The SF Marathon Ambassador Team brings together diverse, talented, and enthusiastic athletes. Each runner has a unique story and running history. Meet our 2012-2013 Ambassadors!
Albert Pham - Cupertino, California
Albert is a Bay Area transplant originally from Portland, OR. He is a 2nd year SFM Ambassador and this will be his 4th year running the SFM. He has been a marathon pacer for the race in addition to completing the Half it All and the 52.4 Challenges. He is very active in the running community and has been a pacer for numerous half and full marathons. He is a Silicon Valley software engineer during the day, part-time master’s student in the evening, and full-time running enthusiast. One of his goals for 2013 is to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
Aletta Kennedy – Marina del Ray, California
Hopelessly addicted to running, especially if there is a headlamp involved. The longer the distance, the better. Ultrarunner, Nutrition grad student (soon-to-be Registered Dietitian), ACSM certified Personal Trainer & avid yogini…so you might often find her in downward dog. 2013 will (hopefully!) mark her first 100miler and a shiny marathon PR later on in the year.
Alisyn Gularte – Placerville, California
Alisyn Gularte, a native to the Bay Area is ecstatic to be representing The San Francisco Marathon as a 2013 Ambassador for a second year. A running convert, Alisyn has been running strong for the last four years smiling every stride of the way. Alisyn’s first love is running of course, but she also enjoys swimming, dancing, yoga, pilates, and Stand Up Paddle Boarding. A strong sprinter, Alisyn looks forward to running many laps around the track in hopes of improving her sprint time. Another goal she hopes to accomplish this year is to pop her ultra running cherry by hitting the trails that she absolutely loves and running a 50k! You can find Alisyn on Twitter or visit her blog at Runinsyn.com.
Alyssa Yell – San Francisco, California
I began running seriously (and by “seriously” I mean more than a couple times a year) in 2009. I had quit smoking and my addictive-personality self needed a new hobby. A former coworker convinced me to sign up for a half marathon in our hometown of Minneapolis, and I’ve been hooked on the energy at races since. You won’t find me tearing by racers or setting course records, but you will find me ascending the hills of San Francisco daily, running dozens of races of all distances yearly, and trying to get people to join me along the way! -I signed up for the San Francisco Marathon immediately after moving to the City in 2010, and the race holds a very special place in my heart. I am honored to be back again as an Ambassador for 2013 — I love setting running goals, taking on new challenges, and meeting runners in real life and virtually, so shoot me a message if you want to talk all-things SFM!
Anthony So – San Marino, California
From running his first full marathon to attempting his first full distance triathlon (140.6mi), pushing limits is part of Anthony’s regular vocabulary. Since his stumble into athleticism in 2006, Anthony has competed in over 25 triathlons and 17 running events. After seeing an athletic résumé like this, some could consider Anthony to be one of the more athletic people they know. But to his former USC Triathlon teammates, they know him to be one of the laziest athletes around! -Just as you toe the start line in the moments before the gun goes off, the flush of adrenaline surges through your veins; a bounce in your step paired with deepened breaths; and a jitteriness that just doesn’t go away. You wonder for a moment if you should have taken that extra pee break before you came up to the start line…-Whether you finish first or don’t finish at all, racing lets you experience a moment in life when you can feel the most alive. -The truth is, Anthony is not a professional athlete. He is far from being an elite/amateur or even a competitive age-grouper! His training regimen does not include the words LSD, speed-work or intervals. In reality, work gets hectic, life gets busy – training more often than not, is on the back burner or not even off the stove! Regardless of athletic performance, Anthony’s goal at every race is to enjoy life’s moments. -For 2013, Anthony will be participating in the SoCal Super Spartan, LA Marathon and the Wipro SF Marathon. His goals for 2013 are to be punctual and to take life less seriously.
Aron Eichhorn – Concord, California
Aron started running in 2008 after she became bored with her workout routine and was looking for a new challenge. She had never run more than 3 miles before, but decided to train for a marathon! As the distances grew longer, she fell more in love with running, and after crossing the finish line to her first marathon (San Francisco!) in August 2008, she was hooked. Since then she has gone from marathons to ultra-marathons and from roads to trails, always following wherever her running shoes want to take her. Her shoes always take her back to The San Francisco Marathon, and she hasn’t missed race weekend since that first one that started it all. She is the author of runner’s rambles blog, where she chronicles all her training, as well as pictures of the pretty places she explores around the Bay Area. When she isn’t running, she works full time as a CPA and spends time with her husband and pets in the East Bay.
Beki Berrey – Santa Rosa, California
Coming soon
Bruce Ahlf – Tucson, Arizona
Hi! My name is Bruce Ahlf. I’m 59 years old and live in Tucson, Az. I am originally from St. Paul, Mn. I have been running just a little over two years. It just proves you are never to old to start. I run over 1500 miles a year. I have run 51 races since I started running including 2 full marathons and 9 half marathons. Running is my passion. I would not trade it for anything. One of my mantras is, “Start Strong, Finish Strong.”
Celia Kujala – New York, New York
Celia spent most of her early life figure skating. It was not until she moved to New York City after graduating from college and signed up to run the 2009 NYC Marathon with the Team for Kids charity team that she started running and quickly fell in love with the sport. Since then she has completed many races of all distances through the marathon, but her favorite distance remains the marathon and she has completed ten marathons. Out of all the races she has done, the 2012 San Francisco Marathon remains her favorite race despite the course’s notorious difficulty. She enjoyed every moment from start to finish and ran her current PR of 3:29:21. It is possible to PR in San Francisco. – In the coming year she is looking forward to being a San Francisco Marathon Ambassador and would be happy to talk to anyone about her love of the race. She is also looking forward to running her first Boston Marathon and then returning to the West Coast to complete the Boston 2 Big Sur Challenge and the San Francisco Marathon. – Celia is a RRCA-Certified Coach. She blogs at runningseal.com and her twitter is @runningseal.
Charlene Ragsdale – Las Vegas, Nevada
In my Youth – I was a Champion Sprinter, but I could never run long distances. Fast Forward to May 2010 – 48 years old. My youngest son challenges me to run 1 mile. I barely made it at 25+ minutes. I trained and RAN my first ever Half Marathon on December 5, 2010 – in my own city, Las Vegas, NV. In 2011 – I will have ran over 20 races (various distances). In 2012 – I will have ran over 30 races (various distances). My 2013 goals – Finish my first Ultra Marathon in the Spring and work with my speed coach to improve my performance in my favorite distances of 5k’s and Half Marathon. Of course, returning to SFM to finish the First Half and receive my second LA/SF Challenge Medal. RRCA Cert Running Coach & IFA Cert Sports Nutritionist. Sponsored by RobKellerMD.com, SF Ambassador 2012-13, Half Fanatic #1508/Marathon Maniac #5901, KT Tape Sponsored Athlete. www.FabRunning.com. For a complete listing of all my races – please go to my Athlinks.com profile: I am a Social Media/Brand Manager for my own company that serves celebrity clients. Married, two school-aged boys, 2 dogs and one hamster. Resides and works in Las Vegas, NV.
Christopher Maraña Malenab – Sacramento, California
Christopher Malenab, was born, raised and currently lives in Sacramento, CA. A soccer coach by day and marathon / fitness junkie by night, he is the founder of Malenab Soccer and currently Executive Director of Coerver Cal North, LLC. Christopher took a chance while in college to start his own soccer training company while finishing his degree with a Bachelors in Sociology at CSU Sacramento. Soccer has allowed Christopher to explore and travel the world, having coached games and instructed camps in 9 different countries. He has completed 11 marathons (3 of which are The SF Marathon) and 17 half marathons. When he isn’t on a soccer field or running he is busy blogging on his website, Tweeting @chrismalenab, or posting photos on Instagram @chrismalenab
Chris Kovalchick – Portland, Oregon
Chris Kovalchick is an engineer by day, runner by morning and night from Portland, Oregon. He returns to the SF Marathon this summer as an Ambassador, the same race he ran as his first full marathon in 2008. He is looking forward to his 4th consecutive Boston Marathon this year, and is even more hopeful to someday go sub-2:40 in the marathon and gain respect in the utopia of Portlandia. My goal = break 2:40 in the Berlin Marathon.
Courtney Alev – San Francisco, California
Courtney Alev is a local San Franciscan residing across the street of her beloved Golden Gate Park. She fell in love with running while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer on the beaches of Mozambique, Africa where there weren’t many other options for exercise. Running became a way to clear her head after she realized she truly does need 10K to warm up! She completed her first marathon in Big Sur in May 2011, which she considered to be a one-time, bucket list accomplishment. Within a week after finishing, she signed up for two more! Courtney has completed seven marathons, including 2 SFMs, and is working towards her first Ultramarathon and her first Half Ironman Triathlon in 2013. Outside of running, Courtney can be found working at a tech startup in the heart of SF, blogging about food, travel, and running on her <a href=”http://www.pancakesandpostcards.com”>blog</a>, Pancakes and Postcards, or eating her way through the city’s culinary delights. If you want a local running buddy or just someone to talk about SF or pancakes with, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.
Daniela Vasquez – Denver, Colorado
My name is Daniela and I live in Denver, CO; where’s there’s sunshine 300 days per year, and the other 65, well, they’re just cold! I started running in 2009 (so I still consider myself a semi-newbie at this). I have run now 3 marathons (The San Francisco Marathon, San Diego and Denver), 8 half marathons (1 of those includes a taste of trail running, completing the Bear Chase ½ marathon here in Colorado), a few 10Ks and of course, and countless miles in between all of those races. I’m a big fan of the running community, everyone is super supportive, and you get to meet people from all walks of life, and I must say, some of my dearest friends, I have met during our very long runs in the snowy springs. I have already started training for next year’s races, and have my calendar already filling up! When I’m not running, I work with bands doing live sound at concerts, and I also teach Yoga at a studio called Qi Yoga in Denver. Always working to keep my life in balance.
David Pierson – Jacksonville, Florida
I was raised in Kansas City, flew helicopters in Viet Nam, left the military after seven years service with the rank of Captain, and finally settled in Jacksonville, FL in 1981 where I have been an Air Conditioning and Electrical contractor ever since.-I started running in 2004 as part of my exercise plan to get healthier. I went from 242 pounds to 150 pounds and I am now much healthier. -In 2011 my wife, Sylvia, and I decided to run a local marathon. We had previously run a half marathon in 2007, but we had only run 5 and 10K’s since then. As we trained for the full marathon our love for running grew, consequentially, we now regularly win or place in our age groups.-Last year besides my regular job I was the “Race Director” for a local charity run. We had over 230 runners for our inaugural run and raised over $4,000 for the Women and Children’s Shelter in downtown Jacksonville.-I now teach a class on Wednesday evenings called “Run For God” (runforgod.com). This 5K Challenge is a practical guide to running and a 12-week training plan aimed at running a 5K while maintaining a Christian focus. -This past year we have run in three half marathons and two full marathons. I am looking forward to running in many local races this year and setting some personal records. Last year we ran in San Francisco while we were there on business (I still do some Electrical Contracting). We fell in love with San Francisco and decided to run in the 2013 SF Marathon so we are thrilled to be SF Marathon Ambassadors and look forwarded to telling everyone we know all about it.
Elise Nelson – Santa Cruz, California
I am a runner and triathlete who trains with Santa Cruz Endurance in Santa Cruz, California. Born and raised in Minnesota, I moved to the Bay Area in 2010 for graduate school, where I really fell in love with running and discovered triathlons. I started running in 2007, after healing from an ACL repair surgery in 2002 and a second knee surgery in 2005. My first race was a 10k in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and since then I’ve run more than 3 dozen races of all different distances, finishing 11 in 2011 and 18 in 2012. In 2012 I completed my first half ironman distance race triathlon, The Big Kahuna in Santa Cruz, finishing in a time a 6:41. I started CrossFit in August of 2012, and have loved seeing the improvements CrossFit has brought to my endurance sports. In 2013, I will complete at least one half ironman, going for a sub-6 hour half ironman, and hope to PR with a sub-4 hour time in the marathon (perhaps at SFM 2013!). I am a blogger and can also be followed on Instagram or Twitter: @PhDStrides
Emily Favret – New York, New York
A sports publicist by day and runner by night, Emily lives in New York City in the Upper West Side neighborhood. An avid yogi, Soul Cycle fan and local lululemon Run Club participant, Emily can most frequently be found running in Central Park or the Hudson River run path in bright yellow running gear. She has run two marathons, countless half marathons and hopes to conquer her first trail race out west this summer. Other 2013 running goals include becoming a morning runner (help!), mapping-out smarter training plans, making time for speed and strength work and finally running the ING New York City Marathon. This summer’s race will be Emily’s third year with SFM and after two great years with the First Half Marathon, her first year running the full 26.2. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram – @iliveinyellow.
Heather Gonzalez – Irvine, California
Heather Gonzalez is a mom, wife, and full time customer service manager from Orange County, CA. Heather began running out of jealousy – her friend was running the Disney Princess Half Marathon, and she wanted to go, too. She ran her first mile in October, 2010, and has run 10 half marathons, 3 marathons, and 1 overnight relay – she plans to add a 50-miler to her resume in 2013. When she’s not wrangling kids or fighting LA traffic, Heather can be found watching bad TV on the treadmill, running the OC hills, or eating. In 2011, her youngest daughter, Gabby, was diagnosed with leukemia. Since then, Heather has been active in the pediatric cancer awareness community, and has raised over $10,000 for Team Gab and Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. Heather tweets (A LOT) at @hmgiraffy, and blogs (sometimes) at 365awesomedays.blogspot.com
Holly Batchelder – Houston, Texas
Although I technically ran cross country in high school, I’ve only considered myself a runner for about 12 years. In that time I’ve gone from not being able to run a mile to completing 6 marathons and ~8 half marathons (no idea how many other distance races). I’ve taken ~75 minutes off my marathon PR, and I discovered the fabulous and supportive online running community. -2012 has been both an incredible year and an incredibly frustrating year. On the downside, I suffered my first significant injury (no running for 2 months). On the other hand, I made my first comeback from injury, I am honored to have been selected as an ambassador for Oiselle, I discovered the SFM (and became an ambassador) and I’ve set 2 new PRs (10K and ½ marathon). I’m excited for what 2013 holds- hopefully the elusive BQ! -In addition to tweeting away the day, I’m married to my training partner/pacer/best friend. I also work as a finance manager (controller) for an energy consulting company. I’m a die-hard college football fan (SEC) with an affinity for loveable losers and a self-professed shopaholic who loves all things J Crew and Nordstrom. -It was love at first run for me and the SFM in 2012, and I can’t wait to share the experience with each of you in 2013. Holly Batchelder, Houston, TX – @fashionablemile – http://fashionablemiles.com/
Janey Keegan – San Francisco, California
Janey Keegan is our good luck charm, hailing from the lovely Ireland. An Irish native, she has been living in SF for over 5 years. She settled here after her BA in Outdoor Education took her travelling around the world. She has been running and racing for almost 5 years, and completed numerous half marathons, triathlons, duathlons and 3 full marathons to date, with another 2 and her main goal of her first 50 mile ultra in 2013. SFM 2012 was her first marathon and most amazing one as, after she crossed the finish line of the 26.2 SFM she was greeted with her medal and a gorgeous diamond ring and proposal!! (she said yes!!!) Janey is an avid rock climber, surfer and snowboarder. When she is not adventuring and pounding the pavement she can be found working with infants as a Childbirth Educator and Postpartum Doula. And if she’s not doing any of those things, she can be found playing guitar and trad music and generally just embracing life 
Jon Turner – Cary, North Carolina
My wife and I live in North Carolina where we are very active with a number of local run groups. I’m an engineer and Gulf War Veteran. As a 7 star member of the Marathon Maniacs, I ran my 50th lifetime marathon in 2012. I love running as an official pacer for races, and plan on returning as a pacer at San Francisco again in 2013. My big goal for 2013 is to run more Ultras, including at a least a 100k.
Josephine Rodgers – Mamaroneck, New York
I started ‘running’ on a treadmill during college because I thought that was what you were supposed to do at the gym. It’s no wonder I ended up quitting the gym, taking a break from running and gaining a few pounds. A few later (2009) I started running for my health, for the gear, and for race bling! I am a proud back of the pack runner chasing down the middle, mid-packers look out!. My 2013 goals are to PR at the 10k, 13.1 and maybe even 26.2 distances. Also to choose and start training for my 1st ultra marathon. https://twitter.com/joesahfeen
Keith Schlottman – Tucson, Arizon
I’m a recreational runner from Tucson, Arizona. You’ll find me at a race nearly every weekend, because I absolutely love to be surrounded by all the happy runners at events. I usually bring my camera and take photos of other runners to share, and I’ve noticed that they are almost always smiling. Although I stay busy with business, family, and hobby activities, running is a major priority in my life. Running has improved my quality of life, so I try to give back by serving as volunteer Treasurer of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners, and I produce a free podcast called “SunRunner Podcast”. I’ll run just about any distance, but my favorite is the marathon. In 2012 I finished 15 marathons in cities all over the United States, and I can honestly say that the best event is the San Francisco Marathon!
Kelsey Godfrey – Townsend, Tennessee
Kelsey Godfrey. 21 years old. Only child. Born and raised in East Tennessee. Hates ketchup. Senior at University of Tennessee. 10 half marathons to date. Fat kid turned half marathoner. Lookint to lsoe weight, get healthy, and become a good runner. I represent all the runners who are in the back of the pack and rocking it! Goal for 2013: Graduate college and rock SFM.
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Kristin Tarr – San Francisco, California
Kristin was born in the Midwest, grew up on the Central Coast of California, and finally settled in the Bay Area after graduating from Chico State in 2005. Kristin has played sports most of her life, she enjoys the thrill of taking on challenges and conquering personal and professional goals. Long distance running became a passion for her in 2008 when she took the challenge of training for and running the San Francisco Marathon. Since then she has run many relays, half marathons, marathons and various other races. Besides running, Kristin loves to snowboard in Tahoe in the winters and spend time with her friends and family. She is a NASM certified personal trainer, an RRCA certified run coach, and a run club leader for lululemon athletica in San Francisco. When she’s not out running, Kristin is the communications manager at CloudFlare, a thriving Internet startup focusing on web performance and security.
Krissy Murphy – Charlottesville, Virginia
NEVER in a hundred million lightyears could I have imagined that I would become a runner, but for some reason in the summer of 2010, I decided to lace up my shoes and try the Couch to 5K program – and I haven’t looked back since! In the past 2+ years, I’ve challenged myself to many distance events, and have enjoyed everything about the sport: from the personal challenge, to the exhilaration of race day, the philanthropic aspect and most importantly, the camaraderie. My idea of a perfect day is running a race in costume (probably at a runDisney race) or cheering at the top of my lungs with the brightest and sparkliest sign! In 2013, I am excited to continue my quest to reach my elusive Boston Qualifying time (I am 8 minutes away) and maybe even try an ultra!
Laura Baldwin – San Francisco, California
Laura Baldwin is a Bay Area native looking forward to completing her second SF Marathon in 2013. While a student at Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, Laura grew a passion for long-distance running. She completed her first half marathon, City to the Sea, in October 2006, and her first marathon one year later in San Francisco. From there, she came to love running in SF, with its gorgeous bay views, challenging hills, and plentiful trails. Laura is a Financial Analyst and also enjoys cooking, traveling, and cheering on the SF Giants.
Laura Langerwerf – Sacramento, California
Being a runner isn’t just something I do. It’s something I am. It has become one of my defining qualities and a huge part of my life. Helping others to run and enjoy running brings a smile to my face every day. I love this quote… “If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.” – John Bingham. – I started running for recreation years ago in high school and college. Then five years ago one of my good friends, a marathon runner, was hit by a car while running and suffered a brain injury she is still dealing with today. When this happened I said, “I’ve always wanted to run a marathon and Cathy can’t so I will!” This started my feet to pavement running career. Since July 2007 I’ve been training for race after race, always having the next big one on my radar so I can keep training. I’ve also taken up coaching in my local running group (SacFIT) and began taking on trail running this past year. My goals this year are to complete my 5th SF Marathon, second 50K (Way Too Cool), first 50 miler (American River 50 Miler) and a 100K (still deciding on which one). -I run because I love it… because it relieves stress… because I’m in shape… because I have some of the BEST running friends ever. I run because I love to feel my feet hitting the ground mile after mile and there is nothing like the “Runners High”. I love being able to share my passion for running with others who are runners, starting to run, training for their first run, whatever level. I am so lucky to be able to do what I love every day. -”When your legs get tired, run with your heart.” – Anonymous
Lauren Hipp – Edmonds, Washington
Lauren Hipp was born and raised in Seattle, WA. Her love of running started when she laced up her first pair of running shoes for her high school cross country team. During the day she works in education policy and in he free time she fills her tank with running, travel, and family & friends (best when all of those are combined!). Her goal for 2013 is to run her first marathon in March in Napa Valley!
Lauren Wilke – McKeesport, Pennsylvania
I wanted to do something that was a true personal challenge; running was that challenge. I started with a couch to 5k plan once I was in a 9-5 job after college, then built to a half marathon. After the half, I was hooked. I built up mileage so that I could jump into almost any race at any time. (My first ultra was spur of the moment, one week after my first marathon. It was a fantastic experience.) In the last 2-3 years I’ve run 9 marathons (including 2 SFMs – my favorite marathon!) and 5 ultras, up to a 50 miler, among other shorter races. The community built around distance races is what keeps bringing me back. It takes a certain group of friends to encourage a person to run so far and there’s little I like more than being able to run with friends. For 2013 I’ve planned my training and race schedule around being able to support my favorite charity (running with the Hope Express for THON) and racing with friends. I have an ultimate goal for 2013 of a new marathon PR – it will happen!
Libby Jones – Allen, Texas
This is my 3rd year as an SFM Ambassador, and I live in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. I started running in 2005 and completed 30 half marathons over several years while also having 2 little girls during that time. In 2011, I decided to do my first marathon at The San Francisco Marathon. It was a wonderful experience, and I was hooked. Since July 2011, I’ve now completed 8 marathons, 6 trail 50K races, and 1 50-mile. I love trailrunning, I love scenic races, and the 50K is my favorite distance. I also direct races in the Dallas area; my signature race is back-to-back marathons, half-marathons, and 5Ks called the New Years Double to help people end one year and start the next one in an active way!
Luis Bueno – Riverside, California
Luis Bueno is a two-time San Francisco Marathon Ambassador. He has run the San Francisco Marathon twice, in 2010 and 2012, and plans on knocking out another 26.2 in The City in June. Luis never fancied himself a runner – or a fitness enthusiast – but that changed after he transformed his looks and his life. In a 20-month span beginning in March 2006, Luis lost 120 pounds but instead of quitting while he was ahead, he took up running afterward. Luis ran his first marathon in February 2010 and his eighth in October 2012. Aside from crossing a finish line on The Embarcadero, one of Luis’ goals in 2013 is to run a sub-four hour marathon. But even if he does not, Luis is content with running simply for the fun of it, and never takes running or having the ability to run, for granted.
Mark Hagan – Brooklyn, New York
This is my 2nd year as a San Francisco Marathon Ambassador, and it will be my 3rd time running this unbelievable race in the greatest city in the world. To call be a fanboy is putting it lightly. I’m sure my friends and teammates in Brooklyn are tired of me constantly reminding them how much better SF is for running than New York, but it’s only going to get worse until June 16! When I’m not ticking off laps in Prospect Park either on foot or by bike, I’m working at the MLB Fancave in lower Manhattan. Now I’m not saying I had anything to do with the Giants winning this year… but like baseball players, runners don’t believe in coincidence. Train Hard, Race Hard! See you all on the Embarcadero!
Mary Kelly Persyn – San Francisco, California
In January 2011, I made a New Year’s Resolution that I actually kept–to start running, first with the San Francisco Road Runners and then with my competition team, the Impala Women’s Racing Team. Running makes me happy, keeps me sane, and brings me friends. What more could you ask for? Oh right–races! My favorite is, of course, the SF Half-Marathon: beautiful course, terrific community, hometown race. I’m so proud to be a representative of the SFM and look forward to making many converts. When I’m not running, I’m a mom, lawyer, blogger, and volunteer here in Fog City. Cheers!
Meg Gudgeirsson – Santa Cruz, California
I have been running since 2006. I started running to get in better shape and was pretty inconsistent with my running. For a year my goal was to run 5 miles. In 2008, I ran my first race the Carlsbad 5k. My goal was just to get a medal (they give medals to the first 250 to finish in each wave). I got my medal and went right back to my casual running patterns. In fall 2009, I moved to Santa Cruz to attend UCSC for grad school. There I become more interested in running as an opportunity to manage my fitness and give my little dog some exercise. I started running 5 miles on a regular basis and increased my mileage from there. In January 2010, I ran my first 10k and in April 2010, I ran my first half marathon (and that was my PR until May 2012!). I ran races about once a month and signed up for my first marathon. At many of these races, I saw runners wearing SF Marathon shirts and I decided I wanted to do that race. I ran the First Half in 2011 and also had my first experience of dehydration! (My fault.) 2011 was a hard running year for me, I wrote my thesis, studied to qualify in my PhD program, and planned my wedding. I felt like I had lost my running mojo. That fall I met fellow ambassador Alisyn and in the spring fellow ambassador Elyse. These two helped re-motivate my running and inspired me to join a local running team, Santa Cruz Endurance, in early 2012. I found having a local running community completely changed my running pattern. I incorporated new training and found new friendships. I became a stronger runner and in July 2012, I ran the 2nd half of the SF Marathon (completing the Half-it-All Challenge) where I finished with a new half PR. In December, I finished my second marathon in the crazy rainstorm that hit Sacramento. And with it a big PR as well. I love running, I love the people that I have met through running. I love chatting with people online (Twitter is my BFF, follow me @megatha) and in person about running. As an SF ambassador I am excited to share my running experience with you and hear all about your running journeys!
Paulette Ference – San Jose, California
Paulette grew up in a small Ohio town, attended undergrad at The Ohio State University, and went to graduate school at the University of Michigan for an M.S. in Cell & Developmental Biology. She and her husband relocated to San Jose, CA, in June 2011 and have been enjoying the amazing running weather. Paulette has been a fan of the SF Marathon events for years even while living in Michigan; her first race ever was the SF 5K in 2005 and first half the SF Half in 2009. The half marathon quickly became her favorite distance, although she enjoys the marathon for the extra challenge. She is super excited to be an ambassador for both the SF Marathon and Oiselle Team. Paulette’s main goal for 2013 is to work on speed in the half marathon and to break the 2 hour barrier. In addition to running, she enjoys wine or beer tasting, blogging, skiing, hiking, and strength training.
Peter Rabover – Los Gatos, California
Peter. P is Probably going to try to run in every San Francisco Marathon I can in addition the 5 I’ve already done because its an awesome race. E is for endurance, which is my favorite part of running … the longer, the tougher, the more fun it is! T is for “That guy” that you’ll probably see at the race wearing ridiculous outfits because again … its fun! E is for enthusiastic about life! And R is for “rrrrr we there yet because this description is getting boring?” Peter. The most interesting ambassador in the world. He is a lover. Not a fighter. But also a fighter. So don’t go getting any ideas. Good luck in your 2013 racing!
Ryan Novack – San Francisco, California
Ryan Novack has been a San Franciscan for 14 years and lives with his wife, Rachel and his dog, Auggie in the Inner Richmond District. For his living, Ryan is a public high school teacher and teaches English to the wonderfully bright, enigmatic, idiosyncratic and bombastic youth of San Francisco. Ryan runs through Golden Gate Park most of time, but can also be found sweating and panting his way through the Presidio and Crissy Field. Ryan decided to become a runner when he was 30 and got a dog. Coincidentally, Ryan had 30 extra pounds to lose, so the dog became a motivator. Auggie and Ryan started by hiking, then walking, then running slowly, then running slowly, but at long distances. Eventually Ryan lost all 30 pounds. Running also gained him a wife, as his first date with Rachel was on a run around Lake Merritt in Oakland. Ryan’s first Marathon was the San Francisco Marathon in ’08. He has done the SFM every year since and sees it as a tradition to keep him motivated during his summer break. In total, Ryan has completed 5 Marathons, 6 half Marathons and 1 50K race. His PR for a marathon is 3 hours and 44 minutes. Ryan tries to tell anybody who will listen that he completed a marathon in 3 hours and 44 minutes. Ryan can usually be seen running behind his beautiful wife, and his beautiful dog. Find him on Facebook or Twitter.
Westley Lashley – Seattle, Washington
I started running when a friend mentioned he was running his second marathon. That sparked something in me. I thought that I maybe I could run a marathon. I signed up for my first marathon and started training. The first few training miles I ever ran were tough, weren’t fun and made me almost want to stop running. But it did get easier and now I love to run! Nothing can stop me now! I’m motivated to be a better runner. Push myself to push myself further and run faster.
