TeachRun: How 3 KMs Can Change Your Entire Education Conference

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3ityFx7rjk

Have you ever walked into a massive education conference, looked at a room full of hundreds of strangers, and felt more isolated than inspired?

We spend significant time and resources traveling to these events, yet we often spend the whole day sitting in rooms struggling to make genuine connections. I’ve realized that the most impactful networking doesn’t always happen in a breakout room; sometimes, it happens on the pavement.

My Reluctant Journey to the Starting Line

If you had told me three years ago that I would be leading a running community for educators, I would have told you that you were crazy. I was probably the last person on earth who thought they would ever enjoy running. I didn’t understand why people chose an activity where their lungs burned and their brain constantly screamed to stop.

My entry into the sport was accidental. I volunteered as an assistant coach for middle school cross country at my school. I didn’t have a background in the sport, but I wanted to help with the “mental side” and the logistics. However, I didn’t want to be the coach who just stood there with a whistle. So, I started joining the runs.

It started with a single kilometer. Then three. Eventually, I found myself at the starting line of the Angkor Wat Empire Marathon in Cambodia. But the finish line wasn’t the real reward; it was the discipline and the process of becoming a better version of myself.

Why Every Educator Needs a “Moving Meditation”

As my mileage increased, I noticed a profound shift in my professional and personal life. My runs became a “moving meditation”—a space to process the day without being overwhelmed by it. Pushing through physical discomfort helped me build emotional resilience.

As a result, I feel I’ve become a more patient partner, a more present parent, and a better colleague. Most importantly, I realized that taking care of myself was the first step in taking care of my students.

The Birth of TeachRun

The idea for TeachRun hit me while I was presenting at a conference in Hong Kong. I had an urge to run, but I didn’t want to go solo. I wanted to network. I wanted to run with other educators.

That experience led to a simple model: helping education conferences create social runs where attendees can de-stress and build peer-to-peer relationships before the first session even begins.

We recently held a TeachRun at Saigon South International School’s Full STEAM Ahead conference. We met up early, ran at a conversational pace, and shared ideas. The goal wasn’t a personal record; it was to meet the person running next to you. That way, when you walk into the opening keynote, you aren’t walking into a room of strangers—you’re walking into a room of new friends.

A Global, Plug-and-Play Community

What I love most about TeachRun is that it’s bigger than one person. It is a decentralized model. We’ve already seen successful runs led by Dan Lust in Abu Dhabi and Dalton Flanagan in Guangzhou.

We empower educators to be TeachRun Leaders at the conferences they are already attending. Whether you are in Saigon, Hong Kong, or Abu Dhabi, the goal remains the same: move, connect, and grow together.

If you’re heading to a conference soon, keep an eye out for a TeachRun—or better yet, volunteer to lead one. I’ll see you at the starting line.