We are dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles and enduring friendships.

Who We Are

The South Bay Runners Club (SBRC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit, all-volunteer organization that unites runners and walkers in Southern California. As part of the Road Runners Clubs of America (RRCA) and USA Track & Field (USATF  Club #33-0767), we offer year round training including distance runs, an interval training track workout, recreational and travel activities, and social gatherings.

We have RRCA and USATF Certified Coaches who advise on proper training and techniques for improved performance. Whether you are trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon or simply improve your performance, we have a training plan for you. We also have a Registered Dietitian to answer any nutrition related questions you might have.

Our Vision

To promote and encourage health and fitness among the residents of the Beach Cities through distance running and walking at all levels.

Our Mission

The mission of the South Bay Runners Club (SBRC) is to provide scientific based running and walking programs through a friendly atmosphere to individuals of all running/walking levels. SBRC promotes and encourages health and fitness utilizing distance running and walking at all levels.

Toward these goals, the SBRC:

Training Opportunities

South Bay Runners provides 3 scheduled weekly training opportunities, and supports an environment in which coaches and members can connect for additional training.

Accessible Information

Club coaches, nutritionists and guest speakers disseminate information to help you improve your training via publications, presentations and educational programs throughout the year.

Group Guidance

Board Members and coaches are available to offer guidance and direction to all club members to ensure members have a successful and personalized experience with their training.

Community Support

South Bay Runners supports the community through volunteer work and by providing club members with information on local races, organizations and running activities.

In the Press

Check out this March 2019 article about SBRC from Easy Reader News.

Meet Your Board Members & Coaches

Michael Weisberg

President, RRCA Endurance Coach

Michael Weisberg lives and breathes running. He ran his first 5K race when he was seven and ran track & field through high school. After a lengthy hiatus and significant weight gain, Michael started training for his first marathon. It was then he rekindled his love of running. He is a senior pace leader for the LA Roadrunners (the official training program for the Los Angeles Marathon), and is an RRCA Level I certified coach (and currently finishing up his Level II certification). He ran his first Boston Marathon in 2017, after qualifying at Mountains 2 Beach in May 2016. He has completed the US leg of the Abbott World Majors and is hoping to add some international marathons to his schedule.

Aside from being club President, as CCO of the South Bay Runners Club (that’s Chief Culinary Officer), Michael often brings homemade baked goods. While not training with SBRC, he can usually be found running on the Strand or Greenbelt in Manhattan Beach.

SBRC Charter Member Since: 2014
Board Member Since: 2015
Years of Marathon Running: 5
Number of Marathons: 9
Number of Half Marathons: 25+
The Best Thing about SBRC: Sharing your passion with people of all abilities.
Favorite Running Quote: If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.

Mark Minichiello

Vice President, RRCA Endurance Coach & USATF Level 1 Certified Coach

Marathon Career

Mark started his marathon career as a member of the LA Roadrunners, the official training program of the Los Angeles Marathon. He found his passion in marathon running and never looked back. When you run your first marathon, you will either catch the fever or it will be your first and last. For Mark, it became one of numerous marathons spanning the globe from Los Angeles to Berlin Germany, London England, Rome, Italy, and Tokyo Japan just to name a few.

Coaching Career & Philosophy

Mark is a Boston and New York qualifier, an Abbott World Marathon Majors finisher, an RRCA Endurance and USATF Certified Coach. He is the LA Road Runners program administrator and head coach, where he oversees the largest marathon training program on the West Coast. He is a board member with the South Bay Runners Club and coaches both track and marathon training sessions. His goal over the course of his running career has been to inspire other athletes. This is what first brought him to coaching.

He believes training is fifty percent physical and fifty percent mental, and that it is his job to define the objective of my runners, analyze their results and provide constructive feedback. As a coach, he provides the runner with his expertise by explaining the why with the goal of empowering the runner to train optimally. He tries to instill the power of belief, so when his runners are truly tested, they believe in their ability to accomplish their goal. He believes this approach will sustain them in their darkest moments when they want to quit, but won’t. The time and effort required to achieve such mental strength is immense, but truly rewarding. Steve Prefontaine said it the best, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”.

SBRC Charter Member Since: 2014
Board Member Since: 2015
Years of Marathon Running: 8
Number of Marathons: 23
Number of Half Marathons: Too many to count
The Best Thing About SBRC: Allowing me the opportunity to inspire runners to achieve the unimaginable.
Favorite Running Quote: Because 26.3 would be crazy

Barry Morrill

Treasurer, RRCA Endurance Coach & USATF Level 1 Certified Coach

Barry was a Head Mentor for the LA LEGGERS, and the L.A. Marathon Support Chairman as well as being the LEGGERS Vice President. Barry has run the L.A. Marathon and 18 half
marathons in his 4 years of racing. Barry coaches the Track Light group during both Tuesday and Wednesday night track. During races he supports cancer research by wearing his purple “Cancer Fighting Kilt”.

SBRC Charter Member Since: 2014
Board Member Since: 2015
Years of Marathon Running: 4
Number of Marathons: 2
Number of Half Marathons: 18 or so (the kilt knows better)
The Best Thing About SBRC: The support we give each other to have fun and improve.
Favorite Running Quote: You’re NOT almost there

David Levine

Board Member, USATF Certified Coach Level II & USA Triathlon Coach Level I

David A. Levine, is co-author of the Complete Idiots Guide to Marathon Training (2012). Runner’s World Magazine has quoted him. He is a certified Coach, Level Two, with USA Track & Field and Level One with USA Triathlon, both subsidiaries of the US Olympic Committee. A three-time Ironman and twenty-six time marathoner, Levine coached and organized the City Of Angels Half Marathon training group, now USA Marathon Training, for eight seasons. With triathlon as a passion, Levine coached a Team-In-Training triathlon group and proudly helps his Sony Tri Team. For over ten years, he has been coaching weekly track workouts as Coach for the LA Running Club. For nine seasons, he was a Pace Leader with the 1,600 member LA Roadrunners. There he helped on the coaching advisory committee, for the last two years he was there, ending in 2011. Levine has also been a published features writer for numerous publications, including magazine cover articles and newspapers.

SBRC Charter Member Since: 2014
Board Member Since: 2015
Years of Marathon Running: 16
Number of Marathons: 26 – 3 were Ironman
Number of Half Marathons: 5
The Best Thing about SBRC: 13.5
Favorite Running Quote: “Endurance athletes show the world, the boundaries and limitations which we all thought existed do not exist, except beyond the realm where we cannot dream. For that reason, when we do an endurance event, we don’t just do it for ourselves, we do it for those watching, in hopes they too will have a dream.”

Kelly Gov

Secretary

Kelly started running in 2013. This started off as a painful experience, but after sticking with it and finding a great group of people to run with, running has become her anti-stress therapy. She doesn’t race much (so expensive!), but she loves training with the running community!

SBRC Charter Member Since: 2015
Board Member Since: 2015
Years of Marathon Running: 3
Number of Marathons: 2
Number of Half Marathons: 2
The Best Thing about SBRC: Amazing people, beautiful location
Favorite Running Quote: “You can’t hate the Beast (exhaustion) and expect to beat it; the only way to truly conquer something, as every great philosopher and geneticist will tell you, is to love it.” – Born to Run

Flor Hernandez

Community Outreach Committee Chair, RRCA & USATF Level 1 Certified Coach

Flor Hernandez started racing in Dec 2001. That first race was a 5k she ran with some of her coworkers. As soon as she crossed that finish line she was hooked. She loved the atmosphere of the race and there were runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. Shortly after that 5k she decided to run the LA Marathon. Little did she know her task ahead; it was the hardest thing she had ever done yet it amazed her to see that if you put your mind to it your body will do things that were once unthinkable. Flor has now run 91 half marathons and 18 full marathons as well as various 5ks and 10ks. This year her goal is to reach her 99th half marathon and make New Year’s Race half marathon her 100th race, for which she is also an ambassador. She is attempting to run a half marathon in every state. She works for Southwest Airlines as a flight attendant and loves her job and coworkers.

After watching her mother struggle through kidney failure, go through dialysis and finally lose her battle with Lupus, she now realizes that having good health is our most valuable asset. Just like in races we might sometimes hit the wall, and we push through no matter how hard it may be. It’s the same in life. Running has helped her get through some of her toughest times and major life changes and she uses races as goals to keep her motivated and focused. Flor enjoys traveling, being outdoors enjoying nature, art and especially spending time with her niece, nephews and son. She hopes to inspire others to live a healthier life, to go outdoors and keep moving doing something they love.

SBRC Charter Member Since: 2015
Board Member Since: 2015
Years of Marathon Running: 14
Number of Marathons: 20
Number of Half Marathons: 108
The Best Thing about SBRC: The wonderful coaches and meeting new people that love running 🙂
Favorite Running Quote: “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”

Maleri Holley

Board Member, RRCA Endurance Coach

Maleri grew up playing softball and going to the gym, where the most you ever had to run is around the bases. She only started running when moving to California and the Strand made it an easy exercise for her and her huskies every night. Started off one mile, then three, then she was up to six miles a day five days a week. She ran her first race ever in October of 2015, LA Rock N Roll Half. One short year later in October 2016, she ran her first full marathon, Long Beach Jet Blue. I guess you can say she caught the bug. She craves the endurance training now and can’t wait to see what else she can do.

SBRC Charter Member Since: 2016
Board Member Since: 2017
Years of Running: 4
Number of Half Marathons: 9
Number of Marathons: 2
The Best Thing about SBRC: Being a part of a supportive community where everyone works hard to make themselves stronger at the sport and have fun. You are surrounded by the encouragement to achieve more than you ever thought possible.
Favorite Running Quote: So many to choose from! But I think my favorite would be “the ability to run the extra mile lies in between your ears.”

Joe Lewis

Board Member

Joe Lewis ran track and cross country in high school and then took a very long break. He returned to running in 2014 starting off with the L.A. Marathon. He has now run over 50 half and full marathons. He has been a Pace Leader for the Malibu ½ marathon, Pasadena ½ marathon and for the official training group of the Los Angeles Marathon. Joe loves trail running and has organized group excursions to Mt. Wilson, Malibu Creek State Park Bulldog Trail and Machu Picchu in Peru.

SBRC Charter Member Since: 2014
Board Member Since: 2017
Years of Marathon Running: 4
Number of Marathons: 8
Number of Half Marathons: 43
The Best Thing about SBRC: Camaraderie and positivity of everyone in the group.
Favorite Running Quote: Master Yoda - Do or do not, there is no try

Maria A. Miller

Board Member, RRCA Certified Level 1 Endurance Coach

RRCA Certified Race Director & LA Road Runners Program Coordinator

Maria ran her first marathon (LA Marathon) in 2010 after years of competing in 5k & 10k races. As a life long competitive athlete in multiple sports including the shot put and discus, Maria found long distance running to be exactly what she was looking for as an adult. She has gone on to run countless half and full marathons including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Quebec City, Sydney, and her hometown favorite The Flying Pig in Cincinnati, Ohio. Maria is both a certified RRCA Level 1 Coach and a RRCA Race Director. In 2016, Maria became the program coordinator for the LA Road Runners (LARR), which is the official training program for the Los Angeles Marathon. Through LARR, Maria oversees the largest marathon-training program on the west coast with over 1,000 athletes. She is an original participant and board member of the South Bay Runners Club. Maria’s coaching goal is to always inspire, support and encourage athletes to push beyond their comfort zones by believing in their physical and mental strength.

SBRC Charter Member Since: 2014
Board Member Since: 2018
Years of Marathon Running: 9 years
Number of Marathons: 6 marathons
Number of Half Marathons: To many to count!
The Best Thing About SBRC: We have athletes of all abilities, ages, shapes, and sizes. Everyone is welcomed, supported, and celebrated for who they are and the work that they commit to their health, fitness and racing goals.
Favorite Running Quote: “The body achieves what the mind believes!”

Sally Andrade

RRCA Endurance Coach

Sally is a RRCA Certified Endurance Coach. She is a life-long runner, starting with track and cross country in high school. Sally has experience racing at distances from 5K to 50K, road and trails. Trails hold a special place in her heart, the more elevation gain the better, but she also likes to work on improving her road racing.

Sally enjoys helping others achieve their running goals, whether it’s running a very first 5K or getting a marathon PR. She loves to work with individuals on training plans that fit their lifestyle. It’s not always easy finding a way to balance running with family/work/school obligations, or fitting in other activities you enjoy. It is possible to set goals and shape a training plan that works for you!

Sally loves reading and learning about running, motivation, positive mindset, and nutrition. She is always happy to recommend a good book, podcast, or vegan recipe site. Sally currently coaches the Repetitions 2.0 group at Tuesday Track.

SBRC Member Since: 2015
Years of Running: 38 years (yikes!)
Number of Marathons: 6
Number of Half Marathons: 20+
Number of Ultramarathons: 2
The Best Thing about SBRC: the positive energy and support
Favorite Running Quote: “I often hear someone say I’m not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner.” – Bart Yasso

Hamid Rostamian

RRCA Endurance Coach

After more than 2 decades of competitive cycling, Hamid decided to join a few friends and run his first LA marathon in 1990. He got hooked. Since then, he has been running with LA Road Runners for number of years and became a LA Marathon pace leader 3 years ago. Hamid loves the joy of traveling and running marathons in different destinations. He never leaves on a trip without his running shoes. “It’s a perfect way to see the area before everyone else wakes up.”

If he is not running with his wonderful friends, he is biking, kayaking, or spending time with his beloved family, especially going to his sons’ activities.

SBRC Charter Member Since: 2016
Years of Marathon Running: 27
Number of Marathons: 50+
Number of Half Marathons: Too many
The Best Thing about SBRC: We are an encouraging, empowering and inspiring running family

Mackenzie Curtis

Registered Dietitian

Mackenzie is a Certified Registered Dietitian sharing her love of food, fitness and a healthy, balanced lifestyle. She completed a four year undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science and Nutrition at Keene State College, NH and following that a yearlong internship through Oregon State University. She started running competitively from the age of 10 all the way through college. Currently Mackenzie works at an inpatient facility seeing pediatric patients and outpatient nutrition counseling of all ages. Specialties include pediatrics, nutrition for active adults and children, weight management, cooking and recipe development and general guidance for healthy living. Mackenzie’s nutrition goal is to help individuals make lasting lifestyle changes that stick. As the club Dietitian she will be providing healthy recipes, posting about nutrition topics of interest, sharing research articles and resources, along with answering any questions you might have via email at dietitian@southbayrunners.org. You can also find her most Tuesday nights for SBRC track night!
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A wonderful group of runners offering a variety of run options, and, most importantly, great friends to run with!

Kelly S.
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Amazing group of runners and walkers! Can't beat the views and the top notch training.

Shari S.
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Love to run? Looking for a great group of different paces and ages to build a running community with? SBRC is definitely the place to be...

Andrew F.