It started as a New Year’s resolution. Now, at the age of 74, Robert "Raven" Kraft has completed an astonishing milestone: running on the sands of South Beach every single day for 50 years.
The achievement, reached on New Year's Eve, is being marked by the City of Miami Beach, which is renaming a street Robert Raven Kraft Way in his honor.
Kraft has logged more than 145,000 miles over 18,000 days, according to the United States Running Streak Association, which keeps track of individuals who run at least one mile within each calendar year. In the association’s streak list, Kraft places 6th in the country.
“ In the beginning, I did this for myself because it made me feel better mentally and physically,” Kraft told WLRN recently on one of his runs. “After a while, everybody started coming out. So now, I come out for them. If somebody showed up and I wasn't there, I [would] feel bad. Even on rainy, stormy days, I'm here.”
Kraft gets his nickname “Raven” because he wears all-black running shorts, sneakers and a headband keeping his long hair out of his face. Every afternoon he starts his run at lifeguard station number five. On one hand, he carries a flashlight for when the sun goes out. On the other, he carries a short version of his own master list where he keeps track of those who join the run.
Kraft has gathered all kinds of stories over the years. He has run through hurricanes, married multiple couples during the run, seen turtles hatching and even saved a few lives of swimmers that were drowning.
People travel from all around the world just to get to run with him, and after completing the first 8-mile run, the new recruits earn a nickname.
READ MORE: Miami Beach man celebrates 40 Years of daily run on the sand
“I go by the Raven nickname Diabetes Doctor,” said William Troy Donahoo, who gets his nickname from his profession. He is also a streak runner and traveled from Gainesville, Florida just to run with Kraft in the run-up to his landmark 50th year run.
In the last six years Donahoo has joined Raven on his run four times. He said Kraft is a one-of-a-kind person.
“I sometimes have enough trouble getting in a mile or two every day, no matter where I'm at. And for him, the consistency is just amazing,” Donahoo said.
And, once you run with Raven and earn your nickname he won’t forget you, said Susan Whitebrook. Kraft calls her “Greek Summer,” because she lives in Greece for half of the year. She’s been running with Raven for 4 years.
“It's kind of like he built his life around this run and he keeps track of everybody that runs. He knows everybody's birthdays by heart,” she said.
When he is not running, Kraft is a songwriter for his band Raven and the Dark Shadows. He says he has written about 1,800 songs.
“I like to write story songs, songs that have meaning and that relate to people,” Kraft said.
When it comes to running, Kraft’s pace is not the same as it was when he started at the age of 24. And, last year, he had to reduce his 8-mile run to 5 miles due to chronic back pain. But he has no plans of stopping.
“I’m in a lot of pain and any kind of back problems you could have, I got them. So it ain't easy. But I ain't quitting. I'm still going,” he said.
Besides renaming Miami Beach's 3rd Street in his honor, the city of Miami Beach will also put up a commemorative plaque where Robert Raven Kraft Way intersects with Ocean Drive.
