I met Antonio Quinones on a Thursday morning in mid December.
You should know, I was not in a great headspace that day. I was waiting to hear if I’d gotten a spot on Team Still I Run for the NYC Half Marathon, and I was anxious. Part of me was eager for the opportunity. But another part of me – the part that felt like an unmotivated, uninspired imposter (the part that needs to run the most, by the way) – was less enthusiastic. I was closing out an especially exhausting teaching semester, caught in a logjam of editing projects, and navigating some hefty family issues – all while juggling the typical holiday bustle. So, it had been weeks since I’d laced up for a decent run. I wasn’t sure I had it anymore, whatever “it” is.
No, this isn’t a story about me… and yet, it is – because you can’t tell the story of Antonio Quinones without talking about the impact he has on those around him. And as someone who was around him, if only for a brief conversation via Zoom, I can say without reservation: if anyone can ignite (or reignite) your passion for running, Antonio is that guy.
Born and raised in Queensbridge, Long Island City, in New York, Antonio is a patient advocate and father of four who began running in 2015, when a friend introduced him to obstacle course racing. At the time, Antonio’s father, a former Marine, fell ill and was told he only had a few months left to live. His friend suggested Spartan racing would give him an opportunity to deal with the grief and frustration, and she was right. But beyond helping him cope with his loss, Antonio says helped him connect with others in new, meaningful ways.
“I was able to use that space as a way to speak to my dad,” he explains. “Then it just developed into something more for me, in which I find myself helping others around me who were dealing with other issues that they had going on.”
Keep pushing forward.
In 2018, Antonio shifted from obstacle courses to road races. Since then he’s completed 20 half marathons, nine marathons, and countless other races, including a virtual ultramarathon. He’s also become “one of the most recognizable faces in the running community,” according to Mid Strike Magazine.
Whether it’s an encouraging conversation, an uplifting social media post, or run-dancing in the middle of a race, Antonio brings a special energy to the running community. And he maintains this effervescence even as he deals with personal challenges, like loss and injury.
“There’s just stuff that I do that they love and helps motivate them,” Antonio explains. “They would never know that I’m going through anything, but just seeing me happy – getting out there, not quitting, not giving up – that helps them keep going. One of the things that I say, it’s kind of like a slogan: keep pushing forward.”
In 2016, less than a year after his father passed away, Antonio had to push forward through another significant loss. This time, his uncle – his father’s identical twin brother – was hospitalized and terminally ill. Fortunately, in the months before he died, Antonio’s uncle reminded him how proud his father had been and encouraged Antonio to continue running.
“He said, ‘Your dad wanted you to stick with it, so stick with it. Just keep going.’ And that’s what I did,” Antonio recalls.
Beyond honoring his father’s wishes, however, Antonio found that running also helped him understand his grief and grow from it.
“Not every loss is bad,” he says. “Yes, it’s sad that you don’t have the physical presence, but you can learn from it. So I’ve told people: What is the lesson that you can learn from this situation? So, one of those situations was to keep going… You might hit a roadblock, but you can go around it.”
Antonio encountered one such roadblock in 2020 when he injured himself running a virtual ultramarathon with two of his friends. Although he successfully finished the race, the next day he could barely walk and ended up in a boot cast.
“If I don’t run, or if I’m unable to run, I feel miserable,” Antonio explains. “I feel like the world is closing in. It’s over. Down in the dumps.”
Eager to return to running, Antonio tried to rush the healing process – and quickly found himself back in the boot. Facing four to five months of recovery, he realized he needed to find other ways to process his emotions and energy.
“I had maybe a week or two in which I fell into a certain funk,” he remembers. “But then I was like, you know what, my dad wouldn’t want this, so let me find an alternative.” He stuck to his rehab, and focused on the physical activities he could do, like strength training and stationary biking. He even found new ways to focus his passion for supporting other runners.
“I kept my mind going, and I kept doing other things to help me deal with it. So I didn’t fall into a long depression about the injury,” he says. “I even became a coach in the process.”
Reset and start fresh.
Even though he’s figured out how to adapt when necessary, running remains a core component for Antonio’s mental health and overall well-being.
“Some people say you can’t use running as therapy. Okay, that’s your approach… I hear you,” he says. “But in some people they find a relationship with the two and in a way it works.”
For Antonio, it’s not just about processing life’s biggest challenges; running helps him cope with everyday struggles. Whether those are concerns about his children or the stress from his job as a patient advocate, Antonio says running gives him an opportunity to release the weight of the day. So, frequently after clocking out in the evening, he’ll run the six miles from the hospital where he works back to his home.
“While I’m focusing on a run – making sure I don’t step on a pothole – I’m able to reset my mind, think about how my day went,” he explains. “Sometimes I even just talk it out with myself, and it helps. And I feel like the next day I don’t carry whatever it is that I had yesterday… I start off fresh.”
We all need support
As much as he values the time to himself to think, reflect, and grow, Antonio truly thrives on the camaraderie of the running community. Whether he’s racing for a charity, training other runners, or cheering from the sidelines, Antonio sees running as more than something he does for himself.
“Some people feel like they’re alone, they can’t get out, they can’t do stuff. And I want them to understand that there are outlets,” he says. “I just want them to remember that they don’t have to feel like they’re alone… There are people that have like-minded situations, or may have had the same struggles and may not necessarily help you get over what you’re going through, but they can help you and just be there… because we all need someone to support [us], and we all need to support others.”
Antonio is especially supportive to those who might be intimidated by running. When the people he’s training say that running is hard, he tells them, “Life is hard. It’s never gonna be easy. But as soon as you wake up, you have an opportunity to start all over, and you have an opportunity to keep going.”
Or when they’re worried about not running fast enough, he says, “It’s not about time; it’s about you just getting out there and you completing something that others may not be able to do. At least you’re here.”
Your goal is to run happy.
At the start of our conversation, Antonio Quinones said he started running to deal with grief from the loss of his dad, but since then running showed him that his purpose is to serve and help others. “Running showed me the true impact I have had on others and also who I am as a person.”
In just a 40-minute video call, I experienced that impact myself. Talking to Antonio reminded me how much I genuinely love running, how important it is for my body and mind, and how it’s so much more than distances or finish times.
A few hours after we spoke, I got the email – I’d made it onto Team Still I Run, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. All that dread and self-doubt I’d been feeling were gone, and I knew I was ready to meet that challenge.
Now, it’s January, and my training is in full swing. As I work toward the goals for this upcoming race, and the year ahead, I’m thankful to have the words of Antonio Quinones in my ear: “Your goal is to get to the finish line. Your goal is to finish happy. Your goal is to run happy – no matter what the outcome is.”
Autumn Konopka is a Still I Run Ambassador, author, editor, and teacher from outside of Philadelphia.
