Wisdom and joy to guide you.

Emily Noble has been running and helping to create marathons since 2005. She has completed marathons as a master’s elite runner, an undertrained-and-just-trying-to-finish runner, a negative-split elated runner, and even, regrettably, a super-disappointed DNF runner. As a volunteer, Emily has worked starting lines, finish lines, water stops, and race expos, and she has been a course monitor, planned awards, and served as a pacer. Emily is a past president of the Athens Road Runners Board and is the Director of the Athens Road Runners Racing Team. She served on the Twin Cities Marathon Association from 2012-2014. She is an Associate Professor with expertise in nutritional neuroscience at UGA, she is our dreamer and our visionary, and she is determined to create the best possible Classic City Marathon, Half Marathon, and Marathon Relay Weekend for everyone!

Carole Black is the owner of Classic Race Services and a long-time fixture of professional race management in north Georgia. Carole has been involved with Classic Race Services for 20 years and owner for the past 13. She started running in her 40s and ran her first (and only) marathon the year she turned 50! She is mostly walking now, but Carole remains passionate about running and the running community. She and her company provide exceptional race management and finish line services, making sure every detail is in place from the earliest stages of race planning through the last minutes of the last participant’s race. And this year, she’s also involved in coordinating all the bands, DJs, and other entertainment for along the course and throughout race day! Carole welcomes you to the Classic City and says, as always, "Have a good race, and have a safe race!”

James Barlament is a Southeast Georgia native who has lived in Athens for 25 years. Most of his running seems to be to keep up with his wife Chrissy and daughter Penny, but James also has his own successes running all distances up to marathons and beyond. After earning two degrees from UGA, he has spent his career working in the public health and education fields, currently serving as the Executive Director of Innovation, Strategy, and Governance for the Clarke County School District. James loves the beautiful city of Athens and loves studying maps, and he combines these interests by leading the Course Committee for the Classic City Marathon Association and by serving as the Race-Day Captain for the (full) marathon. We love the courses he has designed, and he will get every detail right for you on marathon day!

Will Hodges was born and raised in the small town of Louisville, GA. He came to Athens in 1998 to attend UGA, and he never left! Will has been an active member of Athens Road Runners since its inception in 2013. If he is not at his day job at Pinnacle Bank, he is probably loudly playing 90s alt rock on his guitar, cheering for his kids’ sporting events, or helping his wife Kate in the garden. Will coordinates our search for new sponsorships, manages sponsor relations, and serves as the Race-Day Captain for the Half Marathon.

Glen Anderson is a fixture in the Athens Road Runner community who describes himself with a grin as a middling long-distance runner. He enjoys group runs that end with sharing drinks afterward, and he can happily spend most of a beautiful morning sitting on Hendershots’ porch yammering. He has completed several notable running events of various distances. Glen works to anticipate and solve every complexity of our marathon relay and serves as the Race-Day Captain for the relay. He is hoping that you use the WARM and DRY vans to move around the city on race day!

Dustin and Catherine Shinholser own Fleet Feet Athens-Oconee and love being involved in the incredible local running community. Catherine taught elementary school for 13 years and created / coached several youth running clubs during that time. She has also been the director of the Athens Twilight 5K, Kids Run, and $1,000 Mile for multiple years. Dustin has raced every race there is to race, including ultra marathons, and managed many races and expos. They also have two growing kids who used to be babies in the running stroller but who will need to trade places and push Catherine pretty soon! Dustin and Catherine are excited to combine their expertise to create an amazing Race Expo and the ultimate (indoor!) post-race celebration experience for the Classic City Marathon, Half Marathon, and Marathon Relay.

Mike Greenlee is coordinating everything about the water stops, from selecting the perfect locations to arranging the early-morning delivery of tables, cups, and all the water, PowerAde, and GU for race day!

Christine Busby knows what it takes to get to a Finish Line, and she knows you want to celebrate when you get there! She is in charge of our outdoor Finish Line area for 2026.

Greg Waddell has completed well over 70 marathons, 2 Ironman triathlons, and at least 25 triathlons at distances from sprint to half-ironman. He shared his expertise with other racers by serving as a pacer for MarathonPacing.com for over 10 years, and he is now focused on pacers for the Classic City Marathon and Half Marathon. His efforts in finding, organizing, training, and supporting our amazing teams of pacers will help you every step of your race! (And watch for the tailgate-style Cheer Zone he and his wife Dee Waddell will be hosting. Go Dawgs!)

Al Jeffers is a USATF-certified and RRCA-certified running coach. He has worked with the Athens Road Runners racing teams and other Athens Road Runners members since 2013. He was proud to design the first Classic City Marathon training plans in 2023, and he has continued to support all Classic City runners every year! Coach Al is also available for private coaching or consultation with individual runners.

Katie Goreham

Lisa Patton is a dynamic personal trainer and running coach at Transfit Athens, a women’s training studio nestled in the 5 Points neighborhood. With a lifelong passion for sports, Lisa currently channels her energy into staying active with her four children and running, which she values for its mental health benefits and social opportunities. Lisa has completed numerous marathons (including the inaugural 2024 Classic City Marathon!) and half-marathons, and she joined the Athens Road Runners Racing Team in 2023. She puts all her skills and connections to good use organizing the hundreds of volunteers who help us create the best race weekend ever!

Alexa Hoppenfeld is helping our Volunteers Coordinator with the enormous task of finding, training, and supporting the hundreds of volunteers that are necessary for any large race.

Rachel Irwin is our director of Cheer Zones. As a former cheerleader herself and an accomplished marathon runner, Rachel knows a lot about both cheering and running! Email her if your family, business, team, or other group would like to host a cheer zone at the Classic City Marathon!

Hazel Allen yearns to write verses with grace. To capture each thought in a space. She writes and she tries, then she sits and she sighs, as the words just refuse to keep pace! (She seeks to help all Athens cheer, to help runners and walkers this year. Organized places with happy loud faces – the cowbells kick into high gear!)

Troy Aubrey and Aubrey Entertainment describe themselves as the connection point for all things entertainment in Athens, from concert promotion to bands and DJs. Troy is working with our Race Director again this year to arrange another amazing line-up of local bands and DJs. Let the music of Athens keep you running!

Monica Huff is a proud Athenian and always tries to “Run with joy!” Monica has run at least 138 marathons (we can’t keep up!), and she was the 4th woman ever to run a Boston Qualifying (BQ) marathon time in every state plus DC. To celebrate 20+ years of running, Monica ran a marathon per month in 2022, and she is going for it again in 2025-2026! Monica was a Cognitive Psychologist for the U.S. government and is a past President of Athens Road Runners. As lead for our Charity Partners efforts, Monica focuses on connecting our Association with community partners who can use our support. She is also working to smooth all the edges off your race weekend by organizing our hotel partners, restaurant partners, and our after-after party for Saturday night!

Tammy Gilland is the executive director of philanthropy at Piedmont Medical. She is a marathon runner, a running enthusiast, and a HUGE DAWGS fan!!! She is serving as our liaison to our Presenting Sponsor Piedmont Athens Regional hospital. In this role, Tammy is sharing her organizational skills and community connections in everything from organizing space for committee meetings all year, to managing donations of medical supplies for race day, to overseeing our co-branded marketing. Many thanks to Tammy and to Piedmont Athens Regional!

Macy Clabaugh is an excited Athens Road Runner and a committed fundraiser and organizer. Besides helping Griffin Clabaugh with all things signage, Macy also serves as our liaison to the University of Georgia Greek Life community. She coordinates our special Classic City Marathon Greek Life Competition, through which fraternity and sorority chapters can earn donations to their philanthropies. She also helps the Greek Life volunteers we need for race day, and she keeps it all fun for everyone!

Kevin Burke is a professor of English Education at the University of Georgia who has been running marathons (at wildly different paces!) for over 20 years. Kevin’s professional expertise includes connecting the arts and communities, and he brings that same vision to our race’s awards, medals, and poster. He connects us to the Clarke County School District for our student medal designers, and he connects us to professional artists in Athens to create our posters. And he comes up with fun and uniquely Athens awards each year that will not threaten your student-athlete or amateur status, we promise!

Reese Walker holds an art degree from the University of Georgia and has a great sense of style! He runs with unbridled joy and races with enthusiastic abandon. Reese is co-director of the T-shirt design committee with his partner in fashion Chrissy Proctor.

Chrissy Proctor is a native of Danielsville, GA, which is just north of Athens. She grew up running on country roads and ran track and cross country in high school. She was a triple Dawg, earning her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the UGA College of Public Health. Chrissy is a highly successful road and trail runner, excelling at the marathon and half marathon distances. To date, she has run 16 marathons, including 5 Boston Marathons. And she is focusing all her expertise onto making sure we have the best race shirt and best other race merchandise ever!

Griffin Clabaugh (with help from Macy Clabaugh) manages all the necessary signage for the Classic City Marathon weekend. From finding the Expo to crossing the Finish Line, you will always know exactly where you are and where to go next because of his many efforts. Watch for his signs around town before race weekend, too, including at our Training Runs and along the race course!

The Classic City Marathon Association values sustainability for our races, for our communities, and for our planet. Our 2025 races were officially Zero Waste events, and we make our decisions with sustainability in mind. Denise Horton is committed to helping with this cause!

The Classic City Marathon Association values sustainability for our races, for our communities, and for our planet. Our 2025 races were officially Zero Waste events, and we make our decisions with sustainability in mind. Susan Adams is committed to helping with this cause!

The Classic City Marathon Association values sustainability for our races, for our communities, and for our planet. Our 2025 races were officially Zero Waste events, and we make our decisions with sustainability in mind. Susanne Warrenfeltz is committed to helping with this cause!

Michael Marshall raced Division III track and cross-country in college, took a hiatus from running in his 30s and 40s, and has now returned to the sport with a bit of life experience behind him. He races in events from the mile to ultra-marathons, and he is often seen cheering for his sons’ races, as well. Michael came to Athens in 2001, works as a Professor of Art at the University of Georgia, enjoys both road running and trails, and is a member of Athens Road Runners. As our Secretary, Michael keeps our Association’s written records complete, organized, and in top shape!

Dennis Revell is a long time runner and board member of the Athens Road Runners. He participates in just about every race in town, and many people in Athens credit him with encouraging them to stick with running or even to try a marathon! Dennis was also one of only two gentlemen on our Association who knew their actual formal hat size — a fact that fits, of course, with his numbers-based accounting expertise. Dennis is in charge of our finances and keeps us strictly in compliance with every financial requirement we must meet as a 503(c) nonprofit and as the steward of our sponsors’ and donors’ generosity.

Anne Marcotte worked her way up to running a whole mile in 2011 -- and then she and her husband Steve ran the New York City Marathon together in 2014, when she was 50 years old. She has since run two more marathons, maybe 25 halfs, and many smaller races, and she is starting to believe that she might actually be “a runner.” Anne served as a faculty member and department head at the University of Georgia for 27 years and currently works at Athens Technical College supporting their adult ESL/ESOL and high-school equivalency programs. She is helping the marathon committee by coordinating writing, publicity, and the website.

Margaret Mosher works as a graphic designer for the UGA Athletic Association, helping to create visual content for all 21 sports teams at UGA. She is also a lifelong painter, and she has worked as a freelance artist and muralist since 2015. A member of the Athens Road Runners, Marge lives in Athens with her husband Paul and daughter Molly. Marge’s artistic vision and graphic-design expertise created most of what you see in our Association’s logos, marks, flyers, advertisements, and other visual media!

A former college athlete, Emily Cameron now seeks to blur the line between sports photography and art. She will not merely take your picture; she will capture the emotion, the sense of place, and everything about your race day. She and her team took amazing photos for our 2025 races, and we could not be more excited to have them back! (We pay Emily and her team, so you do not have to pay for your race photos. See more of her work at Cameron Creative.)

Victoria Redmon tends to find herself at the back of the pack, smiling all the way to the finish line. She lives in Athens with her husband, Worth, and currently serves as the Assistant Director for Student Transitions at UGA. Victoria has coached for Girls on the Run, served on the GOTR ATL Young Professionals Board, and started Athens' very own Slow Girl Run Club (SGRC)! She is the creative energy behind our social media efforts, including that she serves as the link between the Association and our social media Ambassadors. Email Victoria if you’d like to post about your running journey with us!

Ella Bourbonnais shared her story as a Social Media Ambassador with us during 2024, while she prepared for the 2025 Classic City Marathon — her first full marathon! She’s back this year as part of our social media team, providing one of our most committed online connections to all our past, present, and future runners! Follow her on Instagram, and share your running stories with her: @run.withel

Dr. Joe Colasurdo is a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon and the founder of 26 Foot & Ankle in Watkinsville, Georgia. With a background in podiatric medicine and years of experience treating athletes of all levels, Dr. Colasurdo brings both marathon logistics expertise and real-world knowledge of the physical demands of endurance events. He served as our Medical Director for our first two years, but our growth means he needed a larger team for 2026, so now he is our longest-serving Medical Co-Director! Dr. Colasurdo is proud of having created one of the most responsive and runner-focused medical teams in the region.

Dr. Carla Erb is currently a PGY‑3 internal medicine resident at the AU/UGA Medical Partnership in Athens, Georgia. She has developed a strong interest in pulmonary and critical care medicine, with particular focus on preventive strategies, reflecting the leadership she brings to our medical planning committee. Outside of medicine, she is an avid runner and hiker, embodying the resilience and wellness mindset we celebrate at the Classic City Marathon.

Dr. Devon Carr is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Sports Medicine, and currently practices in Athens, Georgia. He specializes in musculoskeletal ultrasound and sports-related injury management, bringing leadership and advanced technical skills to endurance event care. He has supported numerous athletic events and is committed to ensuring all participants receive high-quality, attentive medical support.

Allie Tillie works at Piedmont Athens Regional hospital and is serving as our medical liaison and coordinator of race-day medical services. Working with our committed Medical Co-Directors, Allie is there to ensure that any participant or spectator who needs medical care will get only the best — fast.

Scotty Diesch knows what it takes to clean up after a few thousand runners. Water-stop tables, bins of re-usable cups, single gloves, GU packets, all the cones, all the signs, the little tabs off the tops of the GU packets, spectators’ newspapers, enough banana peels to trip all the comedians in all the land… and yes, we even need to pick up the garbage cans. Scotty and his committed team will get it right. (Can you help?)