Alicia Mengel

I'm a middle aged, science teacher, almost empty nester mom of four with alopecia areata universalis who likes to run long distances and teach fitness classes, paddleboard and bake. I started running marathons fifteen years ago (when all my hair fell out). To date I have run about twenty-three marathons and seven ultra marathons. My PRs are 3:27 for the marathon and 5:27 for the ultra marathon. This spring, I finally caught the unicorn that I have been chasing and ran the Boston Marathon-- in October, I will be racing the Chicago Marathon. I love pacing and look forward to meeting new people and helping them meet their goals.

Chico Cortes

I am an 8th-grade physical education teacher. One of my most significant achievements as a runner is completing 50 miles on a 5-mile course. I chose to serve as a pacer for this race as I saw it as an opportunity to embrace a new challenge and support others in reaching their goals. A notably embarrassing moment in my running career occurred during my first ultra-marathon, where I ended up crawling up the hills to the finish line. My greatest concern as a runner is the possibility of injury that could prevent me from finishing a race.

Lanore Bergenske

Lanore is our pacer for 4:30 marathoners.

Kelly Ridgway

In 2020 at age 34, I was diagnosed with a rare condition called Vertebral Artery Dissection which caused me to have 5 strokes. Before my VAD and strokes, I was extremely active in CrossFit, running and pretty much anything that kept me active and fit.

"Lucky for me, at 6 months post-diagnosis, I got cleared to begin slowly adding exercise back into my routine. I started with the most difficult single-mile run of my life, but by the time of my one-year stroke anniversary, I ran a celebratory half marathon. Just before the two year mark, I completed the Oakland Marathon! That same year, I met the minds behind the Humboldt Bay Marathon and became involved with this wonderful race and fabulous community. So, when Terri asked me to be a Pacer for the Humboldt Bay full marathon 2024, I was hesitant, but ultimately said "Hell Yes!"

Being told I may never run again ignited a fire in me. My passion for running has grown beyond anything I had experienced prior to my VAD and strokes. Every run, every day is a true achievement. Even my worst days are a blessing and I am forever grateful. Look for me with the 4:45 sign this August 11th; I'll be the one with the 'VAD-Ass' patch and a big, goofy smile on my face!

Julia Croteau

Julia is our pacer for 5:00 marathoners.

Matthew Kidwell

Matthew has run 40 half marathons since his first half marathon in 2005. He has paced the Humboldt Bay 6? times. His PR is 1:19:13 set March 3rd 2024. He is looking forward to helping more runners meet their goals.

Cedar Smith

Cedar is our pacer for 1:40 half marathoners.

Jeffrey Haag

I love everything about running, especially the pairing of pleasure and pain. The source of the pain is easily identified. But where does the pleasure come from? One source is the running community. The extensive, supportive, and always positive running community.

I am happy to continue as part of the Humboldt Bay Marathon (and Half Marathon!) community. I've run the half marathon here 3 times, including the inaugural race in 2015, and after that, a couple with my daughter (see photo). I've also volunteered at this race multiple times. This year I'm excited to be a pacer for the first time. We'll form a nice little community of our own: the Humboldt Bay 2024 sub-1:50 half marathoners!

Sung Jae Choi

Born and raised in South Korea. Immigrated to the USA and became a resident doctor in St. Joe's Eureka hospital

"The reason why I am running is to know and teach how to run and stay fit." Volunteered to be a pacer to get along with all the runners in Humboldt!

Tanya Trump

I'm Tanya Trump and I love to run! I have been involved in fitness for 30+ years and running the last 23. Up until recently, my motto was the farther the run, the better, however as I have gotten older I have realized that my body doesn't appreciate constantly pushing for more miles. I am now working on creating a better balance and have cut back on running to incorporate strength training, yoga and a lot of walking. That said, I have run over 20 marathons and over 20 ultra-marathons, my longest race being 100K. My favorite place to run in Humboldt County is the Arcata Forest, and now I usually walk the hills. Something a little quirky about me is I have a goal to run in every state, one of the most memorable was a 6 mile run in Talkeetna, Alaska with a perfectly clear view of Mt. Denali. I love pacing the half marathon because often I get to meet new people and often run with relatively new runners trying to build distance.

Silvia Manzo

Grueling workouts for the LBCC track and cross country (2005-2006) and two years of running for HSU back in 2006- 2010. I decided to pace for the HUmboldt Bay Half Marathon because I believe all runners at all levels deserve support.

My most embarrassing moment as a runner was going out too fast in a mile relay. Haha... Although this is my first half marathon pace event, I am excited to become part of the support team! yay!

Alyssa Rempel

Alyssa began running about 8 years ago, supported by the excellent running community in Humboldt Co. Even though she no longer lives in Humboldt, she discovered you can run anywhere. Alyssa is usually to be found on a trail, up a mountain somewhere, but is excited to get back to some sea level road running. Alyssa has run many half marathons, but has recently ventured out for some longer distances. Her most recent adventure was a marathon in Tokyo, Japan.

Hoa On

I run for my mental health. A couple of Saturday ago, I went for a run after a long busy day. I intended to run 6-7 miles. But when I hit 7 miles, I kept going. I ended up running 11 miles. It was the best run in a long time. I released all the tension I had in my body. It felt so good physically. And I was proud of my accomplishment.