A Family Tradition Meets Fierce Determination
For Monica, running isn’t just a solo pursuit—it’s a lifelong thread of family, tradition, and tenacity.
She’s been athletic since she was eight, kicking off her fitness journey on the soccer field. But it wasn’t until high school that running became part of her life, thanks to her brother joining the cross country and track teams. “That’s when it became a family thing,” she remembers. “We’d all go out, do laps together, try to get healthier.”
It stuck. When Monica started college at San Francisco State, she discovered the Monterey Bay Half Marathon. Her dad suggested they make a weekend of it. “Let’s have the whole family come up and run,” he said. That was 20 years ago – and they’ve kept the tradition alive ever since. Each year, her family travels from all corners of the country to meet up for the Monterey race weekend, sharing miles, memories, and post-race breakfasts.
So when Monica stumbled upon the Golden State Challenge booth at the OC Fair Fun Run in August 2024, she knew she’d found her next great running adventure. She was already on a mission to run one race per month that year – and ended up doing much more: 20 races and 22 medals by the end of 2024.
“Once I found out I could do part of the GSC virtually, I signed up on the spot,” she says. She completed the last four races of the series that year—three in person and one virtually—and earned the coveted Golden State Challenge finisher medal. It was more than enough to inspire her to go all in for 2025.
“The medal was awesome, and then I saw the bear made from that year’s race t-shirts,” Monica laughs. “At first I said, ‘I’ll just do six so I can get that bear,’ but then I thought—what’s two more?”
With help from her mom (who gifted her race registrations for Christmas), Monica registered for all eight Golden State Challenge events in 2025. Two will be completed virtually due to scheduling constraints, but the rest she’s tackling in person. She’s not just running, either—she’s making an impact. Monica signed up as a Determination Athlete for two of the races, raising funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation through Team Fox at Napa to Sonoma and the American Cancer Society for the Golden Gate Half in November.
“Fundraising gives even more meaning to the challenge,” she says. “A good friend’s husband is in remission from leukemia, another friend lost her father to cancer, and my GM at work is currently battling breast cancer. I wanted to do something that supports them and others.”
So far in 2025, Monica has completed races in February: Surf City 5k, May: Santa Barbara half marathon and Bay to Breakers (virtually) and this month’s Napa to Sonoma Rosé 5k. She will then tackle Surf City 10 10k in September Long Beach 5k in October, then Golden Gate 5k in early November virtually still to go. She’s planning to finish strong at the Malibu Half mid November. Her current running goal? “I’m hoping to PR in the 10K in September. Why not do a challenge on top of a challenge?”
Her favorite races so far include both Surf City’s Huntington Beach courses – “flat, fast, and right on the beach, which feels amazing” – and Long Beach, where the 5k route winds through the aquarium. “That one was so much fun!”
For Monica, the Golden State Challenge has become more than a goal – it’s a celebration of who she is: a lifelong athlete, a proud member of a running family, and someone who thrives when there’s a mountain – or a mileage goal – to climb.
“I love that GSC gives you more than just a race – it gives you a reason to keep pushing, and something extra to work toward,” she says. “It makes every race feel like part of a bigger story.”
And Monica’s story is still unfolding – mile by mile, medal by medal.
