Medina man has run 201 races and counting this year
Jose Quiros sets new record for WNY runners
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jose Quiros of Medina runs along the towpath in today’s 5-kilometer race in medina where he finished second in 19:55. This was the 201st race he’s run this year.
MEDINA – On Thanksgiving morning, Jose Quiros reached a milestone never attained by a runner in Western New York: He ran his 200th race in a calendar year.
Quiros made it 201 races this morning when he ran the Home for the Holidays 5K in Medina. Quiros has run races all over Western New York this year. This morning, he had to travel the least distance. Medina is his hometown.
BuffaloRunners.com tracks the total races for runners. Quiros is 11 ahead of Heather Burger (Click here for a breakdown of all the races Quiros has run in 2016.). He first set the Wester New York record in 2014 with 154 races. He pushed the record to 170 in 2015.
He also leads by racing 1,004 miles so far this year. Kelly Roberts of Barker is second at 833. Only seven are at 500 or more for the year.
“It’s pretty nutty,” Quiros said about his busy racing schedule.
He hasn’t just run a bunch of 5Ks. Many of his races cover long distances, including the Mind the Ducks 12-hour run for 40.5 miles in Webster, and a 6-hour distance race in Williamsville where he completed 32.4 miles. Quiros also ran four marathons (26.2 miles), nine half marathons (13.1 miles), and two 30-kilometer races (18.6 miles).
He is grateful for making many friends in Western New York through running.
“The running community is amazing,” Quiros said. “From being out in the lead to the back of the pack, they’re all very friendly.”
Jose Quiros is in the homestretch of today’s race in Medina, a course that included a stretch along the Erie Canal.
Kelly Roberts of Barker finishes the race in Medina today. It was her 158th race of the year and 140th in the Buffalo Runners series, which puts her eighth overall in WNY.
He took up the sport in 2013 when he weighed about 200 pounds. He has lost more than 50 pounds since then.
“I’ve seen so much of Western New York, from Pennsylvania to Rochester,” said Quiros, who works as a driver supervisor for Modern Disposal.
He said his co-workers will cover for him sometimes so he can get a race in.
Quiros said he is eyeing six more races this year, which would make the record 207. He thinks an ambitious person could do 210 or 215 races max. But it’s tricky scheduling to get to all of the races. Some days he would run two or three in one day.
Quiros doesn’t plan to try to surpass his record next year. He wants to do more long distance training so he can meet a new goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. He will turn 40 in March and would need to run 3:20 to qualify for Boston. He needs to shave 5 minutes off his personal best to qualify for Boston.
Quiros is well respected in the running community, said Kelly Roberts of Barker, who has run 158 races this year.
Quiros isn’t just plodding through the races. He gives a strong effort and is typically among the leaders. He was under 20 minutes in today’s 5K.
“His recovery is amazing,” Roberts said about Quiros and his consistently fast times. “He runs every race amazing. I strive to be like him.”
