Tim Fitzpatrick | 1000 Mile Club Coach
Tim is an accomplished runner, a veteran coach, and inspiration to many in the running community. He has run over 20 Dipsea races, over 25 marathons, and 40 ultra marathons, including four sub 24-hour finishes at the Western State 100 Mile Run. He has coached high school runners, age group athletes, and many individuals. He started running in his early 20’s to quit smoking and get healthy and is passionate about the transformative power of running. A resident of Marin, Tim was always curious about San Quentin so when the opportunity to coach the 1000 Mile Club arose, he was all in. He is inspired by the community of hard-working athletes at San Quentin striving to improve their running and themselves. Tim is a long-time member of the Tamalpa Runners of Marin County.
“Initially for me it was about running and coaching. But then you start spending time in the prison and looking at the statistics and legislation. It’s made me look closer at the judicial system and want to be part of the positive change that can occur for this population of incarcerated men through running.”
diana Fitzpatrick | 1000 mile club coach
Diana is an attorney and accomplished runner. Her competitive resume includes being a three-time US Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and a two-time overall champion of the Dipsea run, the oldest trail race in America. She currently serves as President of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. In 2018 she became the first 60-year old female to run the Western States 100 Mile Run in under 24 hours. Diana trains regularly with the Impala Racing Team of the Bay Area and is a member of the Tamalpa Running Club of Marin County. Diana has been a volunteer at San Quentin since 2009.
“I think it’s true that as a society, how we treat people who are the most vulnerable — the poor, the forgotten, the invisible – is a reflection of who we are as a society. I think we owe it to ourselves and to that population to pay attention and to think about them as people who should be given the same chance and opportunities in life that so many of us have had.”
jim maloney | 1000 Mile club coach
Jim enjoyed a career in international transportation and logistics. He has run 6 marathons, 23 Dipsea Races and numerous half marathons. He is a member of the Tamalpa Running Club of Marin, the San Francisco Frontrunners and San Francisco Track & Field Club. His initial motivation for volunteering in 2016 was to share his love of running with the San Quentin Prison community, but he found himself transformed by the experience and the relationships he has forged with the “men in blue.” The 1000 Mile Club experience has inspired Jim to additionally volunteer at San Quentin as a co-facilitator for Insight Prison Project’s Victim Offender Education Group (VOEG).
“I do believe people are able to change and take responsibility for what they’ve done, recognize that it’s wrong and choose to do things differently. And I really do feel like most of these guys that we’re working with in the thousand-mile club have changed the trajectory of their lives.”
FRANK RUONA |1000 Mile Club HEAD COACH (2005-2023)
Frank was the 1000 Mile Club’s head coach since its inception in 2005. He is a veteran of 78 marathons and 38 ultramarathons. He believes that having the “Marathon Mindset” -- the toughness, focus, and determination necessary to succeed as a runner -- is also what it takes to succeed life. As the idea of running as a form of rehabilitation has spread, Frank has helped assist other prisons in creating their own long distance running clubs, including Washington Corrections Center which has now formed its own 1000 Mile Club.
“I am my brother’s keeper. If he needs help, I’m going to try to help him. I feel like these guys over there, they need help. And they appreciate whatever help they get.”
LAURA BOWMAN-SALZSIEDER |FOUNDER OF THE 1000 MILE CLUB
Laura, a former teacher and Community Partnerships Manager at San Quentin, started the 1000 Mile Club. She reached out to the local running community to find a volunteer coach to come inside San Quentin to help support a running program. A runner herself, Laura understands the value of programs that give incarcerated men structure and support and an outlet to deal with their issues in a healthy way.
“I always told the guys from the beginning...I just want you to come out and join us for the camaraderie, the health benefits, and the realization that you can do something you set your mind to that you never may have thought you could.”