By now, you’ve probably seen videos on your social media timelines of an enthusiastic, semi-aquatic bird galloping down the closed-down streets of the Big Apple, winning the hearts of New York City Marathon spectators.
The white pekin’s name is Wrinkle Five Star, better known as A Wrinkle in Time: The Time Traveling Duck—or just Wrinkle, for short. A recent TikTok featuring her marathon run racked up nearly 8 million views (as of November 12), making her an overnight sensation and arguably one of the biggest highlights at the 50th running of the NYC Marathon.
As one commenter on YouTube said about Wrinkle’s performance: “Such determination, will and strength. Look at those webbers flattening the concrete, [she] quacks with resilience, what a marvelous duck.”
Here at Runner’s World, we were impressed with the fowl’s dedication to running and her custom-made shoes for her duck feet. We also needed to know... just how far did Wrinkle run?
To find out, we spoke to her adopted parents, Justin Wood and Joyce Kung—who operate the Justin Wood Circus Variety Show—about just who this famous quacker is and how she became the sensation of the New York City Marathon.
Meet Wrinkle, the New York City Marathon Running Duck
It all started in California. Wood and Kung bought six eggs in hopes of hatching some ducks to implement into their circus arts. Neither of them had experience hatching eggs before, but they were up for the challenge—especially if it meant adding a unique piece to their performance.
“I haven’t seen any trained ducks,” Wood said. “So, I figured it might be very difficult. Too difficult, like you couldn’t really do it. But I might as well give it a shot.”
Wrinkle hatched from her egg on September 9, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. Wood and Kung immediately began training her. They needed her to imprint on them—that is, to attach to them emotionally and gain its sense of species identity from them.
As a chick, Wrinkle would follow Wood and Kung around, an instinct for baby ducks. They intended to keep that up through adulthood, as they were planning to have her specialize in parading behind them as they juggle or perform other acts.
During training, they noticed something special. “She has very good endurance in walking and running,” Kung said. “And we just figured [out] a good way to display it.”
Wood is also a content creator, sharing numerous videos across YouTube and TikTok. He’d been making videos for years, but when live performances weren’t happening because of COVID-19, he focused on his online presence. TikToks showing him juggling and yoyo-ing saw some success, but he felt those acts didn’t translate as well to the internet as they do in person.
But Wrinkle resonated with viewers. On September 17, 2020, just days after she was hatched, Wrinkle showed off her running skills on TikTok for the first time. The little yellow chick sprinted across a checkered blanket toward the camera as “Let’s Link” by WhoHeem played in the background. That gave Wood and Kung an idea.
“When we meet people on the street, they’re always surprised and they care about the duck,” Kung said. “But on the internet, it’s harder for people to personally care about this animal. So we really wanted to make her a personality, like you recognize her as ‘the running duck’ or ‘the traveling duck.’”
Soon, videos of Wrinkle running back and forth, jogging around New York City, and scurrying through dark corridors were garnering thousands of views and scooping up new fans. She also performed in-person, marching a 1.4-mile long Halloween Parade in the Bronx. After that feat of endurance, Wood and Kung knew she was ready for a bigger challenge—the New York City Marathon.
First, Wood and Kung needed to make sure Wrinkle could safely run on pavement. Many ducks suffer from a condition called bumblefoot—a bacterial infection caused by walking or running on rough surfaces. Their solution? Make her a pair of shoes.
Wood and Kung fashioned booties out of a scuba-gear-like material that’s soft, easy to wash, and waterproof. “Everyone’s asking about the shoes,” Wood said. “So we’re looking into trying to mass produce them and put them out there.”
Fully equipped, Wrinkle took to Lafayette Street in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn on November 7, ready to take on part in the race. Wood and Kung let her out on less populated parts of course, and she did what she does best: run.
“We weren’t sure if we were allowed to do it,” Kung said. So to be safe and mindful of the runners, Wrinkle would run a block and stop for water, totaling three blocks—about a half mile in total distance. (While she’s all over social media, we couldn’t find Wrinkle’s Strava account to confirm the distance.) Marathon spectators watched with dropped jaws, scrambling to grab their phones to take photos.
Wrinkle wasn’t phased by the crowd reaction; she was used to it at that point from wandering New York with her parents. But on a historic day like the 50th running of the NYC Marathon, Wrinkle was a special addition to an already magical day. “Wrinkle always puts people in a good mood,” Wood said.
Sure, Wrinkle didn’t run the whole marathon. While a half mile might not seem much at all to a distance runner, it’s a long way to run for young running duck.
Wood and Kung are completely sure that Wrinkle can go much farther. “She’s only 1 year old,” Kung said. “She’s going to have a lot of potential.”
If you’re hungry for more Wrinkle, she is featured in New York City art show, which will run from November 13 to December 9. You can find more details here.
Now watch this:
Chris Hatler is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but before joining Runner’s World and Bicycling, he was a pro runner for Diadora, qualifying for multiple U.S. Championships in the 1500 meters. At his alma mater the University of Pennsylvania, Chris was a multiple-time Ivy League conference champion and sub-4 minute miler.
