Sacramento Running Association

ELLEN MOORE
Executive Director 

Ellen Moore, a successful sports administrator with a strong background in business operations and non-profit work, has been selected as the Sacramento Running Association’s new executive director.  Moore, who worked as Commissioner of the Pacific Coast Softball Conference and the Western Water Polo Association and as Director of Championships for the West Coast Conference, joined the SRA staff in 2010 handling creative services and event management.  She will provide general oversight, set strategy, organize long-term planning and oversee business and general operations for the association.  Ellen earned a Master of Arts degree in Sports Management from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech.  A former collegiate athlete, and Northern California native, she now enjoys staying active through running, soccer and keeping up with her husband and two children. 

MICHELLE LA SALA
Director of Race Operations

Michelle, a race director for the Sacramento Running Association, takes over as Director of Race Operations for SRA and will serve as race director for the CIM.  She has worn a myriad of running industry hats, getting her start in 2004 with the Los Angeles Marathon. Since then, she went on to work for the NYC Marathon as the New York Road Runners Foundation Charity Team Coordinator, for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a Team in Training National Event Manager, and more recently, as the Operations Manager for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York. She is happy to be back in her home town of Sacramento, training for marathons and working for SRA events — specifically the marathon closest to her heart, the CIM!

KEVIN POOL
Director of Technical Operations

Kevin, an SRA event manager who oversees the organization’s Elite Team, assumes duties as the SRA’s Director of Technical Operations.  He joined the SRA staff in 2010 after serving as the Cross Country coach at Thiel College (PA) for three years. Since his arrival in the Sacramento area, he has assisted with the Golden West Invitational Track & Field Meets and the 2010 Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships. Along with the CIM, he is working with SRA’s other events: the Spring Youth Fitness Program, the Super Bowl Sunday Run, and the Credit Union SACTOWN 10 Mile Run. In 2009, Pool placed ninth at the CIM with a time of 2:22:33.  He has since lowered his personal best to 2:18:59 at the 2013 Boston Marathon.

BILL HAMBRICK
Operations Manager, Gold Rush 100K Race Director

Bill ran CIM as his first marathon in 1987 and continued to run 26 consecutive CIMs, several of them as a pace team leader. He has run 60+ marathons around the world and 85+ ultra-marathons, including four Western States 100 Mile Endurance Runs and the Vermont Trail 100 Mile Run. In addition to his work with CIM, Bill is also involved in the other SRA events as a race director and course director.

KRIS BENACH
Administrative Support Coordinator

Kris joined the SRA in 2010 after moving to the Sacramento area from Philadelphia, PA. Kris spent 16 years, in Pennsylvania, working at a residential school teaching adaptive aquatics and physical education, and directing the drama program.  Kris’ running experience began in high school where her distance was limited to the 300m hurdles.  It was not until the birth of her daughter in 2000 that she began to give long distance a try, running in both the New York City Marathon and Walt Disney World Marathon twice, as a casual runner.

DEAN CANNON
SRA Event Start Area Manager

Dean joined the management team of the CIM in 2004 organizing and managing at the start line. Since that time he continues as the Start Line Manager and has taken on the added responsibilities of managing the start line of the Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon, Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run, and Super Bowl Sunday Run.  Additionally, Dean managed the start/finish line of the World Masters Cross Country Championships in July of 2011.

ALEX MANSOOR
SRA Youth Fitness Coordinator 

Alex has been working for the SRA since he was old enough to carry a box.  In his current role Alex coordinates the CIM maraFUNrun, the Future Stars’ 40-Yard Dash at the Super Bowl Sunday Run, and the Kids’ Miracle Mile at the Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run.  Alex also serves as the SRA All-Comers Track Series Meet Director.  Alex got started as a competitive distance runner at Oak Ridge H.S. where he enjoyed a successful career until a series of knee injuries sidelined him.  He followed the old adage “those who can’t do, teach,” and began coaching.  Alex again enjoyed success at both the high school and junior college level (American River College). 

JOHN MANSOOR
Advisor

John, who co-founded  the CIM in 1983, will be leaving his post after a 31-year run. He is stepping down to focus on his duties as the Executive Director for USA Track & Field’s Pacific Association where he has been the Executive Director for the past 30 years. In 1992 and 1996 he oversaw the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. He helped coordinate the following national and international events, all held in Sacramento: the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Track & Field Trials; the 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007 National NCAA Track & Field Championships; and the 2011 World Masters Marathon and Cross Country events. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, John was one of California’s top marathoners with a personal best of 2:18:34. After a 20-year layoff, John has returned to running and recently finished with an age division 2nd in the 2011 U.S. Master’s Track and Field Championships 10k and 6th in the 2011 World Cross Country Championships. He continues to achieve top age-graded performances in all the races he enters.