Meet Your 2026 Pacers
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Dane ShawInstagram: @danemshaw Pace: 6:35 minutes per mile. |
Dane Shaw is a veteran pacer and lifelong endurance athlete originally from Edwardsville, Illinois, who has called Austin home for the past 14 years. His athletic career spans triathlon and ultrarunning, with seven full IRONMAN finishes, four half IRONMAN events—including two World Championship appearances—and two Leadville 100 completions, one under the 25-hour mark.
Most recently, Dane placed 3rd overall at the BPN Survive the Night 50-miler. This year, he is honored to pace the 3:00 marathon group, guiding runners toward their goals with focus, consistency, and enthusiasm. |
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Jorge CruzInstagram: Jorgeordunaa Pace: 6:52 minutes per mile. |
Hi, my name is Jorge Cruz. I have lived in Austin for almost 5 years and have paced the Austin marathon before. I am excited to help others reach their goal and be a part of this community as it has helped me too. |
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Sam WelchInstagram: @sam.m.welch Pace: 7:00 minutes per mile. |
Sam Welch is a lifelong runner who’s embraced the full spectrum of the sport, racing everything from the mile on the track to 50 miles in the mountains to two IRONMAN triathlons. With a marathon personal best of 2:32:05 set at the 2024 Boston Marathon, Sam has been training here in Austin since 2022 with Bat City Track Club and Purple Dragons, and he’s excited to pace this year’s Austin Marathon! |
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Matthieu DienerInstagram: @djinarmatthieu Pace: 7:02 minutes per mile. |
When Matthieu more to Austin from Paris (France) in 2019, he was impressed with the greatness of the Austin running community. Matthieu became familiar with a few of the training groups around town while running around the river and training for previous Austin Marathons. He is excited to join the Austin Marathon pacing team for the third time this year! Matthieu will provide a smooth run around town in pursuit of the 3:05 finish. |
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Aaron ValdezInstagram: aaronrunsatx Pace: 7:15 minutes per mile. |
Aaron is a veteran pacer and is excited to lead the 3:10 pace group for the Austin Marathon for the 4th time! He is a passionate runner and coach with 9 marathons under his belt. As a masters 2:47 marathoner, he knows what it takes to keep things smooth and steady on race day. A big fan of Austin’s energy and running community, he brings enthusiasm and positivity to every mile. Expect even splits, great energy, and plenty of encouragement all the way up Congress Avenue and through the hills of Austin. |
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Tyler ShirleyInstagram: @tylersurely Pace: 7:15 minutes per mile. |
I really can’t describe how excited I am that I get to pace the Austin Marathon! It was my first marathon when I did the Distance Challenge so getting to pace the local marathon is a big honor. I’ve been involved in the local running community for about 3 years and have run ever since middle school, so I’m always down to talk about this crazy sport. While I can say I’ve run 5 marathons, I can’t count all the miles I’ve put down around the streets of our town. The Austin running community is a real treasure, so I hope I can be the best hype man/ cheerleader for everyone involved! |
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Brian FaganInstagram: faganruns Pace: 7:26 minutes per mile. |
Brian is a veteran pacer leading the 3:15 this year. He has run the Austin Marathon 16 times. As a past member of the US National Cycling Team, Brian raced bikes competitively in France and Belgium for 5 years before returning to Texas. He has run numerous trail races and ultramarathons and enjoys pacing races in the greater Austin area. |
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Eugene PushinInstagram: eugene.inmotion Pace: 7:26 minutes per mile. |
Eugene, a rookie pacer, has always been a competitive athlete, but it wasn’t until Sept 2022 that he began running. As with everything in life, Eugene goes all in and ran his first marathon (Austin Marathon) at 39 in Feb of 2024. It took Eugene’s running group, Ship of Fools, to point out to this running newbie that his sub-3 marathon qualified him for Boston! I’m excited to give back to my community and help others achieve their goal! |
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Michael WiltInstagram: yourfriend_michael Pace: 7:30 minutes per mile. |
Michael is a veteran Austin Marathon pacer who considers it an honor to lead the 3:25 pack. He currently trains with the Bat City Track Club and has completed 17 marathons, one on-your-own ultra, dozens of middle distance races, and some sprints to the curb with the recycling cart. Michael is currently focused on racing the World Marathon Majors, reducing his marathon personal record of 2:45, and finding his daughter an alicorn. Happy running! |
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Ted DavisonInstagram: N/A Pace: 8:01 minutes per mile. |
Ted Davison’s running career started many years ago in Zimbabwe as part of his triathlon training. When he went to college in England, Davison completed the London marathon, twice. He has now completed more than 25 marathons, an Ironman triathlon and over 20 ultra-distance races, including Western States 100. Since moving to Austin in 2001, Davison has run the Austin Marathon and 3M ½ marathon many times and this will be his 9th year being a pacer. |
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Marc BergmanInstagram: marcb512 Pace: 8:12 minutes per mile. |
Steady metronome— mile markers cheer as we pass, breath counts out the day. Three thirty-five hums, |
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Mark HeerenspergerInstagram: N/A Pace: 8:12 minutes per mile. |
Mark is a veteran pacer bringing in folks at the 3:35 finish this year. He has run 20 marathons including pacing the Austin Marathon many years in a row. Working in finance as his means of employment, Mark suffers with the rest of the Longhorn fans during football season. His favorite section of the marathon course are those middle miles through campus. |
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CP ShaulisInstagram: N/A Pace: 8:23 minutes per mile. |
This is CP’s second year pacing the 3:40 group. He loved it so much last year, he had to come back. Residing in the Austin area for his whole life, CP ran cross country and track at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. Since graduation, he has worked and now manages at Fleet Feet – Gateway. Austin Marathon was his first marathon and he has now completed 6 since then. |
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Dermot O’DriscollInstagram: @dermotod Pace: 8:23 minutes per mile. |
I’m so excited to be back for my 4th year pacing Austin! We will be running even paces and entertaining you as you make your way to a 3:40 finish..! |
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Patrick HallInstagram: patrickhall34 Pace: 8:23 minutes per mile. |
Patrick has run Austin 28 times, paced it 16 times, and looks forward to making sure you have as much fun as possible on the course. It’s always a great day to be able to toe the line for a marathon. He has 105 marathons so far with a 2:46 pre-carbon-assist PR plus a few ultras including Comrades and Rim-2-Rim-2-Rim. Let’s share a few stories to make the miles go by. |
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Daniel PayneInstagram: N/A Pace: 8:35 minutes per mile. |
This is Daniel’s second year being an Austin Marathon pacer. He is excited to pace the 3:45 group. His first marathon was the 2014 Austin Marathon. Daniel is an ultra marathon trail runner, training on roads during the week and enjoying trails on the weekends. He’s excited to pace on February 15th. |
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Elyse DerianInstagram: @elysederian Pace: 8:35 minutes per mile. |
I’m a passionate marathoner, mom of four, and proud Team Rogue Cedar Park runner who loves early mornings, long runs, and chasing big goals with an even better crew. I’ve run 13 marathons and I’m thrilled to pace the 3:45 group at Austin this year. I’m all about steady pacing, positive energy, and enjoying every mile with the running community that makes this sport so special. I’m looking forward to taking on the streets of Austin together and having some fun getting to the finish line! |
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Michelle RyanInstagram: i_run_i_fly Pace: 8:46 minutes per mile. |
Michelle is a veteran pacer celebrating her 11th year on the Austin Marathon team with her pacing partner Robyn Dodge. Michelle has raced 62 marathons, 58 ultra marathons and 7 Ironmans. She’s raced the Boston Marathon 7x, as well as the Ironman World Championship, Western States 100, Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc Championship in the 100 miler and 100k. Michelle has raced ultras in Australia, Hong Kong, France, South Africa, Japan and Brazil. Serving the Austin running community for the last decade as a pace team member is what she loves the most. |
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Robyn DodgeInstagram: @rldodge Pace: 8:46 minutes per mile. |
Robyn is a ten year veteran pacer and is currently the Austin Marathon Pace Team Captain. It is her fifth year in a row serving in this role. Robyn has completed over 50 marathons, including finishing thirteen consecutive Boston Marathons. Robyn and her experienced partner Michelle are both punctual, consistent, and precise pacers. They have paced the Austin Marathon together for many years. Professionally, Dr. Dodge is a professional archaeologist and works for an environmental consulting company in Austin. She is also a certified fitness instructor, teaching strength and Mat Pilates in her free time. Robyn is excited to assist athletes in achieving their goals on February 15th! |
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Jason LippmanInstagram: N/A Pace: 8:58 minutes per mile. |
I have been a long-distance endruance athlete completeing in numerous marathons, triathalons and ultra- marathons. My main focus now is ultra marathons on trail in the mountains all over the world. I have been a pacer for over 10 marathons as well as pacing friends at thier ultra marathons. |
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Ashley Van WagonerInstagram: Ashvwruns Pace: 9:09 minutes per mile. |
Ashley is excited to return to the Austin marathon as a veteran pacer. She’s a mom of 4 and avid marathoner. She trains with Rogue Cedar Park and finds so much joy in helping others reach their goals. She’s honored to pace and is looking toward to the electric energy of the Austin Marathon! |
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Mary LapidasInstagram: Maryabigailatx Pace: 9:09 minutes per mile. |
Mary is a new addition to the Austin Marathon pace team; in 2023 she ran her first marathon and quickly fell in love with the distance. Since then, Mary has run several marathons, including two stints at Boston and one in Chicago. Connecting other runners in Austin is Mary’s passion, and she is thrilled to be pacing the 4.00 pace group in order to continue fostering community and help others achieve their goals. Mary can frequently be found running around Austin in the early mornings and at her favorite run club The Morning Jo’s — if you see her, come and say hello! |
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Laura HittInstagram: N/A Pace: 9:20 minutes per mile. |
Laura is a veteran pacer who has been running long-distance races in Austin annually for more than 20 years. Laura has run 9 marathons, achieved a Boston Qualifying time at the Austin Marathon, and has paced numerous half marathons. When Laura isn’t running, she is a mathematician-turned-fraud-program-manager and mother of two amazing teens. She looks forward to assisting runners achieve their goals on February 15th. |
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Brooke ZielInstagram: @mamabrookeruns365 Pace: 9:21 minutes per mile. |
Brooke Ziel is an Austin native who started running at 19 to check a marathon off her bucket list. She used a 6 month couch to marathon plan to run the Austin Marathon and now paces that exact finish time 22 years later. When she is not running on the road or the trail, Brooke likes to spend time traveling the world with her husband and two sons, baking, and reading. |
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Lino RamirezInstagram: austinrunner28 Pace: 9:30 minutes per mile. |
I’ve been running marathons for over 10 years and have qualified for Boston twice—such an incredible experience! I’m super excited to be part of the pace team. My goal is to help motivate runners, keep the energy up, and make sure we all cross that finish line right on time. |
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Mike MulhollandInstagram: @mike_mulholland Pace: 9:32 minutes per mile. |
I got the “running bug” like many others in 2020, signing up for my first race, the Austin Half Marathon, in 2022. Since then I’ve run 5 more half marathons and 9 full marathons with the goal to run 10 before I turn 30. Though this is my first time pacing a full marathon, I’ve been serving as a pacer for a local run club, the Morning Jo’s, as a pacer since 2023. And a fun running fact is that I ran the half marathon last year in a chicken onesie! |
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Jessica MaherInstagram: N/A Pace: 9:55 minutes per mile. |
Jessica may be a rookie marathon pacer, but she’s a veteran runner who has completed nine marathons and a 50K ultramarathon in Bryce Canyon. She loves getting out for runs with her longtime friends from Gilbert’s Gazelles (she’s been part of the group since 2008), but her favorite part might just be the post-run dip in Barton Spring, or a long, lazy coffee afterward. A joyful and chatty running partner, Jessica is excited to meet new runners and help them reach their goals on the Austin Marathon course. |
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Mary LeningtonInstagram: @mlenington Pace: 9:55 minutes per mile. |
Mary Lenington will be pacing her 8th Austin Marathon and running her 21st Marathon in Austin 2026. She really loves guiding runners through this beautiful and active city. When she is not running this town, she is running her kids to school and sports. Please introduce yourself and let her know if it’s your first marathon. Mary especially loves pumping up athletes putting it out there for 26.2 during their first ever marathon. |
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Cheryl TulkoffInstagram: @ctulkoff Pace: 10:00 minutes per mile. |
Cheryl is a veteran pacer of the Austin Marathon who recently returned to Austin after spending a few years living & running in Australia! She’s done a little bit of everything – Ironman, bodybuilding, ultra runs, multi-day stage runs and countless marathons. She’s thrilled to be back in Austin close to her family and excited to help marathoners reach their goals! |
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Melissa GrahamInstagram: Missag44 Pace: 10:29 minutes per mile. |
I am so excited to be pacing the Austin Marathon for a second year! This will be my 5th time running the Austin Marathon and my 9th marathon. I am a mom of 13 year old twin boys so most of my training is done early in the mornings at 5am with Rise and Run South Austin. I find that running with others is so much more joyful than running on my own. I love to pace because cheering on runners in their goals makes me happy. I can’t wait to cheer you on! |
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Sandy CummingInstagram: N/A Pace: 11:03 minutes per mile. |
Hi! My name is Sandy Cumming and I live and run in Austin,Texas. I Have run the Austin Marathon six times. My running history includes over 125 marathons including finishing a marathon in all 50 states twice and running a half marathon in all 50 states once. I’m looking forward to pacing this year and can’t wait to help you meet your goals for for the Austin Marathon! |
