Running this marathon for CKF is more than just a goal for Brittney; it is a deeply personal mission. She is lacing up her sneakers in honor of her beloved brother, Billy Flood.

Billy was the kind of person who always showed up for others without hesitation, his heart overflowing with generosity and a vibrant zest for life. When she lost him, Brittney's world shifted dramatically. Her best friend and confidant was gone, leaving a void no one could have prepared her for. Amidst her grief, her mother made the courageous decision for Billy to become an organ donor.

The family had no idea who the recipients would be, or the impact his donation would have, but they held onto the belief that something extraordinary would emerge from their loss. Then they learned the name, Chris. One of the lives Billy saved was none other than our founder and chief, Chris Klug.

Today, Brittney is a mother, a wife, and a woman dedicated to living each day with purpose. She will run to honor Billy and to remind others that even through profound loss, hope can rise and propel us toward our brightest futures.

Sheena moved to New York during the pandemic for her ophthalmology residency, and finished her training as a corneal transplant surgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine last year. She is currently doing an additional global fellowship, helping developing countries train local surgeons and create sustainable eye bank systems. So far, this fellowship has taken her to Guyana, Indonesia, North Macedonia, Myanmar, South Sudan, and Sierra Leone.

While her medical training prepared her for the science behind transplantation, she was struck by the fact that the greatest challenges lie beyond the operating room. Community awareness, regulatory frameworks, and sustained advocacy are a huge part of tissue transplantation. By sharing patient stories and lessons from her global experiences, she hopes to educate and empower both her patients and fellow surgeons to become advocates for organ and tissue donation in their own communities.

New York is a city that shaped Sheena into a transplant surgeon. It will be incredibly meaningful to mark her final year of training by completing her first marathon, while raising awareness for a mission so close to her heart.

Running is the unwavering rhythm in Ketan’s life. It offers him a sanctuary to process, reflect, and push his boundaries. Whenever life becomes overwhelming, he finds solace in running. When he seeks clarity, he turns to the open road. Completing the NYC Marathon has always been a dream, but participating with CKF “will transform a personal milestone into something far more meaningful, something bigger than [himself].”

This past summer, Ketan faced the devastating loss of his best friend, Axel, in a tragic car accident. Axel, selflessly an organ donor, left behind a legacy of hope. In the solemn days following his passing, Ketan stood with Axel’s family during his honor walk—etched in his heart as one of the most heartbreaking and powerful moments of his life. “In the midst of unimaginable grief, I witnessed something extraordinary. Axel saved and improved the lives of twelve individuals and their families.”

Inspired by Axel’s courageous decision, Ketan's perspective on organ donation transformed. It became more than a mere checkbox on a driver’s license, it emerged as a profoundly human and brave choice with the power to create life out of loss. He will run in honor of Axel’s legacy, channeling his grief into action and awareness, showing the impact that one person, one decision, can have on the world.

In 2008, at just 9 years old, Jon faced the daunting news of being diagnosed with Primary Sclerosis Cholangitis (PSC).

Growing up with PSC meant knowing a liver transplant was inevitable. Yet, Jon's spirit was unyielding. He chose to be active, finding solace and strength in sports. In high school, Jon discovered his passion for running, a love that intensified in college. By 2019, he was soaring, having his best season yet. Unbeknownst to him, as he anticipated the 2020 season, his PSC was rapidly advancing, his MELD score reaching the critical point for transplant.

In a remarkable display of love and support, Jon's family rallied around him, with his older brother, David, emerging as the perfect donor match. On December 8th, 2020, Jon received the gift of life—a liver transplant that marked a new beginning. After two challenging weeks in the hospital, he returned home, ready to embrace life with newfound vigor. Jon graduated in 2021, and completed his master's in 2023, all while continuing to run and chase his dreams.

At the onset of his diagnosis, Jon feared sports were beyond his reach, until he learned about Chris Klug. Chris's journey ignited a fire within Jon, motivating him to push boundaries and become an advocate for organ donation. Jon has since competed in the Transplant Games of America, volunteered with Gift of Life, and participated in numerous running races. He is driven to inspire others with his own story, just as Chris's story inspired him as a young boy.

Natalie is a doctor by day, runner by night, and the sister of a liver transplant recipient for life.

As a physician in the pediatric intensive care unit, she has witnessed the power of donation from multiple perspectives. On one hand, she has seen it save her patients' lives. On the other hand, she has supported the families of patients who have passed away, and witnessed how they navigate the heroic gift of life.

Natalie’s reason for running goes deeper than just her work life. In the summer of 2024, Natalie’s younger brother, Nick, was diagnosed with PSC at 29 years old. It was soon discovered he was already at the end-stage of liver disease, and his doctors recommended a transplant immediately. His family began searching for a living donor, and 1 year after his diagnosis, they received the call that he had a match.

Nick has since bounced back, and is living life to the fullest! Natalie is running in honor of the gift her brother and their family received. She wants to raise awareness and inspire others to become donors so that they, too, might save a life like Nick’s.

Some people run for medals or as a way to check off an item on their bucket list. But Hayley is running the NYC Marathon for something far greater, something that transcends personal achievement. She is running for legacy, love, and in honor of the vibrant life of her best friend's brother, Billy Flood.

Hayley witnessed her best friend, Brittney, navigate the depths of her grief with a strength and resilience that few possess, turning sorrow into a powerful force for good. Inspired by Brittney's unwavering courage and the cherished memories of Billy, Hayley is determined to weave a tapestry of remembrance with each stride she takes next to Brittney.

Her journey is not just about crossing the finish line, it is about celebrating a life well-lived and ensuring that the spirit of Billy continues to inspire others to live fully and love deeply. As Hayley laces up her running shoes, she carries with her the hopes and dreams of a legacy that will endure long after the marathon is over, reminding us all of the profound impact of love and remembrance.

Chris will be joining his wife, Natalie, on Team CKF for the NYC Marathon, running in honor of his brother-in-law, Nick. Diagnosed with PSC in 2024, Nick faced a daunting journey with the only hope being a liver transplant. With an ominous prognosis looming, the family embarked on a brave quest to find a living donor. Through countless social media appeals, a beacon of hope emerged—a childhood friend who turned out to be a perfect match. Eleven months later, Nick received the precious gift of life, and both he and his friend have recovered wonderfully.

Touched deeply by the experience, Chris has become acutely aware of the challenges many face in finding a transplant match and the scarcity of donors. He is determined to raise awareness and inspire others to make a life-changing difference by registering as donors.

Having conquered the Boston and Chicago Marathons, Chris and Natalie are now setting their sights on the NYC Marathon, eager to add another glorious chapter to their Abbott World Marathon Majors journey. Through running, they carry not just the spirit of competition, but a message of hope and compassion, inspiring all to consider the profound impact they can have on someone's life.

Hilary is embarking on the NYC Marathon with CKF as a living kidney donor. Her journey inspired by her father, who instilled in her a passion for donation through his regular blood donations during her childhood. From the moment she obtained her first driver's license, she embraced the opportunity to become an organ, eye, and tissue donor—recognizing it as a simple yet profound way to spread hope and save lives. Over the years, Hilary has donated over 11 gallons of blood and joined the national bone marrow registry, leading her to explore the possibility of living donation.

In 2020, in a remarkable act of generosity, she donated a kidney to a stranger, who has since become a cherished friend. By then, Hilary had already completed 3 marathons, and she conquered the Hartford Marathon in 2022. Her love for running, discovered in her mid-30s, is fueled not by speed but by joy and mental strength. She cherishes every moment, even from the back of the pack, and her passion extends to biking, hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing—anything that embraces the beauty of the outdoors.

NYC will not just be a physical challenge for her, but an opportunity to advocate for donation and support CKF's mission, making every step even more meaningful. The motto “Live Life, Give Life” resonates deeply with Hilary, aligning seamlessly with her dedication to inspire and educate others about the power of donation.

Eline's journey is a testament to her dedication and passion for transforming lives. She completed her medical studies in the Netherlands, and is pursuing a PhD at the Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery in Boston. Driven by the desire to make a profound impact, Eline dedicates her research to extending the preservation time of donated organs, thereby increasing the number of potential donors. Her work also focuses on enhancing organ quality, and minimizing post-surgery complications, all with the vision of improving long-term outcomes and enriching the lives of transplant recipients.

In the summer of 2025, Eline attended the World Transplant Congress, where she was deeply moved by Chris’s heartfelt story and CKF's mission to raise awareness. Her encounter with Chris reinforced her belief that while scientific advancements are crucial, they must be coupled with a societal shift towards greater organ, eye, and tissue donation.

With this conviction, Eline is determined to leverage her role in the transplant community to inspire and educate others. She aims to highlight the vital importance of not only registering as a donor, but also motivating friends and family to join this life-saving cause. Through her tireless efforts, Eline hopes to ignite a movement of compassion and generosity that will ripple through communities, ultimately saving and transforming countless lives.

The first time Lauren participated in CKF’s Summit for Life, she was not thrilled. Just 8 years old, she found herself trudging behind her siblings and parents, her little legs burning from the effort of climbing Aspen Mountain. When she finally reached the top, surrounded by a community united in a cause far greater than the climb itself, a profound shift began. What started as a reluctant family tradition, gradually blossomed into a transformative experience.

Lauren’s family, longtime friends of the Klugs, turned Summit for Life into a cherished yearly ritual. Whether volunteering or hiking, she awaited each year with excitement. She vividly remembers being inspired by the transplant recipients who climbed alongside her—organ, eye, and tissue recipients whose presence was a testament to resilience, courage, and second chances. Through her friendship with the Klugs, Lauren saw firsthand the life-changing impact of organ donation, most memorably when her family traveled to Vancouver to watch Chris in the 2010 Olympics.

Lauren loves stories where adversity meets the power of sport and the outdoors. This passion fuels her work as a videographer at Strava, where she tells stories of athletes who have endured hardships, and found strength through movement. Lauren moved to New York in June 2024, and is honored to weave her love for running into her new home, while representing an organization so deeply connected to her roots in Aspen.

Sarah’s passion for transplant began with her first job as a registered nurse on a solid organ transplant floor in NYC. Often only briefly addressed in nursing school, she quickly came to understand how complex and overwhelming the process can be, not only for new nurses, but transplant recipients, living donors, and their support systems as well.

Sarah developed a strong foundation in transplant care, while discovering how critical individualized education is to the patient experience. She has learned how to break down the complex process in ways that feel less daunting. She believes empowering patients with knowledge during such a life-altering journey is one of the most meaningful aspects of her work.

Transitioning from bedside nursing to a kidney transplant coordinator, she now guides patients through the evaluation process, and continues to support them post-ransplant. She holds education classes to prepare transplant recipients for the journey ahead. It is incredibly rewarding for her to witness patients move from the uncertainty of chronic kidney disease, to receiving a life-saving organ, and reclaiming their quality of life.

Sarah also works closely with her living donor team to help patients pursue living donor kidney transplantation. Supporting both recipients and donors has strengthened her commitment to advancing organ donation awareness.

Sarah began running after college as a way to challenge herself physically and mentally. This past fall, she completed her first half marathon alongside her coworkers from the transplant clinic, and she is currently training for her second this spring. Sarah is excited to run her first marathon with CKF in the city where her career in transplant began.

CKF has been a game changer for Ian. After battling autoimmune hepatitis and PSC for years, he received a life-saving liver transplant a month after his 24th birthday. Ian was fortunate to be a candidate for live donation, and his Aunt Dana was his perfect match. His family and friends were the absolute best support system he could have ever asked for. Ian feels that it is his responsibility to do as much with his second chance as possible.

After receiving the transplant, Ian initially was in denial, and wanted to live life as if nothing had changed. The pandemic highlighted quickly that life for him was not the same, and made him realize how much he needed others who he could relate to from a health standpoint. That's where CKF came in, providing much need community, and a major source of inspiration. Ian’s goal is to be a role model for the transplant community by living an active and healthy life. He hopes to inspire transplant candidates and recipients, and help show what’s possible (like running a marathon)!

Ian was in Colorado for 9 years, and recently moved to NYC to be closer to family and friends. He is enjoying exploring the city through running, eating really good food, and meeting new people. He is organizing a revamped version of a race he put on in Colorado: New Liver New York (formerly LiverMan 100). Participants will walk and run 31 miles through the city to raise awareness for organ donation, while promoting CKF.

Running the NYC Marathon in 2024 with Team CKF was a life changing experience for Ian. Being able to do it alongside (an hour behind!) his brother, Luke, who has supported him through all the ups and downs, and while representing CKF, was a dream come true. Let's run it back!

Luke is a runner from the Midwest living in NYC! Running is a natural extension of his lifelong love for the outdoors. After college, Luke realized he needed to get out of the city and literally touch grass every once in a while, and running through as many trails and parks as he could find in the Hudson Valley ended up being the perfect way to scratch the itch. Eventually Luke realized there were lots of “trails” still to be explored in his own backyard, so he started hitting the roads in New York and never looked back.

Luke could not be more pumped about the opportunity to run the NYC Marathon with the Chris Klug Foundation (again!). In 2017, his brother Ian had a liver transplant to treat autoimmune hepatitis. As Ian was recovering from surgery, hearing about what Chris Klug was able to accomplish after surgery really gave them hope that Ian would be able to get back to the active life he’d led before surgery (and he has!).

When they learned about CKF and their NYC Marathon team, the brothers signed up as soon as they could, and ran the race together with CKF for the first time in 2024. In 2026, they are hoping to do it even bigger and better by cooking up newer, better schemes to raise funds and awareness for CKF’s mission to get more people registered as organ, eye, and tissue donors!

Tommy’s connection and appreciation for CKF is through one of his closest friends, prior roommate, all-around incredible individual (and past and present NYC Marathon team member)-Ian Pauley. There is no one like Ian in the world, and Tommy is forever grateful to CKF for what they have provided him. 

Seeing firsthand the physical and emotional challenges that come with organ failure, and the  resilience that can blossom post-transplant, is what is motivating Tommy to run his first marathon, and help give back to CKF. Following Ian’s journey and where it has led him years after his transplant is truly inspiring. Ian was gifted a second life, and with his infectiously  adventurous personality, he is embracing it more boldly and fully than ever before. 

Tommy has previously joined Ian’s “Liverman” events - wild physical challenges or get-togethers to celebrate his transplant anniversary and another year of life, while raising funds for CKF. Tommy has already booked his flights for “New Liver New York,” a tip-to-tip adventure through Manhattan, followed by a half marathon checkpoint race across the city - a 31-mile day of adventure! 

Tommy cannot imagine anything cooler and more fulfilling than running side-by-side with one of his best mates for his very first full marathon. The NYC Marathon is legendary, and Tommy tears up imagining crossing the finish line with such a life changing cause while celebrating Ian’s 8th Liverversary!

JJ’s connection to CKF is not something he stumbled upon, it has been part of his life for as long as he can remember. His aunt has been one of Missy Klug's closest friends for over 35 years, and growing up, he always heard stories about the work Chris and Missy were doing, and the lives they were changing. Those stories stuck with him.

So when JJ moved to NYC, and started thinking about running the Marathon, Team CKF felt like the only team he wanted to be on.

But his reasons for running go beyond a personal connection. At 23 years old, he is part of a generation that is statistically the most charitable in history, and that genuinely wants to make the world better. People his age are showing up for causes that matter. Yet organ donation still does not have the awareness it deserves among a generation that could make a real impact.

Only 47% of Gen Z are registered donors, and that is the gap he wants to help close. Living in NYC, JJ is surrounded by young people who are exactly the audience CKF needs to connect with.

JJ wants to get people excited about being part of something bigger than themselves - in order to drive real impact.

JJ has run two marathons in under three hours, including a 2:46 in Washington State, and a 2:59 at Boston last April. He will show up ready to race. But the finish time is not what this is about. It is about running 26.2 miles through a city he loves, and for a cause that saves lives.