Husun Davis Runs on Soca

Its Labor Day and if you live in the New York City area you know that’s a big day for us here in Brooklyn. It’s the Labor Day parade, its Juvert and there’s a lot of feting happening. That being said its only right we chat with Husun Davis because quite simply he “Runs On Soca” it is his fuel and is what keeps his feet moving on the pavement.

MSM: Lets tap into the fitness choice. We can choose and/or have so many avenues when it comes to fitness. Running isn’t easy and it really takes a person to have a kind of crazy desire to run. Why did you choose running? Was it running that found you or did you find running?

Husan: We have found each other. I was NOT looking for running at all, but the universe aligned us together, and now it's the path that has been chosen for me. This journey I have been on has been fascinating. I could've taken part in so many other physical activities out there. I tried a few. I was on this weight loss kick, where I started going to the gym a few times a week to lift and do keto, but I just wasn't into it; I tried basketball, but I could even make a layup, let alone three-pointers, I can't swim (please don't revoke my Caribbean card lol). Any other physical sport was a no. 

I never joined the military because I said it's no way I would be out here running a mile and a half with a 13:30 time limit for military standards. Most people were worried about going to war; I was more concerned with meeting the standers for running. Now, here I am every weekend, I'm doing long runs for marathon training and realizing the time I was afraid of achieving was possible. 

Two days before Christmas in 2018, I had a bad fall; I fractured and dislocated my right ankle, tearing all the ligaments in my foot. Luckily, I was taken to NYU Langone, where I had to get emergency surgery. The doctor on call who performed the surgery was a Sports & Trauma Orthopedic Surgent, a blessing in disguise after many months of PT and suffering. I hit my Maximum level of medical improvement, and I decided that day that the hardware I have in my body won't define what I can do. So, I set out to do a four miler and walked 90% of it sometime after surgery. I thought about doing other races and events, but after being trapped in the house for almost a year with a broken ankle, I needed to get out and travel. So, I did just that. After visiting a couple of countries, I was coming back from the Trinidad carnival. The day after the plane landed in NY, the world shut down because of covid, and I was back in isolation.

MSM: Let’s talk about where it started. I’ve seen you have a few marathons under your belt. Before the marathons there are races that tend to push us in the direction of wanting to run a marathon. What was that race for you, the moment when you knew this was indeed something that you wanted to embark on as a runner?

Husan: Full transparency, NYC this year will be my first marathon, but the race that made me want to keep running was NYCRUNS Go Nuts for Donuts 5K; I had about 12 days to prepare myself after looking at the NYC Marathon on Instagram, so where do you go to prepare for something in such a short time, YouTube. So now, with my YouTube university running knowledge, I set out to run the first 5k ever in my life. Which I highly discourage anyone from doing; however, I didn’t die, and I wasn’t dead last, so for me, a win is a win, but for those interested, I think the time was about 47 mins. After that race, I wanted to come back for more, and I had to keep going to beat my time. If I wanted to improve, I needed to get serious, so I went down the rabbit hole of consuming every piece of content I could find online regarding the sport of running—short and long distance.

MSM: Your race schedule has been stacked this year and you're always pounding the pavement. Give our readers some insight into some of your past and favorite races. What have been some races that have stood out along the way? I saw that you’re currently planning to run 3 marathons in 63 days in the fall. That's impressive, what made you want to take on that challenge?

Husan: 2023 has been stacked up with NYCRUNS and especially NYRR races; got to get that 9+1 Guaranteed spot for 2024, lol! My top 3 races of the year so far were. This 5k at JFK airport on the tarmac for my birthday, NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half- it was my first ever half marathon, so it'll always be on my top list also; running an out and back on the eastern parkway was a vibe even though it was pouring rain. The only time I ever saw eastern parkway shut down with people on the road is Carnival Monday for the Labor Day parade. The last Race in my Top 3 would be the RBC Brooklyn half which I did right after the NYCRUNS half, and it's my top three because the ending on the coney island boardwalk was pretty dope. Growing up in Brooklyn, hanging out on eastern parkway, and going to coney island to run through the streets in a race at both locations is a blessing! 

3 Marathons in 63 Days: before I get into how this came about. I want to put out the disclaimer that: This is not recommended at all, I am currently training for one, and as time gets closer, I will be working with a coach to develop a plan to let my body rest/recover while still putting in some miles to keep the momentum going and arrive at all three start lines healthy and strong. But always always always consult with your doctors and coaches before you do something wild like this! 

Now, that is out the way: It's how the universe works, and it worked in my favor. The three marathons I'll be running are NYC – CIM – Disney. 

NYC was ALWAYS the plan from the very start. I wouldn't want my first marathon to be anywhere other than where I grew up. I get to run through the places I grew up as a kid, the same bridge I drive over to get to work, the same area where so many people I've met reside.  

When it came to CIM, I saw that they were looking for ambassadors for their marathon in California, and I said to myself, why not just try? The worst that can happen is they say no. Then self-doubt started to creep in, "You never ran a marathon before, you have no idea how you'll feel after NYC, you are sitting here 3 months into a running journey with 200 followers on the gram and you trying to be an ambassador,". I sat on the decision to sign up for the entire entry period, and then I was listening to some old motivational mixtapes from Eric Thomas, and I remember he said. "If not you then who, if not now then when," which has driven me to do everything running and non-running related. I signed up in the last couple of minutes before the applications closed. I forgot about it, and a few weeks later, I got an email saying I was selected; I emailed the rep and said you sure you have the right person? And I remember her saying something like, "yes we went on your Instagram and saw that you were new to running and even though you are running NYC we wanted you to experience CIM and be a part of your journey!" At that moment I knew, I was in it for the long haul. 

Disney was shot in the dark; I heard and read all these stories about how hard it is to get into Disney. It is hard. It's like the hunger games. You need to have three computers set up on the site in the queue, and whichever one gets there first, you race to buy the ticket. Disney should be a Major because once it sells out, better try next year lol. I woke up on the morning of the marathon signup and said I would open my phone login, and if I got thru, fine. If not, that's fine too. I said my mantra I say before every signup and Race. And typed in the web address and hit enter. While in the queue, I saw notifications left, right, and center. This Race sold out, and this challenge sold out; as soon as the screen refreshed, I scrambled to register, had everything typed in, hit enter, and saw the message "Disney marathon sold out." A few seconds later, I got an email saying I was In, and now here we are, training to run my first, second, and third marathon back-to-back!  

NYC will be the Race I trained for; CIM will be the race I PR, and Disney will be a 26.2-mile victory lap. What better place to celebrate something this major than the happiest place on earth?

MSM: When did you know that the marathon was something you wanted to tackle. I feel like there’s always that race or moment that we have that tends to push us off the cliff when it comes to wanting to run a marathon.

Husan: All the years growing up in NYC, I would be out on the streets like everyone else, cheering people on and saying, yeah, more power to them. That could never be me. Fast forward to 2022, I now live in Jersey, and I knew I wouldn't make the bridge cut-off time, so I just stayed home and watched the elites on TV. We all know the coverage ends at that point, but I also wanted to see the average runner go out there and do their thing. So, I jumped on Instagram for a few hours, looking at posts from the marathon. And wow, people are out there for hours and hours; maybe I could do this, and when I saw the project finish at the finish line late, I was inspired and said yeah, let me see how I can be a part of it, and that's how it all began. 

But the race that made me say, yeah, you're going to be a marathoner, was the RBC Brooklyn half. I barely trained; I signed up so late. In the game, I didn't think I had a spot for that race. I went to about four practices/long runs. I shook off the nerves, met a few friends from practice, and hit the road. When I was on the boardwalk running to the finish line, I realized I made it through, and this one was better than the first even though it was pouring; the finish line was there, and the celebration began. Once I came down to the last few meters and heard the announcer say my name as I came in over the finish line, I knew then that I would be a future marathoner.  

MSM: Are you chasing that 6 star?

Husan: If you had asked me this question sometime last year, I would've said something crazy: like; wow, I thought Michelin star restaurants were only five stars. Could you show me where number six is, lol? Now that I have done hours, days, and months of research, I am most definitely chasing 6. The saying" It's a marathon, not a sprint" is what Chasing Six means to me. People have been on a journey, it's incredibly inspiring to see, and I salute them. I saw @les_runs, @blackpearlruns, and others earn their last star via social media and put them in the history books. I didn't know them personally, but I knew they looked like me, and I was rooting for them!! During my research, I came across @str8kim's recap of Tokyo and her six-star journey; I got some very valuable information from those videos, I even hit her up and thanked her for putting out that information, and now I'm currently trying to get into Tokyo thru these virtual challenges. NYC will be my first major this year; in 2024, I'm putting it out into the universe to do Berlin and possibly Chicago, which will make it three; London will probably be charity in 2025, and last but not least is Boston. 

I saw online there is something called the black unicorns, and that is something I want to achieve; when I do, I'll be the first in my entire families linage to do so; I will say this, I am NOT trying to BQ that is something my body is not built for, I think everyone should be able to self-assessed and be able to know what you can and are limited to do and a BQ is not for me. So, I will go the charity route; however, if any marketing employees, directors, or anyone with a connection is reading this fantastic magazine, don't hesitate to contact me. I'll be more than willing to run for your your brand in Boston, hell, in any of the majors!

But if it takes 2,4, or 6 years, I'm here to enjoy the journey and document everything!  

MSM: I see you’re constantly running and representing Team Kids. For those that might not know, tell us about this charity and how folks can support and donate on your behalf.