How Randall Park Trained for His First Marathon at Age 50

Randall Park probably made you laugh as the endearing dad in Fresh Off The Boat or fan-favorite agent Jimmy Woo in the Marvel universe, but these days, he’s adding something new to his resume: Marathoner. At 50, Park is prepping for his first-ever 26.2, this weekend's New York City marathon. He's motivated by a cause close to his heart—running for KultureCity, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing sensory accessibility and acceptance for those with invisible disabilities.

The race, which is organized by New York Road Runners, is a solid choice for a first-timer like Park, who will be in good company, with over 50,000 runners from all backgrounds and abilities flooding the streets of the city. As the big day approached, GQ caught up with Park to dive into how he fuels his long runs, why starting a fresh decade made him want to take on this new challenge, and how marathon training is more meditative for him than competitive.

RP: Well I've been running for a good part of my life, but never marathon running. I would just do a few miles at a time, so it was something that I was used to. But I joined the board of a KultureCity, which is the charity that I'll be running with, and that is a charity devoted to sensory inclusion and for people with sensory issues—like, loud sounds. Certain visual things are difficult for them to process. It was a very personal charity for me because my daughter is on the autism spectrum and she herself has a lot of sensory needs.

So the organization runs the New York Marathon every year and the head of the organization, Michelle, would ask me every year: “do you want to run?” And I'd say no because the idea of running a marathon is just so absurd to me. 26 plus miles. But this year I decided, why not? I also turned 50 this year and I was like, well, on my 50th, I should do something monumental. And so the marathon seemed like a good thing to attempt. And then my father passed away this year. So it felt like something I wanted to do for him as well.

The intentions are there. Is the body there? Is the VO2 max there? I don't know.

I'm loosely following a training program. I'm not like doing it to a T, but I'm modifying it to fit my schedule and doing my long runs weekly. Actually, sometimes twice a week. I don't know if that's good. But I feel like I got to get them in.

Lately, I've been doing a short run for speed, or just as fast as I can, once a week. And then I'll do a long run with a partner and then a long run by myself. The partner ones will be a little shorter. And then the ones I do by myself, I'll really challenge myself to go farther. Yesterday morning I did 20. I could have done a few more, I think. I had some left in the tank, so that was a big one for me.

Yeah, yeah, and I've been really focused on not getting in that mindset of pace or time. This is my first marathon. Just finish it, you know?

I'm just using my Apple Watch. I don't know how accurate those things are, but I'm tracking data on that. But I'm also not thinking of it too much. Really the only thing I'm thinking of on that watch is the distance. I'm mindful. I'll take a peek at my time per mile, like how fast I'm going, but I'm not getting too invested in that. Sometimes I'll be surprised by the stretches I’ve run. I just kind of get in the groove and in a cadence and I'll just be cruising.

You know, when I ran my 20 yesterday I didn't listen to anything. I just ran. But sometimes on my shorter runs where I'll try to go a little faster, I'll listen to music or meditation tapes when I run—like guided meditations. They really relax my mind. One thing I don't like about music is—I like to hear myself breathe when I run. And sometimes the music—the beat—will alter the rhythm of my breath. So when I listen to something like a guided meditation, I can still hear my breath.

Running to me is meditative. You kind of get into a zone. And so it feels, for me, natural to listen to those while running and also just calming my mind, which calms my body and calms my breath. And being present in my surroundings, as present as possible. But also existing in that high. That runner's high.

It's just like meditation in a lot of ways. It takes doing it, and not doing it well, and then eventually, you just realize like, oh my gosh, I was totally in it. I was able to allow my thoughts to not interfere with the practice. It just takes doing it and doing it.

I think the distance helps when it comes to running because eventually I just realize, oh my gosh, I'm here and I feel really good and I'm not thinking that much. I think when I'm in that zone, I don't look at my watch or look at the distance or think of the time or my heart rate or any of those things. I'm just kind of existing, which is the ultimate, you know?

As great as technology is, that's the curse of it, right? It makes us too aware of everything, whereas really it's just about just kind of floating,

Oh, no, I hate those. I hate those. Especially at my age—they're very challenging and I'm probably not doing it right. I'm sure there's a better way to do it, but I just say, OK, I'm going five miles and I'm just going to go hard. And by the end, I'm miserable, but I know it's good for me.

I know it's good for me in that it always makes my long runs easier. It helps me go faster with a lower heart rate on my long runs. Because I'm also thinking a lot about form. In the fast runs, I'm just so... beat up and so tired, but I'm still trying to maintain my form. My body wants to hunch over. But when I do the longer runs, it's not as challenging in my form. It just becomes second nature to keep my form.

I walk a little beforehand. I'll just move my body, stretch before and after. I have more rituals on the long runs. You know what? I used to run completely fasted. And since I started marathon training, I realized how important, at least for me, it is to have some sort of fuel in me to help keep me alive. I try to run early in the morning too, but in the mornings I'm just so worried that I'll have to use the bathroom while I'm running. So sometimes I'll just take a gel before I start the run. And then every five miles during the run, I'll take a gel. The gel will be my breakfast. But if I have more time beforehand, I'll eat a bagel or something with cream cheese for the long runs. Something that'll stay in me. Then every two and a half miles in between, I'll take an electrolyte salt pill. It's really these little rewards for every set distance.

And then I'll have a soft flask on these long runs with some water. I've never run a marathon, so I don't know, but I'll try to mimic a marathon, just a shot of water whenever I'm feeling it throughout the run. I'd imagine you can't relax and drink a whole bottle of water and then go again. You're just doing it on the move and you're getting very little water each time but if you do it regularly, it's very helpful. I'll take those small sips and it'll feel so good. Earlier in my training, I was like oh my gosh I need more water. But my body—or my mind really more than anything—adjusted to that idea of small sips throughout.

When I ran my first 10 mile run, I was like, oh my god, this isn't even halfway. There's no way I could run 26, let alone just double this and run 20. There's just no conceivable way. So it was about changing my mindset by challenging myself incrementally, and conquering those little challenges.

I still think there's no way I could finish a marathon. I ran 20 and I could probably run a couple more miles, but beyond that I just can't imagine it. But letting those kinds of thoughts not dwell for too long. Even though I have those thoughts, not letting them define me. I am worried a little bit still because it just seems so daunting. When I hit a wall, it's not pretty. I don't want people to take photos of me crying in the fetal position on the asphalt. That would be really embarrassing. So I'm just really trying to avoid that.

I've learned that I could achieve a lot more than I thought I could, even physically. I've gotten a lot more into fitness in general, particularly with my father passing away and seeing his decline. It’s really made me think about my daughter and how I want to be there for her as long as possible and I want to be as healthy as possible.

So I've really gotten into strength training and this marathon training has got me into running more and thinking of myself as a runner. I had bad knees before, particularly on my right leg. I focused on getting that fixed, doing all the exercises and all the stretches and foam rolling and, miraculously, this knee that had been bothering me for a decade is now so much better. I think one would think at a certain age you can't fix things like that, but it just takes focus and desire. And the human body is a remarkable thing. I'm constantly amazed at these things that I've for some reason forced myself to do, like run 20 miles. My body is adjusting and changing and it's really fun. It's all been really fun, too.

Not just the constant high I get from running but also, looking up gear and trying out all the different things and wearing these running hats that I love now. Just the fun little things that you don't think about when it comes to running but it actually makes it fun. Also running with and connecting with friends who are also training for the marathon. It's very communal and it's very internal, which I guess is what life should be.

They’re going to be running in the marathon with me. One of them was the sound guy on a show I worked on as an actor. He was in the sound department and I told him that I was going to run the marathon and he asked if he could. So I signed him on. Another one is a comedy writer who wrote for a show I worked on years ago and he is also getting into running and was like “Hey, I’d love to run it” and I was like “Okay, why don't you run it for charity?” So they both signed up to run with me. And my neighbor—he’s not running the marathon—but he’s gotten into running so I’ll run with him. It’s just a little group of folks who found a love for running. If you don’t run, you just don’t know all the great things you can get out of it. In a way, it almost feels like a little secret club that we have, that we know how euphoric this practice is.

I've been trying out different running belts and I just love this belt from this company called Naked. It's so easy access, it's just so fun. I feel like Batman with his utility belt, just like pulling out things. Then I always run with a running hat because it's so hot in LA and the sun's blaring down so I'm constantly running with my running hat.

Uh, yeah. Yeah, I have. I love it and folks who, like my wife—she just hates running—and she just doesn't get it. Part of me is wants her to to try it just because it's brought so much to my life. But at the same time, I get that you have to kind of discover that on your own. It's difficult but like all great things, you have to get through that tough beginning and then once you pass that hurdle, then you get hungry for more obstacles.

Finishing. And we’ll see if that happens. But just that feeling of crossing the finishing line—that’s the only goal I have. I don’t care how I get there as long as I get there. And to see and just be amongst the people and to feel the crowds, which I’ve never experienced on a run. I keep hearing how magical that is, so I’m really looking forward to that.

You know? If this article comes out before the marathon, then I have to finish because that would be really bad. That’ll look bad on you, that’ll look bad on the publication, so I have to do it for you as well. Yeah, I’ll finish.