NYRR Pacers Talk About AAPI Representation in the Running Community
Keeping the Pace as a Family
The Lam Family
Louisa Lam
(pictured above, right)
“I’ve seen runners in various races that cheered for me on in English and various Chinese dialects.”
After giving birth to her second child in 2006, Louisa Lam started running. She eventually joined the NYRR Pace Team and has paced at 17 marathons and 45 half marathons.
“As a healthcare worker, I always want to be there when people are going through difficult times. This applied to my passion for running and I wanted to help others achieve their goals,” she said.
Louisa said that many people may not associate running with Asian Americans. When she ran her first NYRR races, she was shocked to see so many Asian American runners. Through AAPI-centered running clubs she met people who helped her expand her passion for running.
“I’ve seen runners in various races that cheered for me in English and various Chinese dialects. They will bring homemade food to races and share with each other and it is like a big family gathering.”
Running for Louisa is indeed a family activity. Her husband Otto, and their 18-year-old daughter Olivia are also NYRR Pace Team members.
“We want our children to have an active lifestyle and understand why my husband and I are passionate about running and pacing. When Olivia was young, she saw runners thank us for helping them, so she understands how meaningful it is to be a pacer.”
Otto Lam
(pictured above, left)
“I have seen a growing number of Asian running clubs with strong representation at races in the New York and New Jersey area.”
A week after his daughter was born Otto Lam crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon and keeps toeing the line year after year as pacer at various race distances. He’s paced nearly 90 marathons and half marathons.
“It is my passion to share the joy of running with others,” he said. “The magical thing about running is not about how fast or how many marathons I have done, but it is more about the lives I have touched throughout my running journey.”
Originally from Hong Kong, Otto said while growing up there it was unusual to see a large running community. “Running, especially distance running was a very unusual sport back in those days.”
When he moved to New York, he was surprised by the large Asian population in the running community and said, “in recent years, I have seen a growing number of Asian running clubs with strong representation at races in the New York and New Jersey area.”
He said his daughter loved tagging along with him and his wife to NYRR races in Central Park and that they signed her up for Rising New York Road Runners events whenever possible. Their daughter started pacing for NYRR last year.
“Through pacing, my daughter has learned the importance of discipline and responsibility, she has also realized the true meaning of helping and supporting others and giving back to the community. She has the confidence to step up and take on new challenges.”
Olivia Lam
(pictured above, middle)
“Every time I pace or run a race, especially an NYRR race, I never need to look far to find a fellow Asian American runner.”
For Olivia, running has been a major part of her childhood. Having two pacers as parents, they often took weekend trips for races where she cheered them on at the finish line. Eventually, she wanted to cross the finish line herself. Encouraged by her father, she began running in 2017 and finished her first half marathon a year later.
“After I started running half marathons and became more exposed to long distance running, I became interested in pacing. I wanted to take my passion for running to the next level and start giving back to the community. When a pacing opportunity came for NYRR, I was extremely excited to join,” she said.
She said as an Asian American runner, she sometimes feels that talking with another Asian American runner during a race is easier maybe because they have more in common through shared cultural values.
“But I think it’s also important to acknowledge that we are all runners at the end of the day, regardless of where we are from. During a race, we're connected by the goal of reaching the finish line.”
She added that personally, she hasn’t felt a lack of AAPI representation in the running community. “Every time I pace or run a race, especially an NYRR race, I never need to look far to find a fellow Asian American runner.”
Running and Representation
Ricky Ma
(Photo provided by MarathonFoto)
“I believe that it's essential to represent Asian Americans in the running community to prove that we are capable of achieving so much more.”
After graduating from college and working at a sedentary job, Ricky Ma realized he had to start living a more active life. He started running and has now run and paced multiple half marathons.
“When I first started running, I never thought completing a half marathon was possible for me. As an Asian American, the lack of representation in the running community only strengthened my belief that people like me were not physically built for athletics. But my perspective changed when I discovered a friend from college, who is also Asian American, was a pacer with NYRR,” he said.
He leads the “sexy pace” group, a comfortable, conversational pace that allows runners to chat and enjoy the scenery. He hopes to help runners cross the finish line stronger than they thought possible.
Ricky said he feels that the Asian American community is significantly underrepresented in the running world. He attributes some of this to the fact that many Asian Americans are first or second-generation immigrants brought up to prioritize academic and professional success over athletics.
“I believe that it's essential to represent Asian Americans in the running community to prove that we are capable of achieving so much more. By breaking down cultural barriers and representing Asian Americans in the running community, I hope to inspire others to pursue their passions and achieve their goals.”
Shanshan Feng
(Photo provided by MarathonFoto)
“The amount of support I received in the Asian American community is incredible.”
Shanshan Feng grew up in a small city in China and started running when she was in the second grade. Her father encouraged her run to school every day while he biked alongside her. By middle school, she was running 4 miles.
“I cried so hard in the beginning but eventually got used to it,” she said.
She stopped running for many years after that but started running again in 2013 when she moved to New York for graduate school. Then, when her father passed away in 2016, she turned to running to deal with the grief.
“I found so much peace, joy, and power from it.”
She started pacing for NYRR in 2019 because she thought it would be “really cool to hold a steady pace and hit a time goal and at the same time help people.”
“The amount of support I received in the Asian American community is incredible. There are some Chinese American running clubs in the area - Misty Mountain Runners, NewBee, Bergen Runners, Love Run. We all cheer for each other.” She added that they also bring refreshments to share after the race.
“Nothing feels better than a cup of hot ginger tea after frigid winter races – warms my body and heart.”
She said she sees a lack of Asian American representation in the NYC running community and that she’d like to see more Asian American elite runners.
"I really hope there are more Asian American Olympians, being role models for future generations. It would also be great to have more public tracks in Asian neighborhoods around Queens and Brooklyn, to give more people easier access to the sport.”
Henry Wang
“As more people from diverse backgrounds engage in sports, it can help break down cultural barriers and promote inclusivity.”
Growing up, Henry Wang was told by his immigrant family that being overweight meant you were doing well financially but when he got to high school and couldn’t finish a 1.5-mile run, he wanted to get in shape.
“So, I started running and learning everything I could about it. I decided to study exercise physiology in college.”
Now, over a decade later, he has paced for the New York City Marathon, the NYC Half, and the Brooklyn Half and said he’s noticed more Asian Americans in the running community with the emergence of Asian-centered run clubs.
“It's a refreshing change and shows how the Asian community is adapting to the sport. Traditionally, when I think of Asians and fitness, it's often Tai Chi or martial arts that come to mind.”
He added, however, that as a father of preteens he has noticed the lack of Asian American representation in track and field for young athletes.
“Sports can have a positive impact on young people. As more people from diverse backgrounds engage in sports, it can help break down cultural barriers and promote inclusivity.”
Henry will be leading the 1:30 pace group at the RBC Brooklyn Half and tells runners that he “hopes to get in a few miles with you!”
Learn more about the NYRR Pace Team.