Kristen Dunn
VRC Ambassador
My name is Kristen and I am from Boston. I started my fitness journey in January 2015 and began running when I met my husband in 2016. He was a runner and I thought running with him was a great way to spend time together rather than going out to dinner or to the movies. After my first 5K race, I was hooked! I love the feeling after a run knowing I just accomplished a goal. I ran my first 10 Miler in March 2017, and my first half marathon in October 2018. I have run Spartan races and many other local races since 2016. My goal (and dream!) is to run a marathon.
My motto is: be a doer, not a dreamer. You have to put in the work to see results. When it’s 4:30 am and I’m running on the treadmill, I’m thinking I cannot wait until it’s over. I’m also thinking about the coffee I’m going to drink when my run is over. But I love seeing the results, so that helps me push through my run.
Alysha Whitney
VRC Ambassador
My name is Alysha and I am from Minnesota. I started my running journey in 2012 when I decided to do my first 5k. At that time I couldn’t even run a block. I downloaded a couch to 5k program and started my journey. In 2016, I decided I was going to take on a bigger challenge, a half marathon. Although I believed in myself, I wasn’t sure it was possible, however, come that November, I did it, I ran my first half marathon! Fast forward to January 2018 when I ran my first full marathon. I have also run the RunDisney Dopey challenge which is 48.6 miles (5k, 10k, half, and full) over four days! I am always looking for new challenges and fun races, which is how I found the Virtual run challenge.
One of my main goals with my running is to inspire others and to share with them my favorite quote by my mom, “You can do anything you put your mind to.” No matter where you are in your journey, know that you are amazing!
Denise Sainz
VRC Ambassador
My name is Denise, I am from Miami Lakes, FL and am a baseball mom to 2 boys. I started my fitness journey in January 2015 but didn’t start running until 2019 when I joined a friend who was running a half marathon. Since I had never run before, I began training 6 months prior to the race. It was during this training time that I was introduced to OCR races which I really enjoyed. In September 2019 I completed my first Spartan Sprint and I knew then that I was hooked; I loved the feeling of accomplishment I felt that day.
Recently, I began training for a half marathon but due to an injury, I wasn’t able to run. But I have gone from never running to running for over 75 minutes.
Being a baseball mom of 2 boys it’s difficult to find races that accommodate my hectic schedule and that’s why I love The Virtual Run Challenge…there’s no excuse for a race day because you always have a goal to reach!
