MEET THE TEAM
Elite Team
SABRINA DE LA CRUZ
"If you believe, you can achieve"
Favorite place to run in LA? Griffith Park. There are so many routes that you can run. Hills to work on strength, roads to work on speed, and flat trails for recovery.
Why did you start running? I decided to join my high school track team because I was inspired by an upper classman whom I wanted to be like. She was confident, beautiful, strong, and inspiring.
Where to find me when I’m not running? Hanging out with my family or spending time with my husband and cat, Pheidippides, watching Netflix and drinking boba. Outside of home, you’ll find me camping.
Favorite workout: Lots of mile repeats.
How I identify within BIPOC: Mexican-American
What is your favorite hot sauce? Tapatio
HIGHLIGHTS
CIM Marathon - 2:41:16 (2020 Olympic Trials Qualifier)
Ventura Half Marathon - 1:14:33
Mt SAC Relays 5k - 16:30
GRACE ZAMUDIO
"The Roads Are Always Open"
Favorite place to run in LA: Los Angeles is home to so many awesome trails. Any hilly course with a view is my favorite. One of my favorites is the Hollywood Sign run, on a clear day you can see DTLA and the ocean in one view.
Why did you start running? I decided to join a local youth team after running my first community 5k with my dad at age 10.
Where to find me when I’m not running: Either in a thrift store, on a trail with my hubby and dog, or on my couch with Netflix.
Favorite workout: 400 repeats or a successful progression that doesn’t end with me on the floor.
How I identify within BIPOC: Mexican-American.
Favorite Hot Sauce: Cholula
HIGHLIGHTS
Represented Team USA at 2020 Pan Am XC Cup in Victoria, BC
Placed 5th at 2020 USATF Cross Country Championships
1:18:19 at the 2018 San Jose RnR Half Marathon
Has personal bests of 33:46 in the 10k and 16:10 in the 5k.
GRACE GONZALES
"There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." Jawaharlal Nehru
Favorite place to run in LA: Griffith Park
Why did you start running? Family, Community, Culture
Where to find me when I’m not running? Outdoors passing time and/or adventuring
Favorite workout: Long Tempos
Favorite Hot Sauce? Sriracha
What adversity have you overcome? Recently navigating several years of life with diplopia
Favorite LA sports team: LA Lakers
How I identify within BIPOC: Xicana/Mexica/Xictlaca
HIGHLIGHTS
2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - 2:47
2018 California International Marathon - 2:41
San Diego Holiday Half - 1:15
ANDREA GUERRA
“Andale, tu puedes”
Favorite place to run in LA: Griffith Park.
Why did you start running? I gotta thank the 7th grade P.E mile for discovering my running talent.
Where to find me when I’m not running? you can probably find me at Downtown Disney eating all the snacks or at some brewery drinking all the beers.
Favorite Workout: Long Tempos are definitely my favorite.
Favorite Hot Sauce: I don’t have a favorite hot sauce but I do love my moms green avocado salsa. Can’t go wrong with a bomb homemade salcita.
How I identify within BIPOC: Hecha en Acapulco.
Favorite LA sports team: LA Lakers.
HIGHLIGHTS
Houston Marathon - 2:42:15 (Olympic Trials Qualifier)
Ventura Half Marathon - 1:14:43
5k - 16:52
10k - 35:25
Abby Hong
“Champions are made when no one is watching”
Favorite place to run in LA: Manhattan/Hermosa Beach Strand
Why did you start running? My first race was the 2008 Manhattan Beach 10K in 7th grade, and my goal was to complete the race without walking. I ended up placing 4th in my age division that year and 1st in my age division the next year. That led me to join the cross country team in high school and to come back 10 years later to take the overall win at the MB10K in 2018.
Where to find me when I’m not running? Spending time with family and friends and working with my team at Collective Health to simplify the healthcare experience
Favorite Workout: Cruise interval miles
Favorite Hot Sauce: Huey Fong Chili Garlic Sauce
How I identify within BIPOC: Taiwanese-American
Favorite LA sports team: LA Dodgers
HIGHLIGHTS:
1st place Taiwan Tainan Half Marathon - 1:18:39 (2024)
2-time winner of the Manhattan Beach 10K (2018, 2023)
4-time Ivy League conference champion: indoor 3K/5K, outdoor 5K/10K (2018)
PRs of 4:47 (mile), 9:23 (3k), 16:05 (5k), 34:53 (10k)
Sub Elite Team
Rosa Kwak
"Fly you Fools” - Gandalf (the Grey) to the Fellowship before the Balrog took him.
Favorite place to run in LA? Koreatown. It’s hella gritty but weaving through the various communities along Wilshire, Pico, Normandie feels like home. These are the neighborhoods where I truly fell in love with running.
Why did you start running? I yearned for a community that would keep me accountable with goals surrounding
Where to find me when I’m not running? Reading (both running and non-running books), nerding out over a new Claire Saffitz recipe, or vegetating with my little cat: Pepper.
Favorite workout? Hill Repeats
How I identify within BIPOC: Korean
What is your favorite hot sauce? Sambal
What am I reading? What's My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States by Dave Zirin
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Ventura Marathon - 2:52:36 / First Place Female
• Rose Bowl Half Marathon - 1:24:50 / Second Place Female
• Surf City 5K - 18:01 / Second Place Female
• Bulldog 50K - 4:39:36 / First Place Female
Alejandra Santiago
"Dance beautifully in the box you that you’re comfortable dancing in" -Kobe
Favorite place to run in LA? This one is tough! LA has so many beautiful places to explore whether road or trail. Zuma and Santa Ynez have that magical touch of complete solitude in beautiful vegetation. The poison oak is worth it
Why did you start running? I started running in high school because I needed to pick an elective. My options were cross country and circuit training: Circuit training sounded like it involved math so I opted for cross country without knowing what it was either.
Where to find me when I’m not running? When I’m not running, I’m teaching at a Pilates studio or collecting dogs and cats.
Favorite workout: I enjoy ladder workouts.
How I identify within BIPOC: Mexican American
What is your favorite hot sauce? Anything habanero
HIGHLIGHTS:
Bimbo 10k 37:29
Ventura Half 1:20:49
LA Marathon: 2:58