Taylorsville resident Gary Short found a way to experience a city that he is fond of by running on every street in its boundaries.

“I enjoy living in Taylorsville and I wanted to get to know it better,” Short said.

He started his journey in May 2021, but training for two half marathons stalled him for some time. He resumed the pursuit in July 2022 and finished in November.

“I stopped for a while when I was training along the Jordan River trail for a South Jordan race,” Short said. “When I got going again in July, I completed 163 miles to finish the city.”

In all, he ran and biked over 190 miles. His quest included biking about 15 miles with his daughter, Kathrine, but the rest was completed while running on his own.

“I liked to get landscaping ideas by looking at houses. I took a few photos of plants and decorating ideas. I did run past the igloo house, and I was surprised to see a three-story split-level home. I loved to see the unique architecture of the small developments. I also like to see the personalization some people have applied to their homes in the area. There are also several mansions in our city,” Short said.

Most people’s training only includes the same four or five routes. 

When he shared his accomplishment on Facebook, several friends commented that it could have changed his training by including different hills and running patterns. Others wondered what interesting things he saw.

“I came across only two interactions with police, all in the same neighborhood. I passed one man that was being questioned in his yard and then a few blocks away a female officer in tactical gear talking to an individual at their front door,” Short said.

Running the streets gave him the opportunity to help a neighbor hook up his trailer to his truck.

“I got a chance to see Labrum Park (6041 S. Jordan Canal Road) and its waterwise garden. It is off the main road, and I doubt I would have ever come across it if I had not been trying to cover every street,” Short said.

His marathon training slowed the progress of his goal, but it also gave him more enthusiasm to get back to it. He stated that there were other obstacles.

“In a cul-de-sac, I ran into two large pit bulls that were loose in the front yard. They both started barking, one stayed in the yard, but the other came within five feet. I slowly backed away while trying to command it to go home,” Short said.

It was satisfying to accomplish the goal.

“I was encouraged by the friendly waves from people chilling on their front porch. It really got me out running more often. I would like to run a marathon, so it encouraged me to continue training,” Short said.

Besides the marathon, Short said he would like to patronize every business in the city. He is starting with the restaurants.