided his professional work.
An All-American runner in the 10,000 meters at Division-III St. Lawrence University, Hulme missed qualifying for the U.S. Olympic trials for the 1984 Summer Olympics by 69 seconds. In 1984, he ran the Boston Marathon in 2:21:09, finishing 42nd overall.
Hulme joined the political science faculty at Alma College in 1992 and is recognized as an innovative leader in experiential learning, directing Alma’s MUN team and offering undergraduate students on-site research opportunity at the Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston.
Under Hulme’s leadership, Alma’s MUN team has completed — and captured the highest awards — for 25 consecutive years at the national finals in New York City.