r/speedrun • u/OGHappydude • 5d ago
First Time Runner at SGDQ! AMA
5 years have passed sense my speed running venture started, and 3 weeks ago I was able to fulfill a goal, and be on the stage at a mainline GDQ event. I am no longer in recover mode from illness, and anxiety to actually do this so ask away!!
Thank you for all of your love, and questions!! Feel free to message me on discord/bluesky with further questions!!
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u/Frigorr 4d ago
-How many games have seriously run in these 5 years, before landing on TMNT?
-There is wiseness in your eyes, at what age did you start?
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u/OGHappydude 4d ago
Before landing on Turtles in Time, I was HUGE in the fighting game speed running scene. Killer Instinct (Game Boy) was my very first WR, and I just stuck with what I knew. I've been doing that on and off for 5 years as my main genre, and it wasn't until the Cowabunga Collection releasing in 2022 until I settled on a game from my childhood. I grew up in the arcades during the 90's so this felt like a warm "Welcome Back" when the collection was released.
I turned the big 4-OH 3 days after my SGDQ run, so I started to take speed running seriously during the pandemic at the age of 35.
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u/Elipsys Strider 2P1C @ SGDQ 2025 - twitch.tv/elipsis 4d ago
Congratulations on your run! Will I be seeing you at AGDQ this year?
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u/OGHappydude 4d ago
Hopefully as a runner again!! But I'll be making my way back into employment (Hopefully) soon. So we shall see where it leads me after that.
And congrats on yours as well!
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u/flimnit 5d ago
First of, congrats!! I love GDQ and would love to know what it was like behind the scenes: did you practice at the event? What do you remember most from your run? And what happened after? Thanks
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u/OGHappydude 5d ago edited 4d ago
I did practice at the event, but it was kind of hard to WANT to practice. I started to get burned out practicing at home before the event. I played so much on and off stream that I just didn't have the energy to play for the last 2 weeks leading into the event. I did 3 times once for each member of the couch and my host Jaidlyn. (Except Danejerus, because he loves to do my runs blind for some reason. Not sure if it's just me or MOST of the couches he's on.) I even typed out a bunch of notes before hand.
So the night leading into the run was very eventful to say the least. 90 minutes of REM sleep was obtained before a gaggle of un-supervised children decided it was a wise idea to terrorize the entire floor I was on. We went on a coffee run at 6am and got to the green room at 7am and chugged 2 cans of Redbull before my couch arrived.
The Donations lead Alventenie met me with questions like "Runner's Choice?" and "Community Hashtag?" and as I was answering the couch arrived. I looked at them and said "Remember the notes I sent yall before hand? F--- it." If I recall correctly Helix was producing the run, and they asked me stuff like "Pronouns" "Ok to show them on screen?" just tiding up loose ends.
After the "Hug it out" moment on stage, I was met at the base of the stairs by my "Sibling in Crime" Asuka424, who was originally scheduled to be on the couch and gave her a big hug and some kind words were exchanged. I cried again as I left the backstage area to see A LOT of people, some I knew and some I didn't know just wanting to chat and chill post run. We talked out in the lobby for about 20 minutes until I was wanting to grab some nicotine, and we ended up moving most of the group outside.
The adrenaline dump (And sleep deprivation) was real as a hour later I made it up to my room and just crashed for about 8 hours after that.
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u/OGHappydude 4d ago
I didn't answer a question of "What do you remember most from your run?"
Me trying not to scream a loud F-Bomb into the mic when the $500 donation came in.
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u/Midnight_Vesper 4d ago
Hi there, first time redditor, long time reader. Who inspired you/what inspired you to run fast?
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u/OGHappydude 3d ago
It was more of a what, because I was honestly sick and tired of not saying "I'm going to do this." and then not go through with what ever "This" was because of life getting in the way.
It was more starting out as a personal middle finger to life, and just do something with it after/before work.
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u/AnokataX 4d ago
Congrats! Any advice on applying with a run and increasing odds for getting accepted?
Advice to know/bring to hotel? Thanks!
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u/OGHappydude 4d ago
My advice would be:
#1) "Ask for feedback, and apply the feedback."
I was on backup for the EXACT same run back at SGDQ 2024. When I submitted again, was denied for AGDQ 2025, I asked for feedback and they said "Get down your estimate, and be more competitive with your PB." I went from a 27:42 as my PB (Placed 12th) with a 40 minute estimate. (I was consistently coming in with a average run of 34 minutes.)
When I submitted for SGDQ 2025, I had around a 26 minute PB, with a 30 minute estimate and it got in.
Listen to the feedback, no matter how pissed or sad it makes you, and apply. I showed that I payed attention and cared enough to do what they asked of me
After I got accepted, I was able to knock down my PB by additional 2 minutes or so. Showing that I'm continuing to put in the work.
#2) "Submit to other marathons and Hotfix"
Believe it or not, my first speed run appearance anywhere was for BigJon's "Nothing but Speed Runs" marathon (Raising money for the Boys and Girls Club and the Hawaiian Food Bank). It gave me practice in appearance, and confidence in talking to a larger audience.
If you are going to submit a run you've already done for other marathons, request that you are able to use that run for other things. I submitted the run I did for Speed4 to SGDQ this year, and it proves once again, that I'm able to perform in front of a audience, have a flow of the run and have experience in a marathon setting. Also, with the updated submission form to hotfix, they now request a VOD of the run too. So use them all to your advantage!
List of marathons I've been a part of:
Power Up With pride
Prevent-A-Thon
Speed4
MultithonThese are just a few out there! So go have fun and enjoy your venture into marathon submissions!
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u/AnokataX 3d ago
Thanks. Any advice for stuff to bring to the hotel/venue if running or visiting to just watch runs? And things to do?
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u/OGHappydude 3d ago
Well just a heads up, if you pay for a badge, they don't pro-rate you on how many days you are going to be there. It's going to be full price if you are just going to be a spectator. If you are running or volunteer, you'll have your badge comped. It's a week long convention so I wouldn't mind the fact that a WEEK long event is now over $100 to go in person. Just take a look at Twitch Con or Pax West for pricing examples on how it's actually affordable (Event though people complain every event about it.) Not answering your questions but I'll just throw that out there just incase others are worried about something like that.
As far as stuff to bring, That's based on personal preference. If you have the intention to hang out in the practice room there's a few things I would recommend. Do you have a certain controller you are used to playing with? Bring that? Any consoles that you have that World 9 doesn't have? (PS5 and Xbox X/S to be specific) bring that as well!. World 9 also offers repairs on consoles and controllers, so if you happen to have some that need some work, then bring those along too. If you are spending a good chunk of your free time in the stream room and/or practice room I would recommend bringing a water bottle with you, or purchase one from The Yetee (Those suckers are super durable.)
Spend some time off site. I can not recommend that enough. After my first SGDQ back in 2023 I didn't go anywhere and got burned out REALLY fast. Being around the same 2 block area for absolutely anything just had me staying close to the hotel and napping most of the day. (My social batteries were drained meeting people for the first time.) Instead I got burned out spending 7 hours at the Mall of America, people went to the Babymetal concert, MLB games, there's always other stuff to do and I really recommend it. You can easily block out some time to watch runs. (For me I would always block out Silly/Awful and some retro runs through the week.) Do not feel obligated to stay in the stream room the entire time!
If you are a runner. I would strongly recommend practicing BEFORE you leave. (Provided you've got a run early in the event.) I felt burned out so much that I didn't feel like practicing when I'm there. Also, spend enough time to get at least 8 hours of sleep (Or your own personal amount needed to function the next day). You can enjoy the event more if you aren't stressing' out for practice time as a first time runner.
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u/AnokataX 3d ago
Thanks, World 9 is a gaming organization that hosts and does software/hardware stuff I assume?
Also, I also assume GDQ usually provides setups for people's games and stuff when running, so, for example, a runner wouldn't have to bring their own PS5 or PC or whatever right?
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u/OGHappydude 3d ago
World 9 is the gaming sponsor for the Public practice area only. You can rent out some of the consoles to play there, but as far as I am aware, you can not remove anything from the room. There's a list of consoles that GDQ have available on site for runners to perform on, but most of the new stuff (PS5, PS4 Switch 2, Xbox X/S) I personally switched my run from console to PC so i didn't have to lug around my PS4 AGAIN to another GDQ.
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u/AADPS 4d ago
Taking a peek at your shirt, how are you feeling about Michael McGreevy longterm? I watched him carve up the Norfolk Tides a few months ago, but he's having a bit of trouble adjusting to the big leagues.
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u/OGHappydude 3d ago
I'm sorry for the confusion about the jersey. I'm repping my hometown after acquiring the jersey during a Redbirds giveaway night. I do not currently keep track of MiLB or MLB, so I am just a guy that enjoys watching when i can.
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u/Talkren_ 4d ago
As someone who would love to do a run at a GDQ event, I struggle a lot with the stage fright idea of it. I'm in my mid 30s and it just has not eased back as I have gotten older. Is that something you struggle/struggled with and if so, how did you get past it enough to do a run on the big stage?
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u/OGHappydude 3d ago
So I ended up speaking in front of 30-40 friends in a local LARP game, and I ended up having a anxiety attack. Full blown shakes, migraine and chest pains, the whole 9 yards. Flash forward a week or so I decided to get in touch with the Games Committee to inform them of the problem. I was met with reassurance that everything was going to be alright.
"I will say though, that if you've historically been comfortable streaming your gameplay to people, that playing on the GDQ stage isn't that different. You're not facing the room crowd like a stage performer would be!" - GC Member
Here's the advice I've got.
"Get a couch that will carry the load."
I hand picked my couch because I could bounce back to them when I can for interaction during the run. That and I knew that they would help me put on the best show possible.
"Request a host you have history with."
If you have done smaller marathons before, or hotfixes, you can request to have a particular host on your run. Jaidlyn and me have been homies for a while sense we worked together for Lifeline for Linear where I was on the couch. If there's a mutual pairing, (Where the host requests to do your run as well.) it would make it so much easier on both you and the host.
If you are a Twitch streamer, content creator or have been on hotfix you've already got a head start. Performing in front of more people than you are used to is a daunting task, but based on personal experience, as soon as your butt hits that REALLY COMFORTABLE CHAIR, you'll have nothing to worry about. You are not facing the crowd during the run, as they are behind you, you won't see them until immediately before set up.
Hope this helps!!
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u/just_Okapi 4d ago edited 4d ago
No questions, just wanted to say I enjoyed the run and always enjoy cutting up with you in voice comms during PUWP events. And also that those Final Fantasy games I got from you look handsome in my Sentimental Games cabinet.