Race Ambassadors
The GE Appliances Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon/Marathon Race Ambassador Team is built of runners and walkers who are part of an amazing group who are proactive in pushing a healthy lifestyle message to all local and regional groups and organizations. These Ambassadors help KDF keep our runners and walkers informed, inspired and motivated during the months leading up to the race.
For more than 10 years, our Race Ambassador Team has been essential in the development and continued growth of the miniMarathon & Marathon. We encourage our Race Ambassadors to stay involved in the race, as well as other Kentucky Derby Festival events.
Learn More about Our Ambassador Program!
Race Ambassadors form a subcommittee that will serve as recruiting liaisons within the running and walking community of Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
• Race Ambassadors are selected for the program (for a one year term).
• Ambassador selection is based on an application explaining why they would be an important asset to the committee.
• Race Ambassadors report to a committee chair and are expected to attend Ambassador committee meetings and KDF Race events.
FORMER RACE AMBASSADORS: Are you a former Race Ambassador that wants to stay involved in the miniMarathon and Marathon, or explore other events? Please see the form at the bottom of this page to express interest in other volunteer opportunities.
The Perks
• Complimentary registration into the 2025 Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon/Marathon based on referrals.
• Official Race Ambassador merchandise.
• Biography, photo and email link on DerbyFestivalMarathon.com
• Personal discount code offerings throughout the recruiting period.
• Other perks will be rewarded based on the Referral Rewards Program Levels
Meet Your 2025 Race Ambassadors!
See below for bios, contact info and more details about the 2025 Race Ambassador Team.
I began running consistently in 2014 and completed my first 13.1-mile race that year. I’ve never looked back and have completed at least two half marathons every year since.
I ran my first Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon in 2016 after moving here from Indianapolis. I’ve run every KDF mini every year, including the COVID years when I did the race virtually. I love this race! It’s flat and a great place to shoot for a PR or make a comeback after an injury. It’s also a great race to see some of the jewels in the crown of Louisville sights. I’m a proud member of She Runs This Town Louisville and Southern Indiana, as well as the local triathlon community. The camaraderie of the running community, especially on race day, is unmatched. We’re all just runners out to do our best. Everyone cheers for everyone. I love it! Especially the back of the pack (where I tend to live) – that’s where the party is!
Kim is a Physical Therapist Assistant at ProRehab.
Fun Fact: I perform clinical run gait analysis, and can totally geek out and talk running mechanics all day long!
Contact Info:
Email: kimdallara@gmail.com
I moved to Louisville for school (from Chattanooga, TN) about a year ago and absolutely love it. I am passionate about having fun with fitness! My background ranges from gymnastics and rowing to CrossFit and running.
The Louisville running community is just so special. My experience during my first miniMarathon in 2024 was so incredible. It was my first race and I had no idea what to expect. The amount of people cheering on runners was unbelievable! I love the course, especially through Churchill Downs, but the atmosphere was my favorite part. I would love to contribute my time and efforts to support others and foster another phenomenal race-day experience.
Meghan is a medical student at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
Fun Fact: I’m a lifelong Notre Dame fan!
Contact info:
Email: meghan.greene23@gmail.com
I spend all of my free time running, cycling and swimming.
The Derby Festival miniMarathon is my favorite race and I love sharing it with other runners. Last year, I convinced five other runners from Murray State to come up to Louisville for the race and they absolutely loved it! I’m a Louisvillian and was a high school cross country runner for Highlands Latin School. When I got to college at Murray State, I missed the community from home. I started up a running club on campus and it’s been a huge success. Every summer, I love coming home and training in our great Louisville parks. It’s so important to wave to other runners and spread encouragement!
Emily is a student at Murray State University.
Fun Fact: As a student at Murray State University, I’ve led our campus run club for three years.
Contact info:
Email: ehaner@murraystate.edu
I am 35 and ran the miniMarathon last year for the first time. Now I am infected with the running bug. I love to run and often train seven days a week. I wanted to be a Race Ambassador to share my story and be a positive influence on others.
Micah works for Dow Chemical Company.
Fun Fact: I was previously 540 pounds and couldn’t walk to my mailbox. In 2022, I had Gastric sleeve surgery, and shortly after, I started running.
Contact info:
Email: micahhuff1000@gmail.com
Running is a huge part of my daily life. After having my children, I found running extremely therapeutic in dealing with postpartum depression. I have done several half marathons, in addition to countless other shorter races. I have done the Derby Festival race four times.
I don’t look like a “traditional” runner, but that is what makes me a strong candidate for being an ambassador. I think more people would benefit from trying running, but are scared to try it. I would like to help bridge that gap.
Meredith is a teacher at Trinity High School.
Fun Fact: I call myself a “slow mother-runner.” As a mom to two young boys, they often accompany me on my runs.
Contact info:
Email: meredithlane1119@gmail.com
I enjoy inspiring others to believe they can take command of their health by running, particularly younger generations. I call this Generational Fitness.
When I moved from the Highlands back to Bullitt County (where I grew up), I found there were no running clubs or groups, so I started one. I founded the Bullitt County Run Club in March of 2023. Serving as a Race Ambassador will give me and the Bullitt County Rub Club the opportunity to continue to learn how to spread the message of physical health, emotional health, and societal benefits of running to all generations throughout our city, the state and country. I have run run the KDF miniMarathon six times.
Joseph is a professional speaker and author of the book, HistorEQ Emotional Accountability.
Fun Fact: I do surprise historic reenactments as part of my leadership seminars and book tours.
Contact info:
Email: jluttrell@eqseminars.com
I began running in 2014 to keep my sanity while living in a place where I knew no one. I became super serious about my running in 2021 and have run four half marathons.
I am finally coming out of my introverted shell as I am about to turn 40. I’m finally feeling comfortable in the skin I am in, and want everyone to know that running can be so much fun. This upcoming Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon will be a special one for me. I will be running the day after I turn 40, and it is my birthday present to myself! My philosophy is to never stop and keep getting stronger. The encouragement of other runners has gotten me through some tough times when I didn’t think I could finish. I want to be that encouragement for anyone wanting to run the Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon.
Ashely is a librarian at the Floyd County Library.
Fun Fact: I am the only left-handed person in my family, and love to read anything!
Contact info:
Email: amartin@nafclibrary.org
I’m an avid runner and running the Boston Marathon was a dream come true. I run every day, and I’ve really gotten obsessed with parkrun – the free, weekly 5K that happens in parks all over the world.
I’ve the run the mini many times, and this past year, I somehow managed to win my age group, and I was over the moon! I love racing and the KDF miniMarathon is my favorite race. I think I’ve only missed it once in the last 15 years. Also, I love Louisville, and THIS is Louisville’s race!
Nick is an auto mechanics teacher at Jefferson Community & Technical College (JCTC).
Fun Fact: I’ve run races all across the world, including Berlin and Copenhagen. I also love to travel!
Contact info:
Email: imthedoublegreatest@gmail.com
I have run the miniMarathon 29 times, with my first one being in 1987. I also ran the inaugural Marathon and got my fastest time of 3:34. I love running and the running community. I enjoy talking about running and running with a group. If someone sees me in public, we are always talking about running. I have run 27 marathons and more than 50 half marathons. I believe the Derby Festival miniMarathon is one of the best organized.
Bryan is the VP of Finance of Norton Healthcare.
Fun Fact: I was the coach for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training program where I trained over 400 Louisvillians to complete a marathon.
Contact info:
Email: bryan.redick@nortonhealthcare.org
I got into running during COVID and it changed my life. I love running all through Louisville and making new running friends.
I moved back to Louisville in 2021 after 10 years and have made so many friends through running in Louisville. I love this area and this community, and want to be a representative for it.
Asheley is a Pediatric Research Regulatory Specialist at Norton Healthcare.
Fun Fact: I have a PhD in Psychology.
Contact info:
Email: asheley.roberts22@gmail.com
I was diagnosed with a rare lung disease – Pulmonary arterial hypertension – (PAH) in 2008, and was told I would die by 2015. In 2020, I started a new medicine that allowed me to run for the first time. In 2021, I became the first person ever with PAH to run a full marathon.
As a kid, I would would go downtown to watch my mom run the mini and would cheer her on. It was always a dream to run it myself but that dream was once impossible because of my diagnosis of PAH. When I was able to run for the first time in 2021, the first race I signed up for was the mini, and I have run in every mini since. The miniMarathon is now a symbol of my survival.
Lindsay is a teacher at Jefferson County Public Schools.
Fun Fact: I have been published in three magazines and I hope to publish my memoir about my PAH journey. I’m also a Swiftie.
Contact info:
Email: lindsay.thurman329@gmail.com
I am 23 years old and have a big love for running. I encourage people to run and be the best version of themselves.
My history with the Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon is personal and meaningful. At 13, I ran my first mini with my entire family in memory of my cousin, Addison, who passed away from leukemia at a very young age. In 2022, I took on the challenge of my first Marathon, a significant achievement in my running career. In 2024, I broke two hours in the miniMarathon, a personal record that I am incredibly proud of. These experiences have connected me to the Louisville running community and fueled my passion for running and the Kentucky Derby Festival.
Audrey works for Process Machinery Inc.
Fun Fact: The start of Beckley Park was my great-grandfather’s land.
Contact info:
Email: chettabake@gmail.com
