DESTINATION MARATHONS AMBASSADOR TEAM
Meet Our 2022-2023 Ambassador Team
JENNIFER BELL
Dalton, Massachusetts
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: London Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy cycling, kayaking, hiking, yoga, and drinking coffee with my friends. I also enjoy spending time with my family and pets at home.
MIKE BENZ
New Ulm, Minnesota
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: 10 Mile or trails
DREAM RACE: Dublin Marathon, which I’m running in 2023!
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy hiking and traveling with my family.
LESLIE COHEN
Los Angeles, California
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Half Marathon
DREAM RACE: Two Oceans Marathon/Half Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy arguing cases in court, attending NBA basketball games and baking.
SARAH DEYERLE
Charleston, South Carolina
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Anything over 10k (it usually takes me that long to feel good and warmed up)!
DREAM RACE: London Marathon and Detroit Free Press Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy traveling, reading and hanging with my dog, Bear.
BARBARA DIGIROLAMO
Peabody, Massachusetts
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Half Marathon
DREAM RACE: Hawaii Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy coaching for 261 Fearless, my girls’ softball team, and traveling.
ANNETTE ECCLES
Reston, Virginia
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: Dublin Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy traveling, meeting people (they fascinate me) and reading. I always have a couple of books going at a time.
JOSE MARIA H. GABRIEL, MD
Chicago, Illinois
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: Another Boston Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy travel, visiting museums, stage plays, classical music, opera, art, art, and more art.
AMY HALL
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Anything from 10 miles – 26.2!!
DREAM RACE: A marathon in Antarctica (I love penguins!!), Patagonian International Marathon, the Great Wall Marathon, Athens Marathon and Comrades Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy cooking & baking (my chocolate chip cookies are legendary and come to every race with me!), writing (I am the co-author of a nursing fundamentals textbook), and traveling.
CHES HUTCHINSON
Plymouth, Minnesota
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: A sub-3 hour marathon or the Berlin Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy travel and family time with my wife and four kids. They give me purpose and are the greatest gift I could ever ask for.
LORI LEATHERBEE
Florence, Kentucky & New Smyrna Beach, Florida
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Both the Half Marathon and Marathon
DREAM RACE: Two Oceans Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy golfing, gardening and painting.
STEPHEN LIEGGHIO
Mount Clemens, Michigan
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: Comrades Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy traveling with my wife and drinking beer.
DONNA MILLER
Golden, Colorado
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: Boston Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy flying!
JAMIE FRAZIER
Fort Wayne, Indiana
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: Paris or Rome Marathons
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy traveling and socializing with friends.
ROBERT MCBEE
Lake Wylie, South Carolina
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: 10K
DREAM RACE: London Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy hanging out on the lake.
JULIE MULLINS
Dallas, Oregon
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: Boston Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy hiking, family time and being home with my dogs
ESAYAS NIDA
Sterling, Virgina
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: London Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy hiking and reading.
INESE ROBOTAMA
Ludlow, United Kingdom
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: Formerly Boston, but now but now keeping my fingers crossed for Paris Olympic Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy chilling with my three rescue dogs and a good book.
GULSUM RUSTEMOGLU
Temecula, California
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: Boston Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy reading and writing.
MAURA SZENDEY
Andover, Massachusetts
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Half Marathon
DREAM RACE: The next one (but really excited about running in the WANDA AG championships in Chicago this year).
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy hiking, biking and tap dancing.
CAROLYN THOMPSON-EASTER
Salisbury, United Kingdom
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: Marathon
DREAM RACE: I don’t have a dream race, they are all special for different reasons. My favorite road race so far has been the Marine Corps Marathon. I now mostly run as a sweeper, helping other folk to feel the exhilaration/relief of crossing that line…best job ever.
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy sea kayaking, combining my love of coastal paths and seeing them from the other direction.
CHRIS TURNER
Tallahassee, Florida
FAVORITE DISTANCE TO RUN: 10K and Half Marathon
DREAM RACE: Boston Marathon
WHAT YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT RUNNING: I enjoy relaxing with a glass of schramsberg.
