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Robert "Raven" Kraft (born October 17th, 1950) is an American streak runner, songwriter, singer, and motivational speaker. He is known for his streak of running 8 miles a day on the sands of Miami Beach, Florida, everyday, since January 1st, 1975. He is the lead singer of the rock band, Raven and the Dark Shadows.

Early Life
Raven was born outside of Richmond, Virginia. He moved to Miami Beach in 1955. He grew up with his mother in South Beach, and spent his childhood playing stickball and listening to records. At the age of 16, he dropped out of Miami Beach High School and began a journey to Nashville to become a songwriter.

The streak
After writing a hit song but not being credited for it, Raven returned home downhearted and depressed. After meeting some local boxers, they convinced him that excercise would help get him out of the gutter. Raven began running, and on January 1st, 1975, made a goal of running everyday for the entire year. As 1976 approached, Raven decided to do another year. The rest, they say, is history.

Since starting the streak, Raven has logged over 143,000 miles. To date, 3,690 different runners have run with him, representing all 50 states and over 100 countries. Thirty-three runners have been inducted into Raven's Hall of Fame. During the course of his run, Raven has saved 17 different people from drowning. The City of Miami Beach has awarded him three keys to the city, three proclamations, and a medal.

Raven has run in 9 different hurricanes. David, Gilbert, Rita, Katrina, Irene, Irma, Andrew, Wilma, and Sandy.

Celebrities such has Lebron James, Bob Kuchenberg, Elle Goulding, Lori del Santo, Alex Sanabia, Ross Detwiler, David Caruso, Lauren Hutton, and Muhammed Ali have all ran alongside Raven. He has been featured in commercials for Burger King and Nike. Additionally, he has been featured on ESPN's Outside the Lines, Runner's World, Real Sports, Axios, Deco Drive, the Economist, Sun Sentinel, and Miami Herald, to name a few.

In 2017, Laura Lee Huttenbach's biography titled Running With Raven became a local bestseller. During the 2020 pandemic, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber made headlines when he announced that the only civilian allowed on the beach would be Raven, in order to preserve his streak. A 2021 podcast titled Raven introduced his story to a new generation of runners. In 2022, New Balance created a new shoe for him.

Music
Raven's an accomplished songwriter who has written over 1,800 different songs. He has released three different albums under his name; Lifeguard Murders (2009), Unstoppable (2013), and Road is Long (2021)

In 2023, Raven started a band called Raven and the Dark Shadows. They have released several music videos and a full length album titled An Unkindness. Featured on the album are Dave Abbruzzese from Pearl Jam, Ian Grushka from New Found Glory, Keli from Agent Fresco, and David Pastorious from the Pat Travers Band. Their music has found a cult following in Miami and parts of Europe.