Man wins foot race against Halifax Transit bus to become ‘real Number 1’

A Halifax man raced a Halifax Transit bus through the city on foot in a friendly competition — and won.

Runner Minh Tan said both he and the bus driver obeyed all laws in his attempt to become “the real Number 1.” A video of the race has already gotten more than 90,000 views on Facebook this week.

“One day I was sitting on a bus, it was slow and, just being cynical, I said, ‘I bet I could run this faster,'” Tan said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "One day I was sitting on a bus, it was slow and, just being cynical, I said, 'I bet I could run this faster,'" Tan said.

The 44-year-old started the race Tuesday at a stop near Scotia Square in downtown Halifax. The bus journey to the Mumford Terminal is about six kilometres and usually takes about 20 minutes.

Tan said he’s raced the same Halifax Transit route about 50 times in the past 10 years, winning about half of the time. The drivers and passengers sometimes notice him and encourage him as he sprints along beside the bus.

“When they realize, and they’re smiling or waving, that makes it a lot funner than on a track by yourself,” he said.

The video was posted by Halifolks, a group that profiles various people in the municipality.

“Come on, cheer him on, people, let’s go!” you can hear the bus driver in the video say as Tan catches up near an intersection. He then jokes that Tan should have used the crosswalk lights to delay him.

“I’m completely flattered and overwhelmed,” Tan said, regarding the attention the video has received.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I'm completely flattered and overwhelmed," Tan said, regarding the attention the video has received.

He said he has completed 31 marathons before, but waiting for traffic lights and following the rules of the sidewalk provide more unique challenges.

“It’s good for mental training as well as physical training,” Tan said. He also stresses that anyone who races like this should obey all traffic rules and be courteous to others on the sidewalk.

In the video, the bus passes him several times but arrives at the destination slightly after him.

“I got lucky at one traffic light, and I think that was how I won that day,” Tan said.

Referencing the route number — Number 1 — he added, “If you win at the end, I just kind of like to say that I’m the real Number 1.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: Referencing the <a href="http://www.halifax.ca/transit/Schedules/documents/mapRoute01.pdf">route number</a> — Number 1 — he added, "If you win at the end, I just kind of like to say that I'm the real Number 1."