Above the Midnight Half with Brenden Clarke, Jordan O'Donoghue and Sasha Whittle

Runners of NYC Podcast

December 18, 2019

(‘Above the Midnight Half’) shows how much goes into it. It’s who these people are and it takes you through the race before closing up with Joe DiNoto on Orchard Street hanging out and smoking a cigarette. I just want people to take away that when I explored this process of what the Midnight Half meant to people and what it is, you can decipher that from each person – hopefully through the images. I definitely learned a lot but at the end of the day… I know it’s in the book and is going to sound cliche – The Midnight Half is whatever the fuck you want it to be. If you go there because you’re trying to win, that’s what you should be doing. If you’re going there because you think running is cool or you just started running or your friend told you about it, that’s amazing. I think Joe has created this phenomenal race that transcends any type of person, skill set or whatever. At the end of the day, the coolest part about Orchard Street Runners is that everyone enjoys it. Everyone supports it. That’s a byproduct of who Joe really is and David Trimble is and I think that’s incredible.” – Brenden Clarke


Outside Magazine called it the ‘Wildest Race on the Urban Running Scene.’ You’ve probably seen photos and coverage of it in Runner’s World or VICE. Now there’s a book about the Midnight Half. (Hit the link to get your copy. Few remain)

We were very fortunate to host one last live recording of the show for 2019 at the Equinox Hudson Yards Hotel. We got to share the storytelling process of how Brenden Clarke diversified his photography work to chronicle the 2019 Orchard Street Runners Midnight Half. Much like the unsanctioned race, sometimes it’s about taking a risk and trusting your instinct.

We also sat down with Jordan O’Donoghue and Sasha Whittle to get their perspective on the race as well as their background in the sport.

This is Runners of NYC. A biweekly podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Leigh Anne Sharek and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify!

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Support for this episode comes from FICS NYC (206 West 23rd Street, 3rd Floor) a fitness recovery and wellness studio. They have curated the top fitness recovery and wellness machines and combined them with classic techniques to elevate each individual’s pursuit of natural performance and overall physical and mental wellbeing. FICS will concierge you through their modalities and provide you a space to relax, recover, and unwind at their modern-day athlete’s spa. Use code RUNNERSOFNYC to get 20% off all services, packages and memberships (only for the first month). First-time users also get their choice of one modality for free on their initial visit.

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Chris Chavez

Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.