Photo via howtoJimmyK

Jimmy Kruyne says he didn’t think his mid-morning stunt would turn into an Internet sensation. We’re not really sure if we believe that, but whatever.

“I turned on the news to see how bad this hurricane would be, and woudln’t you know Megan McGrath is around the corner,” Kruyne says, referring to the NBC4 reporter who was doing a live shot in Bloomingdale. With residents of the low-lying Ward 5 neighborhood bracing for Hurricane Sandy after a year in which numerous houses have been deluged even by minor rainstorms, Kruyne says he was interested in getting into McGrath’s coverage. “This hurricane is pretty serious, and I thought I could make people laugh,” he says.

And laugh they did. Kruyne stripped off his shirt, donned a pair of black running shorts, and grabbed a horse mask he had lying around his apartment. He along Rhode Island Avenue, behind McGrath, and within seconds the NBC4 camera was focused on him. The segment was tweeted, retweeted, memorialized on YouTube and thoroughly blogged. Whether he was seeking Internet fame or not, it took all of 90 minutes for Kruyne to become a happy distraction from the misery being inflicted by Hurricane Sandy.

But here’s why we don’t buy the argument that he wasn’t looking for Internet virality: He’s been congratulated on his prankster ways before, being named “Class Clown” in his graduating class at C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Va. in 2003.

As for the horse mask? Kruyne, a 27-year-old account executive at a local advertising agency, says he bought it a couple of years ago “just for fun.”

Hurricane Sandy, though, might not be so fun for Kruyne, whose basement apartment flooded during a downpour this summer. He stocked up on sandbags last weekend and is working from home during the hurricane, at least until the power goes out.

So whether he was looking for brief fame or not, Kruyne’s got some now. And as evidence for his new status as a meme, at least one local business is seeking to cash in on the sensation of the horse-mask jogger. Bar Pilar on 14th Street NW extended its happy hour tonight, featuring a special guest:


Kruyne hints that the small-plates restaurant didn’t tell him in advance, though. “Is this really happening?” DCist asks.

“Not that I know of, could be fun but will probably play it safe,” he replies.

Welcome to Internet fame, Jimmy. Of course, the gag wasn’t without its flaws:

“I think the only regret that I have is that I had started working out three months ago so I didn’t look as tubby.”

Oh, hell, let’s watch the video again:

Filed Under: bar pilar, bloomingdale, horse mask, jimmy kruyne, jogging, running, viral,