September Runner of the Month: Quang Ton
Running over the Pulaski
Quang Ton has somewhat surprising taste in running routes. When asked about his favorite places to run in New York City, he lists Central Park (okay, typical), Greenwood Cemetery (yep, kinda morbid) or “any route that includes multiple bridges” (downright masochistic).
All kidding aside, his penchant for elevation has paid off: He broke three hours in the marathon last year in Chicago with a time of 2:58:05—and is determined to run even faster this year.
Quang, who more typically goes by “Q,” has been an NBR member since 2014. “I thought that it was a great way to train, get faster and see different parts of the city,” he says. He was a Wednesday Night Road Run leader for a year and today he subs for Tom Virizi at Monday Night Plyo. He’s currently working toward a PR in Berlin, and jokingly says he hopes to “stop people from ‘BQ’ing.’ ”
What he does when not running: “I love dining out, especially when it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet or hot pot.”
Best running memory: “Running with Radford at Thursday Night Track when I was training for the Kansas City Marathon in October 2015. She helped pace me through quite a few hard workouts on my way to breaking 4 hours in a marathon that year.”
Favorite race distance: “The marathon.”
Running superstition: “Never cross the finish line of a race during a shakeout or training run.”
With NBR’s Zandy Mangold
How running has changed him: “It has taught me try accept the bad things and set them aside and focus on the good. Funny enough, that has become one of my ‘mantras’ when I have a hard workout or when it’s hot and humid. Running also helped me lose over 40 pounds.”
Favorite post-race food: “Beer, shot and steak...not always in that order.”
Songs that inspire him to run: “Africa by Toto or Hello (not by Adele but by Lionel Richie).”
Favorite running social media accounts: “NBR of course but also Scott Fauble and Mario Fraioli’s Tuesday Morning Shakeout.”
Worst part about being a runner: “The chaffing, eating gels and the occasional GI issues.”
Best advice for newbies: “Try a hard workout (like NBR’s Tuesday Night Tempo or Thursday Night Track). It might be intimidating or uncomfortable at first but it will help you become a better runner.”
Fun running fact: “I like wearing long sleeves while running in the summer and I single handedly got David Halloran to bring white long sleeve shirts to the gear store.”