It's 1:30am in the legendary Good Room dance club in Greenpoint, a stone's throw from Bandit HQ. The guy running the show here the last 9 years, Josh Houtkin, introduces me to his friend - a designer at one of my favorite menswear brands - as he's hugging her goodbye. She's racing the NYC Half in ~6 hours and needs at least a little shuteye. Insane behavior to most, very normal behavior to Josh and his inner circle who can balance partying and running like you never knew possible.

We're at the bar between the "Good Room", a sprawling dance floor with a disco ball and a stage, and the "Bad Room", a very dim house-y vibe with a wall of records as high as the eyes can see. The music is bumping in both directions while Josh orders "baby shots of tequila" from the bartender. "We microdose our drinks," his wife explains. It's a veteran move and a microcosm of the life of the man who seems to have a little bit of everything in moderation (sometimes including moderation).

Josh's relationship with running is as methodical and steady as the beats that some of NYC's best underground DJs play until the sun comes up each week at Good Room. His data tells it all... 194 runs in 2022, 194 runs in 2023, and pacing right on track again for 2024. Several marathons under his belt and not a single sign of slowing down any time soon.

For the 50th issue of The B-Mail, we caught up with Josh to learn who he is and how the hell he does it...

Josh, tell us about yourself…

I’m originally from San Antonio, Texas, but I’ve lived in NYC for 23 years. I’ve been based in Greenpoint for about 20 or so of those years. I help run and book the venue Good Room, and we’re about to celebrate our 10th Anniversary. I also throw a party called FIXED, where I DJ (JDH is my DJ alias). FIXED turns 20 this Fall!

Chicken or the egg… What came first: running or throwing parties? What was the origin of both?

I’ve been running since I was a kid. I ran cross country and track in school, and played basketball nearly my entire life. I stopped doing races competitively in high school as I decided going out late and seeing bands and going to shows was more important than waking up early on Saturday mornings. I kept running the whole time, but more as a hobby.

I lived in Austin for 5 years, and in that time I started DJing and throwing parties. Everything kinda took off from there and just grew more and more to where it became my livelihood. About 15 years ago I decided to start running in races again as a way to channel my energy into something other than nightlife.

This is a three-parter. The doors to Good Room opened about 10 years ago now. Where did the name come from, what was opening night like, and what remains the same nearly a decade later?

The venue was started by Greg Brier, who also runs a few other places, including Glen Falls House in upstate New York. Aside from throwing parties at Good Room when it first opened, I wasn’t super involved in running the venue until about a year and a half in.

From what I know, they really liked the space, and the comment “it’s a Good Room!” just stuck as the name.

The opening night featured Juan Maclean, who is actually still a resident at the club, and still very much involved with what we do. The focus then was to make the space open to everyone, and a place where anyone feels like they can just show up and have a good time. That’s still our biggest priority to this day.

We’ve upgraded a lot with the space, most importantly adding a D&B Audiotechnik sound system in the full space about two years in, which has honestly been a game changer. The look of the space as far as lighting is always changing as well, with our Lighting Director Gary Hunt playing a huge role in that.

What were the early inspirations for Good Room and what three words would you use to describe what a night behind those black doors is like?

We try our best to honor the past with regard to nightlife, parties, music, and dancing, while also looking to the future. We’re inspired by classic NYC clubs and venues, where everyone can feel welcome, with an easygoing environment. 

Fun, exciting, and late would be three words I’d use to describe a night at the club. We do our best to cultivate a fun atmosphere, where late nights are the norm.

After some quick stalking on Strava, it appears you did 194 runs for 890 miles in 2022 and 194 runs for 893 miles in 2023. The same exact amount of runs and just three miles apart. Talk about consistency. What’s your routine?

I have a sort of rule that I do my best to stick to, which is if I can get home by 4am, then I’ll run that following morning. It doesn’t always work, but I try to get out there at least 4-5 times a week. I’m definitely a morning runner, and I’m usually out there by 9am at the latest. Typically Monday through Friday are the easiest for me to do that. I do love a nice weekend long run when the streets are quiet, but my schedule doesn’t always allow for that.

The hours at Good Room are Friday and Saturday, 10pm to 4am. Are you there every weekend? What role are you playing these days? And most importantly, are you still getting miles in the next day?  

We typically end between 4-5am, occasionally 6am, on a weekend (4am on other nights when we’re open), so sometimes if I’m there, it can be tough to get a run in that next morning. I always feel better when I do get out there, and sometimes it’s the best way to clear my head, even after a long night.

I handle all of the bookings at the club, among many other things. It’s a 24/7 job, and I’m extremely involved in the day-to-day operations. We have a small staff, and everyone is involved in multiple aspects of running the club.

Being a marathoner and nightclub proprietor is not for the faint of heart. What’s the longest party-to-running or vice versa you’ve ever done? What’s your secret? How do you do it?

If I have a race, I try not to be at the club, or out in general the previous night. It’s not easy to chill and sleep the night before a race when the club is open, but I try. For instance, heading to Staten Island for the New York Marathon at 4am, the club is still open, people are still there partying, and I’m on the Staten Island Ferry.

I always feel like going out and dancing (or DJing) for long periods of time is sort of the same mentality as running. Stamina is key for sure.

I’m a pretty extreme person in most regards, so they both go hand-in-hand for me.

Has the running bug spread to your staff or friends? Running and nightlife sound paradoxical, but they’re both endurance activities… Does one serve the other?

Exactly! Endurance is definitely key. I used to be kinda shy about posting my running stats and race results and photos, but people started telling me that it inspired them to take up running as well. People come up to me at the club and say, “I saw you last night at the club, and then saw you ran this morning, so it made me get out there too.”

Being in nightlife isn’t always the most healthy environment, so it’s a nice way to balance that. Being around the running community and races is such a positive experience. It’s nice to be around. You’d be surprised, there’s a good amount of other DJs and nightlife crew who also run.

Alright, turbo round...

Favorite club in the world: I don’t necessarily have a favorite overall club, but aside from Good Room, I love playing the Sunday Sunday party in Mexico. We’ve done the one in CDMX a couple of times, and before Covid I was able to play the one in Guadalajara. Best crew, best crowds, super nice vibes.

Most memorable night at Good Room: There've been so many great nights at the club, but I have to say, the first few parties when we reopened after being closed for 18 months from the Covid shutdown were as good as it gets. Everyone was so excited and happy to be there. It was a huge release.

Favorite restaurant in Greenpoint: I’m a regular at Scalino on Manhattan Ave. The best pre-club or pre-race dinner!

Favorite street to run down: I really love running in Prospect Park, but I don’t get over there enough. I love running the bridges, with Williamsburg Bridge being a favorite. My daily runs are usually down Wythe and Kent.

Favorite distance to run: Half Marathons are my favorite. Enough distance to be tough, but short enough to where I can still race it at a nice pace.

Marathon PR: 3:20:43

What’s your next race: NYC Runs Brooklyn Half Marathon in April

Finally, link us your favorite running playlist: This might sound crazy, but I don’t run with music or my phone at all! Just the sounds of the city.

Thanks, Josh!