Martha Hao took up running five years ago, coaxed by a friend who was prepping for the New York City Marathon and wanted a training partner. She eased in slowly but got hooked before long, entering races hosted by New York Road Runners; completing the 2019 New York City Marathon in 4:19:50; and later starting a running group with fellow chapter members of the Taiwanese American Professionals. “When I’m running,” says Hao, 32, “that’s where I can really zone out and meditate.”
One sunny weekend afternoon in late April 2020, Hao was cruising past Pier 15 in the Financial District, near the end of her usual five-mile loop along Manhattan’s east side.