New York Marathon

Organ, eye, and tissue donation has been an influence in Meghan’s life since she was 4 years old.

Meghan grew up with the most incredible dad. A retired construction worker, with a big tough guy attitude, he eventually turned stay-at-home dad. Meghan’s dad loved music, the beach, his family, and cooking a big dinner on Sunday.

Meghan’s dad was also a multi-organ transplant recipient. He first received a kidney from his brother in 1999. Then a pancreas from the waiting list in 1999. And finally another kidney from his wife in 2017 when the first kidney failed.

Between waiting lists, donors, and recipients, Meghan’s family has experienced both sides of the organ donation system. Even though Meghan’s dad passed away recently, he continues to be the biggest influence on her life, and she tries to live every day in a way that would make him proud.

When the grief takes over in waves, Meghan says what helps the most is remembering him and bringing him into daily life. Without organ and tissue donation, she would not have had as many years of laughter, love, and memories as she did with him.

Meghan is honored to run the 2024 NYC Marathon for the Chris Klug Foundation. As an avid runner living in New York City, she has always wanted to run this particular race, and she is thrilled to raise money and awareness for a cause that means so much to her and her family.

In the olympic spirit of adventure of Chris Klug, Meghan looks forward to participating in one of the most exciting races in the world, all with the end goal of encouraging people to register as organ donors.

Ian was just 16 years old when he was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hepatitis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). Over time, the PSC worsened, and his symptoms became more intense as he became increasingly itchy and jaundiced. Ian was fortunate to have the support of his family and friends through all of this, and his parents were with him when the doctor informed them that undergoing a liver transplant was the only option. While it was devastating news at first, it later became a relief as it meant they had a clearer path forward.

Ian was fortunate enough to be a candidate for a living donor transplant, and on June 19th, 2017, one month after his 24th birthday, his incredibly generous and selfless Aunt Dana donated part of her liver to Ian and saved his life. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't be here today. Ian is grateful everyday for the sacrifices that she made, and has incredibly profound love for her.

Today, both Aunt Dana and Ian are doing well and living active, healthy lifestyles. One of Ian’s goals post-transplant has been to do as much as he can with this second chance at life. In doing so, he hopes to inspire others around him and those in the transplant community to live their fullest and most active lives.

When Ian was in the hospital recovering from the transplant, he and his brother, Luke, spoke about how they would love to do a race together once Ian was healthier. For the past couple years, they have been considering the NYC Marathon. This is the year. And Ian cannot think of a better way to finally take on this race together than by running on behalf of the Chris Klug Foundation.

The Chris Klug Foundation has been a source of inspiration for Ian post-transplant as he is consistently amazed by the incredible work of the Foundation as it supports the inspiring lives that others post-transplant are living. He is proud of the work that CKF does for the community, and is honored to race the NYC Marathon on their behalf.

Let's eliminate the wait!

Kyle is originally from St. Louis, and now resides in Denver, Colorado. He works on tunneling and trench-less projects around the country, working to supply cities with water, sewer, and electrical needs while not disrupting everyone’s lives on the ground surface above.

Running has always been an escape for Kyle no matter where he travels, and helps create for him a sense of routine. Kyle has competed in races while traveling for work in Hawaii, Utah, Georgia, and Colorado over the years.

Kyle has had a unique introduction to organ, eye, and tissue donation which started in 5th grade in elementary school when he was a part of the Center for Creative Learning (a gifted program) with Rockwood School District. The school fosters information processing, critical thinking, and problem solving through real world challenges. It was through this program that he took a class on organ, eye, and tissue donation. Kyle learned about the process of organ donation, what could be donated, and ultimately was able to visit a transplant center through partnership with Donate Life Missouri. That class is something he vividly remembers, and believes was a catalyst for wanting to be registered as an organ, eye, and tissue donor himself.

Closer to home, in 2017, Kyle came face to face with organ, eye, and tissue donation when one of his close friends, Ian Pauley, required a liver transplant. The transplant process is not an easy one, and Kyle has witnessed through the years the hard work, determination, and grit Ian has demonstrated throughout this journey in order to be and remain healthy. Throughout the entire process, Ian has always remained true to himself. No matter how many days he has spent in the hospital or hooked up to a drain, nothing has ever dampened Ian’s spirit.

In honor of Ian and the determination he has shown to be back participating in endurance sports, Kyle is looking to join him on his journey to run the NYC Marathon in 2024. Kyle is also a part of Ian’s own endurance event, The Liverman 100. Celebrating the anniversary of Ian’s liver transplant, this triathlon consists of hiking Pikes Peak (10 miles), biking to Chatfield Reservoir 89 miles), and swimming across the reservoir (1 mile).

The 2024 New York City Marathon will be Michael’s 41st marathon. He first ran the Chicago Marathon and Disney World Marathon back in the late 1990's. Then after a prolonged hiatus from the sport, he started running again in 2016.

Michael has been focused on the marathon distance since 2017. Upon resuming long-distance running, Michael began racing with the Organization for Autism Research and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. By combining his passion for running with his commitment for causes, Michael helps support their work through awareness and fundraising.

This year he is excited to add two new philanthropic organizations to the list of teams he loves running for: the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago and The Chris Klug Foundation.

Michael’s incredible enthusiasm for running is matched by his altruistic spirit. He chose CKF as his charity of choice for NYC after meeting the team at the 2023 Marathon Expo. While there, he shared that he was pursuing living donation in honor of his friend who had been living with Polycystic Kidney Disease. Michael was the third friend to try to match, and while they were not compatible, he was still planning on donating to improve his friend’s chances of receiving a kidney.

On March 14th, 2024, which fortuitously was also World Kidney Day, Michael donated his kidney to a stranger. Exactly three weeks later, per doctor’s orders, Michael was back lacing up his running sneakers, and eased back into his favorite pastime with a casual 8-mile run.

Proving that a person can still maintain an active lifestyle post-living donation, Michael will be running the Boston Marathon exactly one-month out from donating his kidney.

Residing in Colorado Springs with his cat, Potter, Michael is a happy advocate for living donation!

Dacia enjoys hiking, reading, networking, being on the river, and exploring Colorado with her three dogs and husband. She is originally from Belfast, Maine.

While Dacia never thought she would leave her hometown, all that changed after she first visited Carbondale in July 2017. Coming into the Roaring Fork Valley via Independence Pass, she was shocked by what she saw. She thought about how Maine felt almost claustrophobic compared to the vastness of Colorado. And she will never forget how alive she felt when seeing the grandiosity of the Elk Mountains, feeling the refreshing Roaring Fork River on her feet, and experiencing the humbleness of Thomas Lakes Trail. A few job interviews and 2,300 miles of driving later, she became a Carbondale resident in April 2018.

In the winter of 2019, Dacia’s friend challenged her to run the Aspen Valley Half Marathon the following summer in 2020. They trained for three months until COVID threw a wrench in their plans and canceled the race. Dacia was bummed, but did not let that stop her from achieving her goal. Not only did she complete two virtual half marathons that summer, she pushed her limits and completed a virtual 30K. Running has since become her therapy. She is currently training for the June 2024 REVEL Rockies Marathon, and the September 2024 Pikes Peak Ascent.

In her professional life, Dacia is the Development Director at Colorado Animal Rescue

(C.A.R.E.), a non-profit animal care organization in Glenwood Springs that serves nearly 1,000 animals per year. Her career at C.A.R.E. has ignited a love for connecting with her neighbors and their pets, community events, and telling C.A.R.E.'s story to connect pets to their people.

As a philanthropic athlete, she is now looking to marry her passions for fundraising and fitness by running the New York City Marathon for CKF. Her personal and professional backgrounds make her a great candidate to be a CKF ambassador in New York, and she values CKF's commitment to their mission. She is thrilled to be a part of inspiring and educating others to live life, give life.

Dacia’s incredible life has led her to become the athlete she is, and she doesn't take that for granted. She wants everyone to have the opportunity to dream big and achieve their goals, so she is a registered organ, eye and tissue donor, and is exploring registering with the National Donor Marrow Program (NMDP).

Jen grew up in a small town in North/Central Pennsylvania, and currently lives in the beautiful Roaring Fork Valley with her partner, Trent, and dog, Hazel.

Employed by Aspen Valley Hospital in the IT department, Jen works hard to ensure the hospital system is working as expected. She also builds out optimization items to help ensure their healthcare providers can efficiently do their jobs. She thoroughly enjoys being a part of a team that has such a big impact in the healthcare world, as they strive to provide gold star care and patient satisfaction.

Jen’s running career did not begin until she went to college in Pittsburgh. After participating in many 5Ks and 10Ks to benefit several charities in the Pittsburgh area, she ran her first half marathon in 2017.

While Jen has taken some time off running over the last year, she is ready to take charge and get herself stronger than ever to complete her first marathon! Running for CKF is going to be a huge motivating factor for her because she will be running for a cause she is truly passionate about.

With her adventurous soul, Jen enjoys snowboarding, hiking, camping, wakeboarding, and more. She loves to experience new things and strives to make people laugh while creating a positive impact on the people around her.

The opportunity to run for the Chris Klug Foundation in the New York City Marathon is something Jen is looking forward to. As a registered donor, Jen recognizes that organ donation is a selfless act that can save many lives, and make a positive impact on folks. She believes this is a great way to give to someone in need, and leave a lasting impact on the recipient and their families. Ever since she received her driver's license at the age of 16, she has opted in to be an organ donor, knowing the positive impact this can have on others.

Every donor can save and enhance the lives of multiple people, and can positively affect someone’s quality of life. Therefore, Jen is a strong advocate for organ donation, and loves to educate people on its importance, and the power it has to give someone a second chance at life.

Trent is from northwest Ohio, but has lived in the Roaring Fork Valley for 10 years. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, camping, and staying active in the outdoors. He is an avid Browns fan, but enjoys watching all types of sports and activities. Employed in the service industry, Trent has been bartending for about 15 years.

Because of where he works and what he does, Trent has had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, and listen to many people’s stories about where they come from and the experiences they have gone through. He truly enjoys having that connection with people, and tries to make a positive impact among the people he meets.

One of Trent’s biggest accomplishments and something he is proud of was hiking the Collegiate Loop in Colorado. This included several 14ers and covering over 200 miles throughout the duration of the trip. This was an experience that took immense determination and willpower, and Trent looks forward to bringing those same qualities to the NYC Marathon.

Trent is stoked to run with the Chris Klug Foundation because he wants to push himself, and complete something he has never done before. He will be running his first half-marathon this June, and is eager to continue challenging himself to complete a full marathon. On top of that, his experience with the running community has been extremely motivating and encouraging.

A positive person by nature, Trent enjoys inspiring others around him to do their best. Since he has people in his life that have firsthand experience with organ, eye, and tissue donation, he realizes how important and life-changing the act of being a donor is. Being a donor is a powerful way to extend compassion and empathy to others in need, and make an incredible impact on people’s lives. Trent is grateful for this opportunity to educate people on the importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation, and to help fundraise to support this impactful organization.

Trent is honored to be a part of the NYC Marathon Team for the Chris Klug Foundation.

Luke is a runner from the Midwest living in New York City!

Running is a natural extension of Luke’s lifelong love for the outdoors. He grew up in a family of avid gardeners, and in college worked as a research technician studying frogs and toads in the swamps and ponds of Missouri.

When Luke moved to New York City, he turned to trail running as a way to explore all the parks and trails nearby in New York’s Hudson Valley. Eventually he realized there was a lot he still needed to explore in his own backyard in NYC, so he hit the roads and started running around the city.

Luke could not be more pumped about the opportunity to run the New York City Marathon with the Chris Klug Foundation!

In 2017, his brother, Ian, had a life saving liver transplant to treat Autoimmune Hepatitis and Primary Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). As Ian was recovering from surgery, hearing about what Chris Klug was able to accomplish after surgery really gave the brothers hope that Ian would be able to get back to the active life he’d led before surgery. Later, when they learned about CKF and their NYC Marathon team, they knew they had to run it together.

This is the year for the Pauley brothers!

As an avid outdoorsman and endurance athlete, Vincent has dedicated numerous years to climbing big walls and running long trails.

Now, Vincent is poised to channel these talents and fervor toward a cause that resonates deeply with him. Joining Team CKF for the 2024 New York City Marathon, he is committed to championing organ, eye, and tissue donation by helping promote awareness.

Vincent’s connection to this cause is profoundly personal, fueled by the long wait his close friend, Jon, endures for a lung transplant.

The NYC Marathon offers Vincent the platform to magnify awareness for organ, eye, and tissue donation. He aims to help alleviate the uncertainty that individuals like Jon encounter while awaiting a crucial life-saving organ.

Vincent will be joining the team from Westminster, Colorado.

A lifelong proponent of organ, eye, and tissue donation, Peter first learned about the Chris Klug Foundation from his friends, the Singer family. Charlie Singer is a CKF Board member and multi-year member of Team CKF, along with his mom, Karen. Impressed with what the Singers shared about CKF, Peter looks forward to being a part of their 2024 NYC Marathon Team.

As an athlete, Peter is fortunate as he is probably in better shape today at age 62 than he was at half that age. Though it has not been without adversity. He has had two stress fractures and an impact fracture in his left foot since he started doing marathons in 2016. Registered for the Boston Marathon for the fourth time, he is hoping to make it to the starting line healthy and finally complete the iconic race!

Peter had never been a serious runner until a friend from swimming recruited him to run in a 12-person American Odyssey Relay in the spring of 2016. His 17-mile portion over 3 segments went very well. This was right about the time his massage therapist suggested that he roll his IT band with a foam roller to relieve the knee pain he reported after running. Peter was delighted to discover the foam roller worked (and still works) great!

As a result, Peter decided he would try to do the Baltimore Marathon that fall. Since he had completed the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim, a 4.4 mile swim across the Bay, 17 times over the previous 17 years, he knew he had the endurance gene. Baltimore went well, meeting his goals of 1) not getting injured; 2) finishing; 3) finishing in under 4 hours with a time of 3:58. This was all in spite of the fact that Baltimore is a challenging course with some significant hills.

The next fall Peter chose to do the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, NY, and qualified for Boston. However, he was ultimately unable to enter Boston the following spring. Next, Peter completed the Chicago Marathon and got a better time, his PR to date, of 3:23. But then he had to drop out of the Boston Marathon in spring 2019 due to his first stress fracture. In 2020, Boston was canceled due to COVID. In 2021, Peter was all set, halfway through his training cycle, when he got his second stress fracture. In 2022, Peter finished the Berlin Marathon, which he says was an awesome experience, and refreshed his qualifying time for Boston.

Peter hopes to be a worthy team member and is certain he will make the CKF Team proud!