02.23.2024

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Today’s Forecast

👟 Hit the ground running

How Austinite Ben Duong became a basketball-dribbling, world record-breaking runner

Ben Duong wearing a black tank top, blue shorts, and a white headband, dribbling the ball while running, and being filmed by a man on a bike behind him. There are several runners surrounding him.

Ben Duong was filmed by a Guinness Book of World Records representative on a bike the entire time. | Photo by Scott Flathouse via Ben Duong

Lifelong Austinite Ben Duong has always been a runner, but as of last weekend, he’s a Guinness World Record-holding runner.

The 24-year-old local became the fastest person ever to finish a half marathon while dribbling a basketball at the Austin Marathon this past weekend. Duong finished the race in one hour, 21 minutes, and 38 seconds — the previous record was one hour and 25 minutes.

Duong said he has always loved playing sports — especially soccer, basketball, and running track — and what he lacked in ball skills and hand-eye coordination, he made up for in speed.

“Always, the observation that my family had, that my coaches had was, ‘This Ben kid, he’s pretty fast compared to everybody else,’” Duong said. “I’ve always loved sports, always been running. I got really serious about it (in) the last nine years.”

Ben Duong running past a crowd of people in a white T-shirt. — Duong said he has been serious about running ever since he was a junior in high school.
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Photo by Bryan Deibel via Ben Duong

So Duong kept running while studying in high school (McNeil, by the way), college, and grad school. In fact, when the San Antonio Spurs reached out to his running group, RAW Running, for help finding someone to break the world record, Duong made the cut.

Ben Duong from the side, wearing a black tank top and the basketball in front of him while his friends celebrate in the background. — Duong said breaking the record still feels like a dream.
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Photo by Ricardo Brazziell via Ben Duong

The pressure was on, not because Duong is a Spurs fan or because he didn’t believe in himself, but because he woke up late on race day.

Flanked by his GoPro camera-wielding friends — Kobe Yepez and Elijah McWilliams — and a representative from the Guinness Book of World Records, Duong got to the starting line about two minutes before the ran began.

For the next 13 miles, Duong ran and dribbled, while the representative watched to make sure he didn’t drop or travel with the ball. The Spurs’ mascot, Coyote, was there to meet Duong at the finish line and celebrate his newly broken record.

“While it is my name going in the record book, there really should be several names going next to mine,” Duong said. “Truthfully, I feel like I didn’t break a world record, I feel like ‘we,’ collectively, ‘we’ broke a world record.”

His training process

Asked

What’s your sport of choice?

A. Football
B. Basketball
C. Soccer
D. Baseball

Get in the game

Events

Friday, Feb. 23

O. Henry Stories | Now-Sunday, Feb. 25 | Times vary | The Rollins Theatre at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin | $27-$32 | Enjoy some comedic tales from this historic writer, who spent time living in Austin.

Saturday, Feb. 24

Ira Glass | Saturday, Feb. 24 | 7 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $45-$125 | The host of “This American Life” has been working in public radio since 1978.
2024 Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame Show | Saturday, Feb. 24 | 7:30 p.m. | ACL Live, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin | $30-$79 | Celebrate Texas songwriters with Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Lyle Lovett, and others.
Minnesota United FC vs. Austin FC | Saturday, Feb. 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Q2 Stadium, 10414 McKalla Pl., Austin | $35-$350 | Verde season returns with this home match against the upper Midwest club.
“Tea: A Mirror of Soul” | Saturday, Feb. 24-Sunday, Feb. 25 | Times vary | McCullough Theater, 2375 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $20 | Follow the ancient story of Seikyo, a prince-turned-monk.

Sunday, Feb. 25

Mini Maker Market | Sunday, Feb. 25-Sunday, March 24 | Times vary | The Hive, 10542 Menchaca Rd., Austin | Young ones age 6-17 can show and sell their wares at this market.

Plan Ahead

“Wicked” | Wednesday, March 13-Sunday, March 31 | Times vary | Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $53-$203 | Watch this Broadway sensation following what happened in the Land of Oz before Dorothy arrived.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Community

Austin Energy plans to introduce a 5% increase — around $2 per month for the average customer — to the Power Supply Adjustment on Friday, March 1. Austin Energy also increased the price by 5% in January. (KXAN)

Development

PNC Bank pledged $10 million to the Austin Housing Conservancy fund to go toward the purchase and maintenance of affordable multiple family properties. (Austin Business Journal)

Sports

Spurs Week will return to Austin Sunday, March 10-Sunday, March 17. The all-things-Spurs festival will include tons of free activities (not to mention free swag) leading up to the I-35 Series. View the full schedule.

Opening

Here’s the tea — two new boba tea cafes are coming to the Austin area. National chain Fat Bee Cafe opened last week at 1312 Round Rock Ave. in Round Rock and international chain The Alley will open at 1468 E. Whitestone Blvd. early this year. (Eater Austin)

Festival

Bruce McCulloch, Jeff Hiller, Rachel Feinstein, and more side-splitting comedians joined the Moontower Just for Laughs lineup. Get tickets for the funny festival, which runs Wednesday, April 10-Sunday, April 21.

Plan Ahead

Get a deep dive into the world of sotol with the Los Magos Sotol cofounder. Juan Pablo Carvajal will host a Master Class on the distilled spirit, which originates from the Chihuahuan Desert, on Monday, Feb. 26 at Trona. Get tickets.

Listen

How are the teams in the Big 12 determined and seeded? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Texas Longhorns with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Coming Soon

Nashville’s hottest chicken is hitting Austin like a July heatwave. Nationally renowned hot chicken eatery Hattie B’s will open a South Lamar location on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. It is the first location in Austin and just the second in Texas for the family-owned, fast-casual eatery.*

Finance

These four credit cards offer 0% intro APR for up to 18 months — meaning that when life piles up (unexpected tax payments, medical appointments, picking up the bill for the whole table at Uchi...) — you could have almost two years to avoid interest charges.*

Entertainment

More Guinness World Record-holders

Guinness World Records held in Austin

Austinites are a talented, record-breaking bunch.

Does anyone else remember flipping through Guinness World Record books as a kid and thinking how cool it would be to set one? We did a little research and found out a number of Austinites have achieved that record-setting goal.

🌯 Most burritos made in three minutes | London Nichols at SXSW
It doesn’t get much more Austin than this. At SXSW 2017, Freebirds World Burrito employee London Nichols made 10 burritos in three minutes.

💈 Most haircuts given in one hour | Ivan Zoot at Men’s Grooming Center
In 2008, Ivan Zoot at Men’s Grooming Center gave out 34 haircuts in 60 minutes.

📒 Most telephone directories torn by a female in a minute | Mama Lou
Although strongwoman Mama Lou successfully ripped five 1,000-page phone books at Central Market in November 2014.

Five more records

The Buy

The Buy 2.23.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Chips and salsa, because honestly, is there a better snack? Sobremesa’s salsa is well worth the chip dip with flavors including layered, complex Mole Poblano + spicy Smoky Salsa Oaxaqueña.

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The Wrap

City Editor Figi poses with an adorable goat.

Today’s edition by:
Figi

From the editor

I was able to see “Crystal” on Wednesday evening and, just like every other Cirque du Soleil show I’ve ever seen, it was an absolutely beautiful performance. The show is on ice, has just the right amount of comedy, and shows off some incredible feats of strength.

I’m planning to post some behind-the-scenes content, so keep an eye on our Instagram.

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