William Lu

Koreatown Run Club – 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐕 – 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 ⁣ This is the story about how 17 individuals were brought together with a singular mission in mind: To get from Santa Monica to Las Vegas, as fast as possible… while on foot. Grab your popcorn and settle in, you’re in for a bumpy ride. ⁣ (𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘨𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘬𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘣-𝘳𝘳𝘷-𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵2026/ 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘰. 𝘋𝘰 𝘪𝘵... 𝘕𝘖𝘞!) To understand what TSP means to me, we’re going back to the very first time I’ve ever run with KRC. ⁣ ⁣ 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘦 30𝘵𝘩, 2021 – Wednesday Night Love Hour⁣ ⁣ I’ve learned about the famous Koreatown Run Club through their instagram and always wanted to check it out. When I saw that my buddy Greg ran with them, I told him to let me know the next time he rolls through so I could join. That’s when he introduced me to Annie Cun, a mutual friend of our’s sister. They started talking about this thing called TSP and I had no clue what it was aside from it sounding really cool. As soon as I got home that night, I immediately looked it up. ⁣ ⁣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, a relay race from the Santa Monica sign to the Las Vegas sign. “𝘕𝘰 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘕𝘰 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴”. To this day, I never really understood that motto, but the more I looked into it, the more I thought about how crazy this race was, and how cool it would be to run it one day. ⁣ ⁣ Well, the time came and I got that chance… (Continued in the link in bio.) 📸: @jmsungg @eric.ha @tim_0thy_

No rules. Just miles. Santa Monica to Vegas. Next week, I’m running @thespeedproject with a legendary team of 8 runners, 6 crew keeping us alive, and 3 media capturing all the highs and lows. Representing @koreatownrunclub and this year’s Road Rules V team, somehow I also get the honor of co-captaining alongside @jeremiah.jay.cooley … no pressure 😅 Nervous. Excited. But ready to 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗧. We’re also fundraising for an amazing organization @chirla_org so if you have the means, please donate! side note: I’m way more comfortable being behind the camera than in front of it, but this felt like a special occasion. Huge thanks for the 📸 @jmsungg @eric.ha and @tim_0thy_ no more 💪, I’m shy 🫣

LA Marathon 2026 The year these runners set the course on fire. 💥🔥

A friend once told me “Sometimes dancing with death is needed to remind us of life.” I went into this journey chasing the secret of the pharaoh’s powers, instead I suffered his curse. I began this trip sicker than I’ve ever been while traveling, but it was worth it to experience memories of a lifetime. From the Pyramids of Giza to the Valley of the Kings, cruising along the Nile River, dodging persistent hawkers, and wandering through countless ancient temples, Egypt definitely reminded me of mysteries of life. 📸 mostly me, but also credits to @thechristiandelrosario @sil.visser and @ditha !

I was pretty hesitant on throwing an event for my birthday because well… I never plan anything for myself! It was last minute and kinda stressful but definitely one of the highs of this roller coaster-ey year. Thanks for making 35 such a memorable one 🥺 I told myself this would be one and done but… all of you are making me reconsider… 🤔 Shoutout to EVERYONE that helped or contributed in any way, and @portraitspacela for allowing me to host there.

I never really wanted my instagram posts to be all running related stuff… but I guess the training cycles… and cycles of life just kind of made it that way. Be forewarned, before you read any further and blame me for wasting a bunch of time, this block-o-text is going be more like a life update/blog and not just a pure race report. I guess I’ll start from where we last left off… which is Post Chicago Marathon (at this point, already 9 months ago). I was happy with the results, but I knew there was still more work ahead as I continued recovering from my injury. I took it easy (as you should after a marathon), still running—sometimes with friends, but mostly just for fun. In fact, this was probably the most fun I’ve had running in as long as I can remember. No pressure to hit weekly mileage or nail workouts—just enough running to stay in shape and even make a few small gains. Work wise, family photoshoots started to pick up, but I still had time to explore and go on random adventures. I stayed up late (occasionally not sleeping at all), ate a lot, busted some mission impossibles… life was fun. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m making it sound like marathon training sucks and will consume your entire life. I mean, part of that IS true. It really does take up a LOT of time, but it generally doesn’t “suck”. When you have fast goals though… it does require a certain level of “locked in-ingness.” So… knowing that a certain desert race was coming up, I made sure that I kept myself in shape through the rest of fall and into winter. You know, just in case. That didn’t end up happening for me, and I’d be lying if I said I was unphased. In fact, I was totally bummed out about it for a while. But things happen in life for a reason right? I just… didn’t know the reason, yet… By the way, let me make it clear that I hold zero animosity towards it and it probably ended up being better that I didn’t end up running it. (Continued here... /2025sucks/ link also in bio for ease of clicking.) Love you mom ❤️ 📸 Slides 1-2 @dinelaofficial

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒.⁣ Initially, getting into this race was about redemption after my poor performance in Seoul. But as training progressed … somehow it became SO much more. ⁣ There’s a saying, “𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨,” and this past year, it has definitely been hitting hard. I’ve been experiencing more lows than highs, more lost than found. I really felt like I needed a win. So I’ve been pouring my energy on training for this race because it felt like the one thing I could control.⁣ So, I trained hard… maybe too hard because towards the end of my cycle I ended up getting injured. At one point, my leg hurt so much that I couldn’t even muster up the strength to run a mile. As much as I tried to stay positive and just be happy for my first World Marathon Major (and first trip to Chicago), I couldn’t even get myself to plan anything. I’ve never gone into a marathon feeling so uncertain. ⁣ Before I knew it, race day was upon me. I was in Chicago, and with the support of SO many people… I decided fuck it, we just SEND IT and do the best we can. People believed in me, so it’d be an insult to them to not give it my all. I locked in, and maybe locked in a little TOO much because the entire race was a blur. It’s only been a few days and I don’t even remember running through the streets of Chicago. I was overwhelmed by the crowds of both runners and supporters, and though my mind wandered from time to time, I kept the goal in mind. ⁣ I really needed a win in life. And I got one. Chicago Marathon 2024 – 3:25:40. New PR! Shoutouts @koreatownrunclub I wouldn't be chasing majors or faster times if it weren't for this amazing running community. Speaking of which, @lombardyrunningclub also deserves a huge thank you as it became somewhat of a second home during this cycle. @ohjonoh you've actually been a part of my last 4 marathons, it's always comforting to know that you're blazing the trail for us. Not much more needs to be said aside from "PR OR DIE!" @lnxsrv last but not least, you've kinda been the MVP... from tagging along demon hour runs, forcing me to rest, and even dropping me off and picking me up at the airport. THX 🫘

𝘾𝙊𝙋𝙀𝙉𝙃𝘼𝙂𝙀𝙉 2024 This visit to Denmark was born out of convenience, but it was one that I definitely needed to distract me from the stresses of life. I didn't plan anything, didn't know what to expect, but it most definitely left a lasting impression on me. Add it to your list of places to see... just don't expect much from the Little Mermaid 🧜‍♀️ . . On another note... it's been a good minute since I've worked on photos from my leisure trips (I have YEARS of backlog), but I needed a break from reality... so I spent today doing just that. Special thanks to @jcheeeee (AKA Voldemort) because this trip wouldn't have happened without you and stealing your itinerary 😂 My first trip there but definitely not my last... who wants to go with me next time so I have company for Tivoli?

work hard, play hard 🥷🏽🍊

KRC's finest taking on Twilight 5000 @koreatownrunclub

I never thought I would have people singing Happy Birthday to me in July, but I also never thought I'd meet such a wonderful and caring group of people in Romania. It's better every year, and I come back because of all the familiar and new faces that I get to see. This time, you guys even gave me a notebook filled with messages! Though... some were written in Romanian, so I guess I'm going to have to work on my vocabulary. 😅 Mulţumesc Romania, until next time! 🇷🇴

KRC Road Rules III The Speed Project Earlier this year, @c0nd12 asked me whether I'd be interested in joining his TSP team as a photographer, and even though I didn't quite know what I'd be getting myself into, I said yes. After going through it this past weekend, I am SO glad I did. Although I wasn't running this crazy LA to Vegas relay race, it became a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. 8 runners, 4 crew members, and me. If I said I wasn't nervous about this whole thing, that would be a complete lie. Though I've been a photographer for many years, this was FAR from what I typically photographed. I also wasn't too familiar with anyone on the team. Sure, I've ran and talked with a few of them here and there, but I wasn't really close with any of them. On top of that, these guys were FAST, so I knew that it would be challenging. But despite all that, I made it my goal to capture and create memories for everyone to look back on. I come out of this event with people who I can now call my friends. Forging a “weird bond” ( @matt_c_goodman words, not mine 🤣) from a journey through the desert. One filled with laughter, hunger, angry dogs, sleep depivation, and so much more.  Thank you @koreatownrunclub for allowing me to be part of this adventure.  Thank you Road Rules for accepting me as part of the team.  Thank you (and congrats) to everyone that was a part of TSP ‘24 whether you were a runner, crew, photographer/videographer, or if you simply just came out to support. 🫶