Running Man

Forrest Gump has nothing on Elliott Plack. At the beginning of 2021, Plack left his Towson home to go for a jog. For the rest of year, he never went the same way twice. Eleven months later, the two- to three-times-a-week recreational runner traversed the last of Towson’s 579 streets (according to the U.S. Census Designated Places). That’s about 179 miles if you’re keeping track—and Plack most definitely is.

Now he has a new goal: slamming his sneakers on every road in Baltimore County.

“I get bored running the same route, and I’m always looking for ways to change it up,” says Plack, 40.

He’s found it. Last year he notched 30 more miles by running each of Lutherville’s 107 streets. (An app tracks his progress.) He doesn’t even take vacations off. At the shore in Delaware last summer, he ran each of Dewey Beach’s 33 streets in a single day. This year, Timonium and Cockeysville are in his sights.

Plack was on the cross country team in high school but was just a casual runner while earning his undergraduate degree in geography at TU. His wife, Meredith (Budner) ’12, a former star swimmer who will be inducted into the TU Athletics Hall of Fame in the fall, is the real athlete in the family, he says.

His consistency is unwavering. While he runs, he splits his time listening to music—ranging from ‘70s rock bands like Little Feat to electronic dance when he needs a pick-me-up—and newsy podcasts. Running, he says, is therapeutic.

“I like to bike too, but you need a bike, a place to store it, all that kind of stuff,” he says. “Running is so easy. You just put on some shoes and go.”

Sights Seen on his Running Route

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