After Dark, Kevin Tien + Chris Morgan Lead Restaurant Workers on Runs Through D.C.

Executive Chef Kevin Tien typically starts his workday around 9 or 9:30 a.m. He gets to Moon Rabbit, checks in with his team, knocks out administrative work, orders products for the next day, preps food, cooks and cleans. He frequently gets home after midnight.

But once a month, Tien now stays out even later, running five kilometers or more after dark with other workers across the restaurant industry.

“It wasn’t just chefs. There were pastry chefs there. There were bartenders there. There were servers there. There were managers there,” Tien says. “So it was just nice for all of us to be together.”

Tien and fellow chef Chris Morgan of Bammy’s and Little Chicken started the monthly running group in early October, nicknaming the group Distance in the Dark. Morgan, a long time runner, and Tien, who ran in secondary school and college, aim to create a bonding space for those who don’t want to drink after work.

“We wanted to promote an environment where you can come and really talk about anything, whether it’s industry-related, personal-related, and create a space where we can all meet up once a month,” he says.

Most of the time, Tien loves the restaurant industry. He loves making family-style food — roasting pork shoulder, melting down the fat, topping the dish with sweet, sticky glaze. He loves seeing groups sit around a table and dig in together.

But he also makes sacrifices, spending more time at Moon Rabbit than with his family and friends. When he runs with Distance in the Dark, Tien gets to be with others who understand the sacrifices required by the industry.

“These other chefs, other bartenders, other servers are very giving with their time and their restaurants,” he says. “I couldn’t imagine running with any other people.”

Eventually, Tien is hoping to use the running group to support hospitality workers materially as well as emotionally: “Our goal at the end of the day is, we’d love to do our own 5K race in the city, where we raise money for hospitality workers.”

Tien has high ambitions for the group in the spring, when the weather improves. He’d love to see over 100 people turn out. But even at the first run at the beginning of October, he found camaraderie and community.

“It was raining that day. It was under 40 degrees. And honestly, we didn’t think anybody was gonna show up,” Tien says. “I was closing our restaurant. I was a little behind schedule. And right when we didn’t think anybody was gonna show up, literally like eight people showed up outside the restaurant.”

Some had run for years. Others were just getting back into running. But even though he and Morgan accidentally planned a route over seven kilometers, Tien says the whole group finished.

They headed back to Bammy’s, where Morgan cooked up late-night snacks to buoy the group. Tien was thrilled to feel the spirit of connection that he remembered from high school and college track.

“I felt more youthful and energized — even at 1:30 in the morning, after a 12 hour shift,” he says.

Distance in the Dark’s next run is Tuesday, Nov. 1. Runners can meet at Bammy’s at 11:30 p.m. To hear more about the group going forward, follow Tien on Instagram at @chefkevintien and Morgan at @cmorgasbord.

Aviva Bechky