SEATTLE — When people were forced to stay home last year at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed almost everyone started walking or running. Neighborhood streets quickly became clogged with people, strollers and dogs.
One avid runner, Susan Curran, quickly realized she had to find some less crowded routes in her busy Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle.
"One day, I'd go on 33rd, 32nd and 31st. And I thought maybe I should run on every single one," said Curran.
That's when Curran decided to start a pandemic challenge by spending an entire year running down every street in Magnolia.
She ran up and down hills, tackled every staircase and even some alleys.
"A lot of the alleys just sort of turned into people's driveway and I didn't want to end up in someone's kitchen," said Curran.
After 12 months, she accomplished her mission. She logged all of her routes with a running app and totaled 440 miles with an elevation gain of about 45,000 feet — that's higher than Mount Everest.
After 15 years of living here, Curran says the best part of the challenge was discovering parts of her neighborhood she'd never explored before.
"I have a new appreciation for my neighborhood. It's very varied," said Curran. "A lot of different types of houses from giant mansions to dense apartments and all kinds of trails through green spaces I never knew existed."
Now that Curran has finished this challenge, she has her sights set on another goal. In July, she'll be swimming the English Channel with her relay team "Puget Sound Swimmers."