The LA-area wildfires in their rearview, LA Marathon runners get a boost from a social media maven
The LA-area wildfires in their rearview, LA Marathon runners get a boost from a social media maven
Nobody’s more powered up than Pamela Price on Marathon Day.
For four years, Price, 38, has taken over the Los Angeles Marathon’s social media as its rolling reporter, able to run 26.2 miles throughout the course, talk and coax stories from fellow runners and roadside cheerleaders alike, and still be Instagram-ready at the finish line.
Sunday was no different.
There she was, nearing Mile 11 in Hollywood, her trusty selfie camera in hand, the sounds of a Bee Gees tune in the background.
She catches up to a man running for his wife, a cancer survivor. As the run together, he shares his story, and how he hoped to finish in time to see her by 1 p.m.
Then, as the man moves on, she turns to gives props to the various running clubs running among the 25,000 participants. And she sends cheers to those who amid the loss of the wildfires, ran.
“We’re here! “We’re so proud of … all the people that are running today in memory of someone and for someone,” she tells her audience, her enthusiasm still cutting through her heavier breathing as she herself ran. “Guys, I’m here to shout out to your mothers, and brothers, your husbands, your sisters, your wives, your cousins, and maybe you’ll see them here on the course. Let’s go! Let’s go!”
Price arrived at Dodgers Stadium in the predawn hours of Race Day ready to encourage runners, admire roadside cheerleaders, both human and canine, and give tips and point out landmarks. This year, Price was also determined to honor first responders and survivors of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires with one message: forward is the only way to go.
Yes, Price has the endurance and athleticism of a marathoner, but when on Jan. 7 both wildfires sparked 30 days of loss and destruction across the city, Price called on another superpower: compassion.
The athlete and formally-trained dancer called Michael Ramos, president of the Pasadena Pacers and told him, “We’re going to do this.” They scoured the 6,000-strong club’s database and confirmed which members lost their homes or were displaced. Price organized the needs of each member and their family, including the size of their shoes and clothes.
During three weekends in January and February, she turned her Highland Park home into a boutique, allowing 40 Altadena families to gather enough for brand new closets. Price’s network of running influencers got the word out to shoes and apparel companies such as Hoka, New Balance, and Dagner Dover suitcases. She even gathered sponsors to provide food for the wildfire victims as they shopped.
“It was three weekends of shopping, and the best part was neighbors were running into each other there and seeing each other for the first time since their homes burned out,” Price said. “They needed a light, there was so much mental stress on these families.”
The Eaton Fire Run Family Drive helped so many get back to running as soon as possible.
“I cannot say enough great things about Pamela. She is absolutely amazing,” Ramos said. The Pacers, more than 300 strong at this marathon, stood out among the crowd in their red shirts. They were running for themselves as well as the 27 in their number who lost their homes or remain displaced.
The Eaton Fire disrupted the months-long training Victoria Barrera, 38, of Altadena, had completed to prepare for the marathon. After she lost her home in the fire, and her 8-year-old daughter lost her Pasadena school, Barrera had to focus on starting from scratch. Price held her hand and made sure she could still compete, Barrera said.
Price knows something about adversity. Diagnosed with Behçet’s disease in 2013, Pamela is a dedicated activist for the rare disease community, founding We Care When, a care package and resource program supporting those living with chronic illness. Behçet’s disease is a rare, inflammatory disorder.
She competed in NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” show and later reached the finals in TBS’ “Wipeout.”
When she’s not running, Price serves as the senior executive producer of the Hollywood Beauty Awards and Daytime Beauty Awards.
Price, who is half-Filipino and part Polish American, is happy to run and talk the whole racecourse.
“The energy is indescribable,” she said of mingling with the elites, the para-athletes and then the rest of the 26,000 runners this year. “The LA Marathon is one big celebration and it’s a party for the city of Los Angeles. Most everybody is running or volunteering or on the sidelines, and everyone cheering for everyone.”
Her life philosophy is mind over matter, something she espoused to fellow marathoners on the course Sunday.
“All athletes, whether you’re a weekend warrior or not, you run because you love it and the feeling in the end is unlike any feeling you can ever have proving to yourself you can go the distance literally and figuratively,” she said. “When you cross that finish line, the energy and pride you fell is so well-deserved.”
After the fires, Price said she’s proud that Los Angeles-based award shows, races and other big events honor the first responders and victims of the disaster. The 40th Los Angeles Marathon is no different: “It’s going to be an uplifting moment for the city.”
The scars from the two wildfires are still fresh in the Los Angeles landscape, and the trauma survivors feel are still deeply felt, Price said.
“We have to remember it just happened yesterday basically, and it’s still ongoing,” she added.“The processing has only just begun, and for some, the marathon is where they can process it.”
Price will finish her fourth LA marathon in a little over 5 hours. She will celebrate her city and her passion for running, which she said for so many people is the place they go when they feel stressed or worried.
“No one regrets going for that run,” she said, because you feel so much better after. Well, maybe not today. A lot of body parts hurt today, But also, everything feels pretty darn great.
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