Michelle La Sala, President
Michelle La Sala celebrates 20 years in mass participation events. With experience ranging from volunteer coordinator to race director and company owner, she excels in planning and on-site execution. She has worked on major marathons, handled event cancellations and crises, and managed internal and external communications. Michelle received the 2024 Women's Leadership Award from Running USA and was recognized as the 2024 Emerging Industry Leader by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security.
As a runner herself, Michelle has had a love affair with the sport since age nine. She competed at the NCAA Division I level in Cross Country and Track and Field for University of Portland and still competes today as a masters runner for the Bay Area based West Valley Track Club.
Kevin Pool, Director of Operations
Kevin Pool has worked in event production since 2009, specializing in process planning, permitting, and collaboration with law enforcement and public agencies on communications, security, and safety. In 2024, he successfully replanned two 10,000-participant events within three weeks, demonstrating his expertise, critical thinking, and ability to perform under pressure.
Kevin is a three-time Division III All American covering both cross country and track and field. Kevin is also a World Marathon Majors six-star finisher. His best performance took place at the 2013 Boston Marathon where he placed 18th with a time of 2:18:59. Kevin is a 2024 inductee of the Allegheny College Athletics Hall of Fame. He likes to say he is now in the "giving back" stage of being an athlete by prioritizing servicing others through his role in race production.
Emily O’Rourke, Operations Manager
Emily started her career coordinating high-end golf tournaments before transitioning into endurance and running events. She’s handled everything from registration and operations to volunteer coordination and course marking, gaining a strong understanding of what it takes to bring races to life. As a lifelong runner, she’s been passionate about the sport since high school and loves being part of active, outdoor-focused communities.
Her running background includes competing in club track and cross country at Michigan State University and later embracing road marathons. After moving from Michigan to Colorado, she discovered the ultra-running scene and recently celebrated a major milestone by completing her first 100-mile race.
Emily now lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her partner, Ian, and their dog, Marigold. When she’s not exploring local trails, she enjoys backpacking, skiing, and tending to her garden.
Ted McDonald, Operations Coordinator
Endurance athlete, mindfulness expert and global retreat leader, Ted has traveled the globe in incredibly unique ways. From organizing and leading groups to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, hike through the Andes of Peru and raft the Futalefu River Valley in Chile, he’s always searching for the next adventure.
As an endurance athlete, he has competed in the Mont Tremblant Ironman, the Leadville Trail 100 MTB race and ran his own Rim2Rim2Rim in the Grand Canyon, among countless races over more than 2 decades of competition.
His career has blossomed into race directing and event operations. He created his own fun run series in Dripping Springs, just outside of Austin. He has worked on such high profile events as the Austin Marathon, TCS NYC Marathon, Boulderthon and more. He currently works with NYRR, High 5 Events, Cadence Sports and now, proudly, Blistering Pace!
Jay Stanwood, Director of Athlete Services
Jay has been passionate about running for over two decades, inspired by his avid runner aunt and uncle. He started with Team In Training in Columbus, Ohio, and became a team training and group run leader. At Mizuno in Atlanta, Jay advanced to Running Brand Specialist Manager, leading a team to drive sales and brand awareness, while enhancing customer loyalty through marketing and promotions. Known for this attention to detail and efficiency, Jay excels in executing complex projects and always works enthusiastically with staff, vendors, and participants.
Jay lives in Decatur, Georgia, with his wife Amanda and son Henry.
Matt Forsman, Special Projects Manager
"Marathon Matt" is a seasoned runner with over 15 years of experience as a small business owner, race producer, and community builder. After a brief corporate stint, he pursued his passion for running, launching a successful running club in 2007 that has since helped thousands of runners. In 2013, Matt expanded into event production with Sasquatch Racing, creating popular trail races in the SF/Bay Area.
Known for his attention to detail and passion for community, Matt serves as the Special Projects Manager at Blistering Pace, overseeing hospitality, customer service, logistics, and communications.
Matt lives in Marin County with his girlfriend Leslie and their dog Shorty. In his free time, he enjoys visiting family in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Hannah Sconzo, Director of Marketing
Hannah is a multifaceted brand strategist, graphic designer, and digital marketer based in Napa Valley. Passionate about color, design, and all the ways consumers interact with a brand, she dedicates her time to enhancing brand storytelling. Whether she's filming and editing content for social media, curating compelling testimonials for email campaigns, or designing materials for in-person events, Hannah is constantly exploring innovative ways to engage audiences.
Hannah began her career in the running industry in Charlottesville, VA, where she interned with the local marathon. This experience propelled her to the West Coast, where she took on a full-time role with Destination Races, working on their Wine Country Half Marathon series. Her career then shifted to the wine industry, where she honed her skills in brand management within both in-house and agency settings, gaining valuable insights into luxury goods and hospitality.
She is thrilled to have returned to her roots in the running industry, representing events she has personally run and loved.
Regan Cook, Content Marketing Coordinator
Regan is a content strategist and integrated marketing professional based in Colorado Springs, CO, with experience working with organizations like the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Temple University Athletics, and Semper Fi & America’s Fund. She specializes in digital marketing, social media, and content strategy, with a focus on helping organizations connect with their audiences to achieve their marketing goals.
Passionate about sports and the outdoors, Regan is a two-time Division III lacrosse All-American, an avid CrossFitter, and a self-proclaimed mediocre runner and cyclist. She holds a Master’s of Sport Business from Temple University and a B.S. in Sport Management from York College of Pennsylvania.
Noah Droddy, Sponsorship Manager
After a near decade long professional running career, Noah has traded out the carbon shoes and picked up the telephone to join BPRM as its Sponsorship Manager. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, Noah relocated to Boulder to chase the dream of running as fast as he could. Dubbed the ‘Beer Drinking Mustachioed Hero’ by Runner’s World in 2017, Noah kept that playful edge throughout his career and prioritized building relationships within the running community as much as he did those early morning long runs.
A graduate of Division III DePauw University, Noah remains active in that community as the co-founder of the D3 Glory Days podcast, and the official commentator of the NCAA D3 Championship track and cross country meets.
Having established a strong community in Boulder, he and his wife Emma (a fantastic runner in her own right) decided to stay and put down roots of their own, raising their baby boy alongside Jack, a retired racing greyhound from Australia.
When he’s not running or answering emails, Noah enjoys playing guitar and reminiscing on his punk rock glory days, not skiing, and watching the Lord of the Rings extended editions over and over again.
Alaina Williams, Director of Hospitality
Alaina is an event pro who thrives on bringing big ideas to life. With years of experience leading large-scale events and managing complex logistics, she’s known for creating experiences that feel seamless, intentional, and memorable.
She has worked across hospitality, nonprofit, and sporting events — everything from black tie to high-vis. Her experience spans golf tournaments, conventions, arenas, SEC football, NYC Fashion Week, and more than a few marathons. A proud University of Georgia Bulldawg, Alaina also holds an MBA from Johnson & Wales University and industry certifications as a CPCE and CMP. What really sets her apart, though, is her hands-on approach, calm leadership style, and genuine love for the events industry.
When she’s not planning events, Alaina enjoys cooking for her husband and 8-year-old son, planning the next trip, and playing in the dirt.
Kelly Mac, Director of Exhibitor Sales
Kelly Mac is an Alabama native currently residing in South Carolina. She is a proud parent of two children—Hunter, who is in college, and Ella, a junior in high school. Family and friends are at the center of her life, and she values the time she spends building and maintaining those relationships.
Kelly has a diverse professional background spanning multiple industries. Her experience includes working in NASCAR through retail and brand-specific promotions, serving as a golf buyer for high-end country clubs, and managing projects for a nonprofit organization. In 2001, she also achieved the milestone of completing the Honolulu Marathon. In her current role as the Director of Exhibitor Sales, she brings her passion for connection, communication, and relationship-building to her work.
Known for her outgoing personality, Kelly enjoys meeting new people and believes strongly in the power of personal outreach. She values meaningful conversations and takes pride in understanding others’ goals so she can help support and connect them effectively. Kelly is also deeply involved in volunteering with various nonprofit organizations and is committed to giving back to her community.