Runners of SAS: Michael Kwan

A lot of us know Mr. Kwan as our Asian History teacher, myself included. But outside of the classroom, he’s also the head coach of SASPD’s cross-country team and, per an anonymous source, a “mileage demon.” 

Mr. Kwan’s athletic experience didn’t begin with cross country. Throughout high school and college, he instead played hockey and lacrosse at a high level. 

These fast-paced, high-contact sports do not exactly translate into cross-country running. Nevertheless, two years ago, Mr. Kwan decided to begin running and subsequently joined the SAS cross-country team as a coach. He explained that finding a “community in Shanghai to run with allowed [him] to really get into running.” 

Just four months into his running journey, Mr. Kwan’s newfound passion for running led to an ambitious personal goal: the 2024 Shanghai Marathon. The 42-kilometer race dwarfs the distances usually run in cross-country meets and is seen as the quintessential achievement for long-distance runners. To prepare, he ran about 150 kilometers a month, helping him finish his first-ever marathon in under four hours. 

Mr. Kwan notes that the Shanghai Marathon was a particularly memorable experience because he had “Achilles issues afterwards and could barely walk for three weeks.” His dedication towards the goal allowed him to push through pain and setbacks, a testament to his perseverance and grit — qualities he now encourages in his athletes on the cross-country team. 

But Mr. Kwan’s enthusiasm for running goes beyond training and coaching; he also knows a thing or two about running shoes. He spoke excitedly about the expo at the Shanghai Marathon, where “you get to try on different shoes.” (If you need running shoe recommendations, you know who to talk to.) 

Mr. Kwan’s running career raises an obvious question: how does he complete the grueling 42-kilometer distance, run countless kilometers a week, and still have the energy to manage exuberant freshmen in his Asian History classes? 

“You’re just running for yourself,” he replied. “You can set your own goals as high or low as you want.” 

For Mr. Kwan, the SAS running community opened the door to exciting new challenges that he might have never pursued otherwise. For the rest of us, that door might not be a marathon; it might not even be related to running at all. As he reminds us, we get to set our own goals. And we don’t have to be experienced runners to get started.