Why does Rich Eisen run the 40-yard dash? How NFL Network host started a tradition for charity

Run, Rich, run.

Rich Eisen, the famed sports personality, NFL Network host and chairman of the "Rich Eisen Show", has made a name for himself for his dulcet tones behind the microphone. 

Eisen, though, has also gained a modicum of fame for what he does away from it every year: Eisen has run the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine since 2005, only in recent years switching over to the NFL Draft.

It started as something of a gag, and the long-suffering Jets fan isn't the most fleet of foot, but that doesn't matter much.

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Here's why:

Why does Rich Eisen run the 40-yard dash?

Originally run as a challenge from Terrell Davis, Eisen running at the NFL Combine has taken on a new meaning: Now, he runs under the #RunRichRun campaign, raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital every year.

Eisen initially ran it annually on the last day of the NFL Combine, before switching over to the NFL Draft in recent years. Now, he uses the spectacle as a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Hospital, which has been his mission since 2015.

Eisen has helped raise roughly $5.2 million for the charity since then, according to NFL Media.

In 2021, instead of running at the combine — since it didn't take place — Eisen ran at SoFi Stadium, home of Super Bowl 56. In 2022, he ran at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. 

In addition to running the dash, Eisen also always runs in a suit and tie, and the image has become so enduring that his sprinting silhouette has become the logo for his radio show.

Eisen has had help in the past: former wideout Brandon Marshall offered to help Eisen train for the run in 2021, but it didn't have much of an impact on his time.

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Rich Eisen 40-yard dash time

Eisen's 40-yard dash time might be best measured on a sundial as opposed to a stopwatch.

If you're betting the over, you might be safe: Eisen routinely finishes around the 6-second mark in the 40-yard dash, with his 5.94-second mark in 2016 the fastest of his combine career.

Here's a breakdown of his times over the years: