On November 2nd, after months of training and many, many miles along the coast, the Team Surfrider marathoners took off on the experience of a lifetime – the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. As a non-profit partner of the NYC Marathon, Surfrider has the great honor of selecting five athletes to represent the organization and raise funds to support our mission. This year those five runners were:
- Zach Watkins, Charleston Chapter
- Zach is a longtime member, leader, and current Chair of Surfrider's Charleston, SC Chapter.
- Steven Johnson, Niagara Frontier Chapter
- Steven is an Indigenous Pacific Islander from Saipan, and he is currently an assistant professor at Cornell University, where he teaches courses on ocean conservation and social-ecological systems.
- Gabby Schleppenbach, North Orange County Chapter
- Gabby is originally from Virginia, and she learned about Surfrider when she moved to Southern California after college where she currently works as a Stormwater Engineer.
- Sam Burton, Cape Fear Chapter
- Sam grew up in Laguna Beach, CA and is currently studying at Duke University to earn a Master of Public Policy with a concentration in environment and energy policy.
- Rachel Gourki, Surfrider’s Partnerships Manager!
- Rachel knows the running world well, prior to joining Surfrider she has experience in everything from integrated advertising, to experiential and sports marketing, and international mass-participation events. She has run several marathons.
Ahead of the marathon, Surfrider joined our official corporate partner, KANE Footwear, for a fun shakeout run to get the muscles loose and settle the pre-race nerves with good vibes while connecting with the marathon community - and it set the stage for a breakout race the next day.
KANE shakeout run two days before the marathon. Try to spot Surfrider runners, The Team Surfrider runners were part of the record setting 59,000+ participants to take on 26.2 miles through the streets of NYC. With unbeatable energy, 2 million spectators cheered them on through all five boroughs. There’s a reason the NYC Marathon is so legendary: the constant clang of cowbells, live music blasting from bands and DJs alike, everything from snarky to earnest signs offering encouragement featuring current events and pop culture references, all while helicopters circle overhead — the entire city shows up to make the course feel like an unforgettable block party!
Once the marathon excitement settled, we caught up with four of the Team Surfrider runners to hear about their race-day journey.
Surfrider: How did training for and running the NYC Marathon in support of the Surfrider Foundation impact you and your efforts?
“Running in support of the Surfrider Foundation helped give me extra motivation particularly as I navigated my training through injuries. Fairly early on in my training, I had to stop running due to ITBS and having the Foundation's mission and support from so many amazing people involved with Surfrider, it gave me extra strength to focus on rehab and eventually, continue to train to be able to represent Surfrider on race day. Additionally, I was fortunate to complete a majority of my training along the beach or bay and the beauty of these areas served as a constant reminder of why Surfrider's mission is so important.” - Gabby Schleppenbach
Surfrider: If you hit "the wall" or experienced any tough moments on the course, did running on behalf of a cause you care deeply about influence your mindset?
“Yes! I hit a pretty major wall at ~22 miles and remembering that I had all of SF nation with me and the generosity of all the friends and family who made donations helped me keep moving one foot in front of the other. I completed the last part of the marathon using the run 8 min/walk 2 min strategy.” - Steven Johnson
“The hardest point in the race for me was when I hit the infamous marathon ‘wall’. When I hit this point, my mind immediately fixated on all of the people in my community who donated to my fundraiser and were tracking me during the race. Fixating on their support of Surfrider and my run gave me the strength I needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. The support truly carried me through and helped me believe that hard things are possible!” - Sam Burton
Surfrider: What was the highlight of the race for you?
“That’s actually a surprisingly tough question. I’ve run a handful of marathons –including this one 10 years ago– and I can genuinely say nothing compares to the energy along this course. It’s honestly unimaginable until you experience it yourself. The cowbells, the live music, the clever signs, the high fives, the cheers and treats from complete strangers –New Yorkers come out in full force, and their energy is electric! Just thinking about it gives me chills.
But if I had to choose a single highlight, it would be seeing my family along the course. This year felt especially meaningful because my whole crew made the trip from SoCal to NYC just to watch mom race. It was the first time my kids have been out there on the sidelines, and wow, what a difference it makes to spot your people in the crowd! Running over for a quick hug before heading back out gave me the biggest surge of energy.
They’ve watched me train for months… the early weekend mornings, the late runs after long workdays or coaching soccer practice, the supplements, the "weird" smoothies, the ice baths—all the things. Seeing me out there in my element brought it full circle for all of us. I think they appreciated watching all that effort come to life just as much as I did.
And honestly? It’s pretty cool when your pre-teen thinks his mom is a badass, haha.” - Rachel Gourki
For post-run recovery, KANE Footwear stoked our runners out with their Limited Edition Revive active recovery shoes, adding a whole new dimension to supporting Surfrider - from mission to marathon.
Gabby Schleppenbach and Rachel Gourki with their KANE shoes!Surfrider: How did your KANE shoes feel for post-marathon recovery?
“Wearing my KANE recovery shoes after the marathon was the perfect rest for my tired feet. They felt super light and plush and looked groovy on the streets of Manhattan!” - Sam Burton
“Amazing – the textured insoles were like happy little massages just where I needed them. I was always skeptical of recovery shoes, but now I’m a believer!” - Steven Johnson
"I was so thrilled to have them post-race! We stayed in the city for a few days after the race so our kids could explore and soak in all the sights, and even though my body felt surprisingly good the next day, I was beyond grateful for the extra support.
What I didn’t expect was that they’d end up being the only shoes I wore for the rest of our time in NYC. Regular shoes just weren’t going to cut it with all that walking, and once I slipped on my KANEs, I never looked back. I wore them as we wandered through neighborhoods and museums, hit a few necessary tourist spots, and even on the flight home. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without them. I even ditched the cute boots I packed and wore them to a Broadway show –when you willingly sacrifice style for comfort, you know the shoes are worth it!” - Rachel Gourki
Thank you, KANE Footwear for all the support! See you next year, NYC!