RICHMOND, Va. — A Midlothian native has taken running to extraordinary levels, setting Guinness World Records and mapping every street in Richmond along the way.
Kirk Millikan discovered running at an early age, beginning his competitive journey at Robius Middle School. When he transitioned to Maggie Walker for high school, the cross country program helped him find his place.
"Started out cross country practice August of my freshman year of high school, just met a lot of new people, and then those people became my best friends in high school. And I'm still in touch," Millikan said.
His passion for running has only grown stronger over the years. To date, Millikan has completed 38 marathons across the United States and Europe. But his accomplishments go far beyond just finishing races.
"For Berlin, I ran that marathon in 2019 and I set the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon wearing Lederhosen at that race. And then in London, I set the record for fastest marathon dressed as a lumberjack, and so I had to wear jeans and a flannel and a beanie, and I carried a plastic ax the whole 26 miles," Millikan said.
The lumberjack world record wasn't simply handed to him. Millikan faced direct competition during the race.
"There was another lumberjack in the race, and he was also trying to beat the same record that I was," Millikan said.
The competition was fierce, with updates coming throughout the race.
"At mile 19, my girlfriend screamed out to me, 'He's a minute behind you!' He being the other lumberjack. I didn't know if I was getting further ahead or if he was getting closer, but I ended up finishing faster than he did, and I still have that record today," Millikan said.
About six years ago, Millikan discovered City Strides, a website that maps GPS data from runs. He realized he had covered only about 15 percent of the 2,200 miles of streets within Richmond city limits. This sparked a new challenge: running every street in the city.
"Back then, I didn't know that there would be a finish, but it was really just something to keep me motivated moving forward," Millikan said.
By this spring, Millikan had run every accessible street in Richmond, excluding only private roads and interstates. His comprehensive tour of the city served a greater purpose beyond personal achievement. As a member of Richmond's Safe and Healthy Streets Commission, Millikan gained firsthand insight into pedestrian safety issues across different neighborhoods.
"I was running Hull Street from South Side Plaza to the Chesterfield County line, and that section of Hull Street is very dangerous. And an unfortunate reality is that there are Richmond residents that are being killed," Millikan said.
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