Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors

Adam Gockowski

Ambassador since 2021

Adam is returning to the Cleveland Marathon Ambassador program for his 5th year and 2nd year as the Program Manager. He has been running consistently since January 2017 as a way to stay in shape, both physically and mentally. He is a regular attendee of local running (and brew) clubs and loves the social aspect of the sport. You might recognize him from instructing the CLE Marathon course studies as well. To stay accountable and competitive with himself, he registers for at least one race, every month, with distances ranging anywhere from 5K to half marathon. In 2025, Adam will be running in the Cleveland FULL Marathon for the first time since 2019! To encourage others to get into running, he created “Acey McGlockstar Runnin PAGE” on Instagram. Outside of running, Adam is a lifelong Cleveland sports fan, especially the Guardians!

LaRaun Clayton

Ambassador since 2022

LaRaun Clayton is a dynamic force! A proud U.S. Army veteran, nonprofit leader, Certified Yoga Instructor, and former ambassador for both Lululemon and On Running, he’s all about living life to the fullest. Whether he’s uplifting Cleveland’s communities, flowing through yoga, sweating it out at CrossFit, pounding the pavement on a run, or exploring new destinations with his husband, LaRaun approaches it all with passion—and a serious love for pizza and tacos! Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, Cleveland isn’t just where he lives—it’s where his heart thrives. As the Vice President of Veterans & Housing Programs at Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana, he’s making an impact every day.

With a familiar face and distinctive hair, LaRaun is a fixture at local 5Ks and 10Ks, often spotted in action around town. In 2019, he took on the Cleveland Half Marathon, pushing through a minor injury to proudly cross the finish line. In 2021, he came back stronger, marking the half-marathon as his “thing” and setting his sights on the ultimate challenge: the Cleveland Full Marathon. While that milestone is still in the works, one thing’s for sure—LaRaun’s journey is far from over!

Fueled by the mantra “we can do hard things,” LaRaun is pumped to return as an ambassador for the 2025 Cleveland Marathon weekend. He’s ready to create more epic memories with the city he loves and the vibrant community that inspires him. Stay tuned—this story is only getting started!

Matt Drol

Ambassador since 2022

Matt Drol a.k.a. THE running banana has always been a runner off and on, but in 2016 he started running again to get back in shape.  In 2018 to keep the running fun, he started taking to the streets in an aPEELing outfit choice, a banana costume.  The Cleveland half marathon was the first race he ran as the banana, since then he has taken on obstacle courses, marathons, countless 5ks and dozens of half marathons.  Cleveland always holds a special place to him since it was his first race as the banana, and it always peels good to come back home.

Ryan Green

Ambassador since 2022

One day, for no particular reason, Ryan decided to go for a little run. He ran to the end of the road. And when he got there, he decided maybe he would run to the end of town. And when he got there he decided maybe he would just keep running for life, and so far he has. He now runs with several other people including his own kids, other Marathon Ambassadors, The Run With The Winners run group, and whoever else wants to run!

Every year Ryan runs an array of races. Anywhere from a mile to a marathon, and sometimes even ultra marathons. Ryan’s favorite race is THE Cleveland Marathon and hopes to run with you in it this spring!

Bob Holub

Ambassador since 2023

Bob has been running for almost 25 years and super excited to be serving in his third year as a Cleveland Marathon Ambassador! He is a father of two and the proud husband of his marathon running wife, Sarah! Professionally, his work revolves around health & wellness while he serves as the Director of Recreation for the City of Rocky River. Bob has participated in races across the country while living in states from Alabama to Kentucky and some in between. When he's not training for Cleveland, he is on his bike putting in some road miles.

Gab Kreuz

Ambassador since 2023

Gabriella Kreuz is a freelance sports reporter and host based in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to her on-air roles for the Cleveland Guardians and Cleveland 19 News, she is the founder and lead speaker at Love Doesn't Shove. Kreuz makes it a point to use her outgoing personality and passion for teaching to engage with students in meaningful discussion about the dynamics of healthy relationships as a means of dating violence prevention. Kreuz draws from her own experience of violence to help illustrate the importance of recognizing early signs of verbal and physical abuse in relationship contexts. 

Kreuz is a graduate of John Carroll University. She ran cross country and track and graduated with a major in communications and minor in sociology. She finished her undergraduate career a 9-time OAC Champion in track and NCAA Division III Cross Country All-American. She earned her master's degree in broadcast and digital journalism from Syracuse University where she also ran track.

Jillian Reyna

Ambassador since 2023

Jillian has been involved in sports from a young age, and in high school, she found her passion for running and never looked back! In college, Jillian proudly ran as a Zip for The University of Akron. Since college, Jillian has gotten into the road-racing world, running half and full marathons.  Jillian has run six marathons, including the Boston & New York City Marathons!  She loves all distances, but the half marathon is her favorite!   She loves running in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Summit & Cleveland Metroparks for her training.

Jillian is a Distance Running Coach and owns her own coaching business - Rise & Reign Training and Nutrition! She loves making connections in the running community, bringing people together, and helping them achieve their goals.  This will be Jillian’s third year as a Cleveland Marathon ambassador, and she is so thankful for this community and all of the friendships she has created with this group of amazing Clevelanders.

Outside of running, Jillian is a girl mom and is so excited to show her daughter how powerful and strong women can be! She looks forward to seeing her daughter along the streets of Cleveland while running this spring. She and her husband, Luis, also have two corgis, Ginger & Zippy, and black cat Tao. She works at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company as a Senior Project Specialist.

Ashton Swinford

Ambassador since 2024

Ashton is a Cleveland Marathon Ambassador and an Elite Coordinator for the race.  She is also known for winning the Cleveland Marathon 3 times, from 2022-2024.  She serves as a captain of the elite female running team CLE Racing.  Ashton lives in Hudson with my husband and 2 kindergartners.

LaRoy Arnwine

Ambassador since 2024

LaRoy has been a part of the YMCA program “We Run This City” since 2012. He graduated from Glenville High School and has returned, every year, to help train and motivate the youth. In 2022, he became the very first WRTC runner to do a Cleveland Marathon challenge series, with recorded miles of 29.3! LaRoy also enjoys running, biking, swimming, and marching band. When he’s not running, he gives back to his Glenville community by mentoring the Glenville Tarblooders marching band and donating plasma when able to!

Corey Turner Jr.

Ambassador since 2024

Corey began his running journey briefly in 2019 with a few fun runs. In 2020, the shutdown put an early closure to his future plans, but this was when he discovered Run with the Winners run club, which set the tone for his running future as he became comfortable with his journey.

Later in 2021, Corey lost 40 pounds and decided to challenge himself with a 10k, and after successfully accomplishing his goal, signed up for another and set a PR. Fresh off the runner's high, he really wanted to put all the hard work to the test and signed up for his first half marathon through the Cleveland Marathon.

He spent 3 months training and in May of 2022, he set out to take on his biggest challenge. It was one of the best moments of his life and really put him in a position to continue growing on this journey. That said, he ran one more half marathon to close out 2022 and wanted to carry the momentum heading into 2023.

Corey signed up for his first full marathon. He was unsure about how he was going to be able to train and prep himself, but he knew that he wasn’t going to back down. He planned out his next 5 months and the big day came. He did better than expected and his mindset wasn’t set on time, but to finish. It was one of his life’s biggest accomplishments. Inspired by such a big feat, Corey wanted to show others this can be done and he’s happy to be representing the Cleveland Marathon.

He’s a father of three (Ages 13, 12, and 9) and works retail full-time. During his spare time, he’s actively involved with his children in sports activities and remains active in the gym to maintain his fitness.

Kayla Prokop

Ambassador since 2024

Kayla is “Just an average runner enjoying life to the fullest”.

You can usually find her running. When she’s not running, she enjoys spending time outside, going to the gym, reading, finding good pizza & fries to carb up, having some good post run coffee, and hanging out with my dog Ollie.

From a broken hip in October of 2023, to becoming an ultramarathoner x 3 in 2024, she can’t wait to see what 2025 brings!

Lindsey Fascione

Ambassador since 2024

Lindsey has been a runner for 24 years. In middle school, her father used to take her for runs in the Metroparks and that's where her love for running began. Her passion for running really took off in her late 20's, when she began running for a competitive team called CLE Racing. She has run every distance from the mile to the marathon and achieved her first sub-3-hour marathon in 2021.

Lindsey currently works full-time as a nurse practitioner and coaches some running friends on the side. One of her greatest joys in running is seeing her friends succeed. Her first Cleveland Marathon was in 2015 and she placed 2nd in the 10k in 2023 and 2024!

Running is such a metaphor for life, if you can get through a marathon you can get through anything. Lindsey loves this community so much and she cannot imagine her life without it. She hopes to see you all out at the Cleveland Marathon events this year!

Tyler Vitullo

Ambassador since 2024

Tyler Vitullo is a dedicated and friendly member of the running community who discovered his love for running in 2013. Since then, he has completed 13 full marathons, numerous half-marathons, and countless races at other distances. Tyler first made his mark in the Cleveland running scene with his debut half-marathon in 2015 and first full marathon in 2016, both at the Cleveland Marathon. After moving from Youngstown to Cleveland in 2021, he embraced the local running culture, joining various run groups weekly, where he has not only improved his running but also formed lasting friendships.

For Tyler, running is about more than just competition; it’s about enjoying the journey with friends, regardless of pace or distance, and celebrating with post-run meetups at local breweries. While he loves the thrill of pushing for top finishes, he finds equal fulfillment in supporting others to achieve their personal running goals, whether through training advice, sharing experiences, or officially pacing several half-marathons.

Having recently completed the London Marathon, Tyler now only has the Tokyo Marathon left to achieve his goal of completing the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which he plans to finish in 2025. Afterward, he looks forward to racing the Cleveland half or full marathon this spring. Though injuries sidelined his fall racing plans, Tyler is eager to return to social running and competitive racing this spring.

Ramon Claudio

Ambassador since 2024

Ramon is a proud father, devoted husband, and passionate barber and barber instructor. Owning and operating Top of the Line Barbershop in Old Brooklyn, OH, has allowed him to connect with the community and share his expertise.

Running has become an integral part of his life, especially in the early hours of the morning when the world is still asleep. It serves as more than just physical exercise; it has become a crucial component of his mental health routine. After the loss of his best friend, running provided solace and healing.

The Cleveland Marathon holds a special place in his heart as it was the first marathon he ever participated in. At the age of 20, he completed the half marathon, igniting his passion for long-distance running. Now, in his 40s, he is challenging himself to conquer full marathons, striving for personal growth and improvement, but above all, cherishing the incredible feeling of crossing that finish line.

Ramon is excited to represent the Cleveland Marathon as an ambassador, sharing his love for running and inspiring others to embrace the transformative power of this sport. Let's chase our goals together and celebrate the joy of accomplishment!

Rebecca Stewart

Rebecca grew up in northeast Ohio and probably tried every other sport other than running but in 2012, she finally found her niche. She started running daily and in 2013, she showed up at the IX center for the Cleveland Marathon expo and signed up for the half marathon. This is where it all started and started traveling around Ohio to complete other 13.1 courses.

In 2017, she signed up for her first full marathon and became a first time Cleveland Marathon finisher.

If you don't find her running locally, you can find her traveling all over and running for Team Ultra. Over time, she has now completed 13 full marathons and other half marathons including the Nike Women's Half Marathon D.C, The United Airlines NYC Half Marathon, the Brooklyn Half Marathon and the Gasparilla Distance Classic. She is a Glass City and Houston marathon finisher, a two-time Columbus and Chicago finisher, a three-time Cleveland Marathon finisher and a four time NYC Marathon finisher.

Besides the CLE marathon and Team Ultra, she is also a member of a nationwide running crew, Wahoo! Running and also reps, Rabbit, Tifosi Optics, RNWY, Alter Ego Running and Nuun Hydration.

For years, she was so focused on running for time, but when she lost her sister, her WHY changed. She found what she needed in the running community and started running for the joy and everything else it brings. She is so excited to join the Cleveland Marathon Ambassador's family and expanding the joy throughout because Cleveland is HOME! She is so excited for May and looking forward to running with all of you!

Brad Lamb

Born and raised in Cleveland Ohio, Brad ran his first ½ Marathon in 2013 and Full Marathon in 2014.  Both were with the Cleveland Marathon and has not looked back.  In 11 years, he has completed 8 marathons, 16 ½ Marathons and countless 10 Milers, 10ks and 5ks across the US.  But by far The Cleveland Marathon is the best because of the great atmosphere and amazing tour of the City of Cleveland.

Brad is a husband and a father of 2 kids, who he enjoys running with!  He is active in his community as a member of the Westlake Board of Education and works for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.  Brad is also a diehard Buckeye and graduate of THE Ohio State University.

Courtney Hahn

Courtney is a former Louisiana State University Cheerleader, Geaux Tigers! She’s also studying to become a nurse at Cleveland State University with plans to work in pediatrics and become a missionary nurse to serve those in need. Her running journey began during the early years of competing as a competitive cheerleader to help build endurance and stamina for cheer routines. However, she has always loved and enjoyed running. She is passionate about it because it truly provides freedom and peace, but also suits for an amazing workout! Her favorite place to run is the Cleveland Metroparks. The Metroparks are such a blessing as they are so scenic to run in any season of the year.

Outside of running, she enjoys yoga, traveling, growing her relationship with God, and spending quality time with friends and family! She has participated in the Cleveland Marathon for three years. She has run two half-marathons and one full marathon. The Cleveland Marathon is so special to her because Cleveland is HOME! However, the energetic atmosphere on race day is absolutely electric and indescribable. As the weather begins to take a turn here in Cleveland during May, the community of runners and non-runners all come out on Marathon day. The smiles, joy, laughter, and of course, sweat, beams off everyone's faces! The encouraging and supporting energy from everyone goes to show what kind of wonderful community Cleveland has to offer! She’s so honored, blessed, and thanking God for this opportunity He has given her to become a Cleveland Marathon Ambassador!

Michael Evans

Michael Evans (AKA Mevans) is a 39-year-old lifelong Ohioan, currently living in North Canton. Michael is also a lifelong runner, but only recently completed his first full marathon in the fall of 2023. He loves outdoor adventure and active lifestyle, and he can never sit still! He enjoys running as a member of the Canton Running Club, the Portage Lakes (PLX) Running Club in Akron, and the PLX North Running Club in Cleveland. Michael has a goal of running a race in each of the 50 states, and a goal to run a half marathon in each of the major Ohio cities.

Outside of running, Michael works full time for Cleveland Clinic as Director of Government Relations. He has a passion for volunteering in the community and serves as Chair of the Board of the Greater East Ohio Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Board President of the Prevention Action Alliance, and an associate board member of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission. Michael was a recipient of the 25 Under 35 Movers & Shakers Award from the Cleveland 20/30 Club, the 30 For The Future Award from the Greater Akron Chamber, and the Twenty Under 40 Award from the Canton Regional Chamber.

Additionally, Michael enjoys international travel, bar trivia, hiking, biking, working out, and spending time with his 15-year-old rescue chihuahua, Slider. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and loves rooting on the Buckeyes. If you’re bored, you can catch Michael in some of his appearances on national game shows ($100,000 Pyramid on ABC and We Are Family on Fox).

Michael is excited to become an ambassador for the Cleveland Marathon, as it brings together two of his favorite things: Cleveland and running. He hopes to energize and inspire individuals to hit the pavement and embark on an unforgettable running journey in The Land.