Our HOF'ers
Rosemarie Nelson (2025)
Rosemarie Nelson has been involved with the race for nearly 30 years, most recently serving as president of the Mountain Goat Run Foundation, a position she has held since 2017. Rosemarie served as race director during the challenging Covid pandemic, which temporarily moved the event to the fall for the first time ever.
Rosemarie’s roots with the Goat run deep. She first ran the race in 1983 and PRed just a year later with a time of 1:15. She won her age group several times as well as a handful of Time Bonus awards during her 17 successful completions of the challenging course.
Her contributions to the Mountain Goat have secured the race as one of the most beloved and revered running events in Central New York and firmly within the fabric of Central New York traditions and lore. She is the creator of the Mountain Goat Relay, allowing teams of runners to complete the course with each person completing five miles; she created a Mountain Goat archive at the Onondaga Historical Association; helped coordinate four course changes; expanded the event’s social media presence; expanded title sponsors ensuring the race’s current health and longevity; created an internship program with Syracuse University; and beefed up the Mountain Goat’s board and staff.
Len Barry (2025)
Volunteer Coordinator Len Barry first ran the Mountain Run in the early 1990s. After several years of racing and volunteering, he joined the race committee in 2014 and his dedication and responsibilities in making the event a reality have only grown each year.
The Mountain Goat Run would not be possible without hundreds of volunteers along the course and in Clinton Square, all of whom Len Barry recruits and wrangles. Len coordinates the mile captains along with their teams for on-course support. He manages volunteer assignments and develops the schedules for volunteer tasks through communications prior to the event and day of. Len works closely with the Mountain Goat Race Director, of which he has worked with several, to plan the annual layout of Clinton Square. He has also been instrumental in mapping training runs, the event-day route and coordinating volunteers and Syracuse Police support to keep runners safe on the 10-mile course.
Len also created a brigade of bicycle escorts to lead and monitor all runners and barricades on course during the race, which is critical to the safety of all runners and spectators. Len has coordinated all traffic volunteers, maps and Syracuse Police’s support, at our training runs for more than 10 years. He has led the way in the resurrection of the SuperGoat / NannyGoat and created recognition awards as well.
Bill Pinkel, Jr. and Letizia and the Z Band (2025)
For nearly 20 years, the dynamic duo of Bill Pinkel, Jr. and his wife Letizia, lead singer with Letizia and the Z Band, have been central to making the Mountain Goat a memorable party for all. As Entertainment Director, Bill Pinkel, Jr. coordinated all entertainment for the Mountain Goat Run including all on-course bands and music as well as entertainment for the post-race party in Clinton Square. He volunteered countless hours to the role over 20 years before passing away in late 2024.
Bill recruited, scheduled and secured all on-course music as well as the Clinton Square stage and its sound for the post-race party that is a draw for thousands of people including runners, their fans, friends and families. Bill also managed the speaker system at the start and finish line and was an all-around go-to guy for race day logistics. Bill was ever-present and stepped up wherever and whenever needed without ever being asked.
The race would never have had Bill’s invaluable help were it not for his wife’s original involvement as Letizia and the Z Band. Letizia and her band were recruited to play at the post-race party nearly 20 years ago and their involvement and dedication to the event has never wavered. Letizia headlined the post-race party in Clinton Square several times before moving her talents to one of the most revered parts of the course: the Colvin Street hill. Every year, Letizia and her band sing along to the intoxicating and motivating sounds of more than a dozen drummers who coax hundreds of runners up the challenging hill.
Mountain Goat runners often say they have a love/hate relationship with the Colvin hill because of its steepness but Letizia, the Z-band and their band of drummers carry them up the hill year after year. The Colvin Street drummers are as iconic to the Goat as any part of the race, thanks to Letizia’s immeasurable talents and efforts.
Laurel Leone (2024)
Laurel (Burdick) Leone is a 2002 Fayetteville-Manlius graduate whose love and skill for running originated in high school. Laurel has long been an impressive athlete, participating in varsity cross-country and indoor/outdoor track under the training and guidance of legendary coach, Bill Aris.
Highlights of her early running career include New York state championship in cross-country as a sophomore and the 3000-meter event in outdoor track as a junior. She also was a three-time Foot Locker National Finalist from 1999 to 2001. She went on to earn an athletic scholarship at Boston College and became an All-American in her senior year of cross-country. In 2017, she was inducted into the F-M Athletic Hall of Fame.
Post collegiately, Laurel trained with a small local elite group, Stotan Racing, headed by John and Bill Aris. An impressive achievement of her post-college running career was her 2010 Boston Marathon finish of 2:44:16, which qualified her for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials. Laurel has won the Mountain Goat run a record-breaking six times and has cut the tape at countless races across Central New York. Her name is synonymous with dominance in women’s running locally, from 5Ks to half marathons.
Laurel is a busy mom to two kids, Jack and Hannah, and she and her husband, Pat, own and operate Leone Timing and Result Services.
Pat Riccardi (2024)
If one were to sum up the attributes of an inductee to the Mountain Goat Hall of Fame, it would likely look something like that of 2024 inductee Dr. Pat Riccardi. From his first participation in the Goat in 1982, he has run some iteration of approximately 30 Mountain Goat weekends. Pat is a multiple age group award winner over his history of running the race. But his contributions and involvement in the race didn’t stop there.
Pat previously served on both the Mountain Goat Race Committee and Board of Directors. During a particularly crucial time in the race’s history, he also served as the race’s medical director. Pat established many of the protocols, policies and procedures that are still in place today to keep runners safe should they need medical help or treatment during the event.
For a long period of time, Pat’s race weekend went something like this: coordinate with the medical personnel just before the start of the race; assist on race morning setting up the infrastructure of the finish line medical response area; go out with Jack “Water Boy” Stauffer to drop off water at the water stops; come back and run one of the races. Once his event was over, he’d often work the finish line as a volunteer.
Outside of the Mountain Goat, Pat is a vital member of the Syracuse Track Club having received multiple awards including the Dave Beach Humanitarian Award. He coordinates the STC’s UltraVet Men’s team for the club’s team running efforts. Most importantly (to some, at least) he is the de-facto leader of the STC Grumpy Old Men Mountain Running Team.
Jack Stauffer (2024)
There are few elements of The Mountain Goat Run that Jack Stauffer has not been involved in. Stauffer, spent 20 years on the Mountain Goat Race committee. He was instrumental in countless parts of Syracuse’s most iconic road race including serving as one of the original water czar’s (back when 25 volunteers manned trash-can water stations on the course for about 500 runners). As the race grew, so did Stauffer’s water efforts as the volunteer staff swelled to more than 130 volunteers serving 2,500 runners.
Jack’s contributions to the Mountain Goat have been quietly influential for many years. During that time, he created the race application booklet before online registration was available, worked countless pre-race training runs and spent three years on the Mountain Goat Foundation board.
Jack has run the Mountain Goat eight times – usually crossing the start and finish lines in between helping set up and take down portions of the race, including all of those critical water stations. He has run the Mountain Goat 3K three times including a top 10 finish at age 49.
In addition to his many contributions to the Mountain Goat, Jack has been instrumental in the Central New York running community in just as many ways. The Dave Beach Humanitarian Award recipient served as vice president of the Syracuse Track Club for 10 years, produced its newsletter and website for nearly twice that long and is the founder and former race director of the Super Couch Potato 5k. He has also completed 24 marathons including seven in Boston.
Patti Ford (2023)
Patti Ford has been a pillar of the Syracuse running community for decades. A standout competitor, she won the Mountain Goat in 1983 (as Patti Holtz) and 1987, set the Masters 45+ indoor mile world record, and earned National Masters records at 3,000 meters and the mile. She is a USATF National Masters 5K Cross Country Champion (1998) and a multiple-time Syracuse Corporate Challenge winner—results that reflect extraordinary grit and consistency.
Beyond racing, Patti and her husband, Terry, have served as co-commissioners of the SU Noontime Running League since 2005. Under their leadership, the league has motivated hundreds of local athletes to train regularly, compete on the track, and thrive in a supportive team environment.
We are proud to recognize Patti Ford as a Mountain Goat Hall of Fame nominee.
John Hohm (2023)
John Hohm’s running career is equally distinguished. His accomplishments include:
- Coaching for more than 46 years—and counting.
- Mentoring hundreds, if not thousands, of student-athletes at Corcoran High School, where his teams have captured numerous state, cross-country, and track titles.
- Racing the Mountain Goat with multiple sub-60-minute finishes and volunteering at the event since the mid-1980s.
- Serving as a trusted resource at the finish line and helping establish the Syracuse Track Club as a founding member.
John’s decades of competitive success, mentorship, and service have clearly earned him nomination to the Mountain Goat Hall of Fame.
Tom Twichell (2023)
During the first running boom of the 1970s, Tom Twichell’s name frequently surfaced alongside the word “founder.” Running from the Downtown YMCA with Bruce Bachman, Joe Fischer, and Steve Gehrig, Tom helped dream up a demanding training route that climbed four Syracuse city parks—Woodland, Lincoln, Burnet, and Thornden—each perched atop a serious hill. That 18-mile route, showcasing some of the city’s best views, became the seed of the Mountain Goat.
Tom played a key role in starting the Syracuse Track Club and served as one of its inaugural officers. As the club grew, it adopted the training run and added a fun challenge: complete all four park climbs (returning to the Downtown YMCA after each summit) and earn the title Supergoat. Tom was, of course, among the original Supergoats.
He also helped organize the very first Mountain Goat Run and pitched in for many years in nearly every capacity. Almost always at his side was his wife, Karen—another tireless volunteer. Tom continued to volunteer through 2015, often working as a mile split timer with his children or grandchildren. Beyond the stopwatch, he served as an unofficial head cheerleader and friendly “Pied Piper,” drawing people into the race and the club, whether to run or to volunteer. He was a welcoming committee of one for newcomers to the Mountain Goat, the Syracuse Track Club, and the Central New York running scene at large.
Tom never actually raced the Goat—he was too busy helping it happen—but he was an excellent competitor, completing five marathons with a personal best of 3:07 at Boston.
Bruce Bachman (2023)
Bruce Bachman was a pioneer of the Mountain Goat. Training out of the Downtown YMCA with Joe Fischer, Steve Gehrig, and Tom Twichell, he helped conceive the long run that linked the four hilltop parks—Woodland, Burnet, Lincoln, and Thornden—an over-18-mile test that became the race’s origin story.
A founding member of the Syracuse Track Club, Bruce supported the club’s move to “formalize” the challenge into a club-sponsored run: anyone who completed the full circuit earned the title Supergoat—a distinction Bruce proudly held. As the training run evolved into the Mountain Goat event, Bruce joined the organizing committee and quickly became indispensable. He served as traffic coordinator and the race’s police liaison; he also managed the split timers and even organized water stops when needed.
Bruce may have been best known for the Mile 9 split. He coordinated that station for years—staying at his post the longest—and then jogged or walked in from Mile 9 with the final runner.
Outside the race, Bruce was a fine runner, though he’d never say so himself. He also avoided the spotlight despite countless contributions to the race and the broader running community. In addition to the Goat, he directed the Trolley Line Run for the Syracuse Track Club for many years.
Rich Rima (2002)
Rich Rima brings more than four decades of history with the Mountain Goat Run. An accomplished competitor with personal bests that include sub-3-hour marathons, Rich has long treated the Goat as a “go-to” run—often tackling it less than a week before or after a marathon and still posting impressive times. Now in his 60s, he continues to run the Mountain Goat every year, a testament to his loyalty, durability, and love for the race.
John Nolan (2002)
John Nolan has been part of nearly every Mountain Goat Run since his police academy training days—missing only the year he attended his daughter Delaney’s First Holy Communion. Many know John from his years as a Syracuse Police Officer helping with the Saturday training runs and assisting on race day. Others remember him as the person who handled media requests and interviews whenever the Goat needed a spokesperson. Ask, and John showed up—“Whatever you need,” he’d say—and then he delivered, again and again.
Tony Martin and the Strathmore Neighborhood (2020)
The Mountain Goat Run thrives because of hundreds of volunteers who plan, marshal, and cheer every step of the course. For years, Tony Martin has been the heartbeat of Strathmore’s volunteer corps—organizing neighbors, setting up corners, and making sure the energy never dips on race day. A longtime Mountain Goat volunteer, Tony recruited friends, families, and fellow runners to staff the Strathmore intersections and keep the route safe and spirited.
From early-morning meetups to last-minute course needs, Tony is the person who always says “yes.” He coordinates training-run support, keeps communication flowing with the Syracuse Track Club and Pace Bunch, and rallies new volunteers year after year. Many runners know Strathmore as one of the liveliest, most memorable sections of the course; that’s Tony’s influence. He embodies the very best of volunteer leadership.
Dave Mullen (2020)
Dave Mullen was recently honored with the Dave Basch Humanitarian Award—fitting recognition for someone whose first instinct is to serve. Dave has been connected to the Mountain Goat since the early 1990s and, across three decades, has done nearly every job imaginable: race-day announcer, corral coordinator, start/finish logistics, volunteer wrangler, stage setup, cleanup, van driving, and storage.
A former Race Director and Foundation Board Vice President, Dave also served on the Syracuse Track Club Board, directed the Amberlee Bunch 10K and Valley 4K, and supports many other local races. Professionally, he has led programs at Henninger High School, served as President/Chief Compliance Officer of Heart Surgical Advisory Services, and is active in community organizations. Dave remains a reliable force behind the Mountain Goat.
Lennie Tucker (2020)
Few people have influenced youth running in Syracuse like Lennie Tucker. Beginning with the Mountain Goat 3K and later expanding citywide, Lennie has spent decades guiding young runners to the sport—coaching, organizing clinics, and creating welcoming spaces to run.
Her leadership is hands-on: recruiting volunteers, coordinating children’s heats, and managing race-day operations with calm precision. Lennie helped shape the Mountain Goat experience at the Downtown YMCA and beyond, building strong ties with schools and neighborhood groups to keep kids active and engaged. She’s also a steady presence at the Syracuse Track Club, contributing to meetings, logistics, and Hall of Fame efforts. Thanks to Lennie, countless families have discovered the joy of running together.
Joe Fischer (2020)
Joe Fischer’s name appears throughout Mountain Goat history. A longtime member of the Downtown YMCA and the Syracuse Track Club, Joe worked side-by-side with early leaders to transform a challenging training loop into a beloved community race.
Joe’s gift is organization. He strengthened communication with city offices, handled registration and distribution, coordinated equipment and course resources, and made sure volunteers had what they needed to succeed. He also mentored new leaders, preserving institutional knowledge and helping the event evolve while staying true to its roots.
Joe remains a quiet but powerful inspiration—especially to first-time volunteers and runners—modeling what it means to give generously, lead humbly, and build community through the sport we love.
Margaret A. Hartmann (2019)
For more than two decades, Margaret Hartmann has been one of the first people to arrive and the last to leave on Mountain Goat weekend. She has welcomed runners at registration, set up and broke down equipment, worked start/finish operations, and jumped in wherever help was needed. A tireless organizer, Margaret has also served the Syracuse Track Club as president for over a decade, while remaining a competitive masters runner. She embodies the teamwork, reliability, and good cheer that define the Mountain Goat.
Maegan Krifchin (2019)
Maegan Krifchin is one of the most accomplished athletes in Mountain Goat history. She owns the women’s course record and won the race multiple times in succession. A Syracuse native, Maegan’s talent blossomed in college and grew into a professional career on the roads and track. She balances training and racing at the national level with a career in health care and a deep commitment to the local running community. Maegan continues to compete at the marathon distance and has represented the region on the national stage, including the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
Ed Griffin (2019)
Ed Griffin, with his wife Ellen, is the president and co-owner of Fleet Feet Syracuse. Since opening in 2000, their stores have been recognized among the best in the nation, thanks to a model built on service, training programs, clinics, and community partnerships. Ed has supported the Mountain Goat for years—as a volunteer, committee member, and leader—helping with logistics, media, training runs, and race-day operations. He also co-founded and served on the Mountain Goat Run Foundation Board, and he remains active in numerous local events and charities. Ed and Ellen live in Pompey.
Dave McSally (2019)
Dave McSally has been part of the Mountain Goat since the early 1980s. He helped shape the event’s modern structure, served as race director, and later joined the Mountain Goat Run Foundation Board of Directors. Dave has also given years of service to the Syracuse Track Club—including a term as president—while mentoring new volunteers and guiding many behind-the-scenes improvements to the race. His quiet leadership and institutional knowledge have made the Mountain Goat stronger and more sustainable for the next generation.
David Beach (2018)
“Always there” is the best way to describe David Beach’s relationship with the Mountain Goat Run. Whether the job was race director, finish-line captain, packet pickup, course support, or an unglamorous task no one else noticed, Dave did it—and did it well.
A longtime member of the Syracuse Track Club and a devoted friend of the Mountain Goat, Dave routinely blended his professional discipline with runner-first generosity. He helped organize training runs, drove supplies, checked on volunteers, and was the steady, calming presence you hoped to see when the work piled up. Every spring he returned, year after year, not for recognition but because the race—and the people it brings together—mattered to him.
Dave never asked for thanks. He simply showed up, solved problems, and supported the Goat.
Randy Clark (2018)
Randy Clark has been the definition of a true partner to the Mountain Goat Run. Through Dunn Tire, Randy stepped in when the race needed reliable sponsorship and community support. What began as a business relationship grew into a full commitment—backing training programs and clinics, helping with promotion, and encouraging employees to volunteer and run.
His belief in the event’s mission has helped sustain and grow the Mountain Goat through good years and challenging ones. Randy has also been recognized within his own industry with induction into the Tire Industry Hall of Fame—fitting acknowledgement of a leader who constantly gives back to the communities he serves.
Jerry Smith (2018)
Jerry Smith has been a familiar face and a steady hand at the Mountain Goat for decades. A Syracuse Track Club stalwart, Jerry has served on committees, mentored new volunteers, and taken on the tough logistics that keep a big city race moving—especially traffic control and course operations.
Quietly dependable, he is the person you count on when timing is tight and details matter. Jerry’s long service includes helping the race evolve while staying safe and welcoming for runners at every pace. His work rarely grabs the spotlight, but it’s foundational to the experience thousands of participants enjoy each spring.
Jerry’s dedication, humility, and years of behind-the-scenes leadership make him a deserving Mountain Goat Hall of Fame nominee.
Jerry Lawson (2017)
A Central New York native, Jerry Lawson rose from high-school and collegiate standout to one of America’s top road racers. After switching to track and cross-country when other sports didn’t fit, he developed into a national-class talent and later an international contender on the roads.
Jerry won major races, earned national titles, and set an American marathon record. He is also a seven-time Mountain Goat Run champion and still returns from his home in Florida whenever he can to take on Syracuse’s hills.
Kevin Collins (2017)
Kevin Collins is an accomplished distance runner—among his highlights are qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials multiple times and winning the Mountain Goat Run four times. Now based in Syracuse, Kevin directs running programs for the Syracuse YMCA and continues to support the local running community.
Charlene Ufford (2017)
Charlene Ufford became a force in women’s running across the Northeast, famously training on the steep hills around the village of Greene. She later qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials marathon and raced in the same year as fellow Goat great Michelle LaFleur. Charlene won the Mountain Goat Run in 1999 and again in 2001.
Michelle LaFleur (2017)
Michelle LaFleur hails from the Onondaga County hamlet of Memphis and starred at SUNY Cortland under coach Jack Daniels. As a professional, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials three times and captured three Mountain Goat Run titles (1996, 2000, 2003). Michelle remains a model of durability and competitive spirit.
William Nurk (2017)
Bill Nurk served the Syracuse Police Department for nearly four decades, many of those years spent coordinating safety and traffic control for large civic events—including the Mountain Goat Run. Unflappable and patient, Bill worked side-by-side with the all-volunteer race committee to keep runners and spectators safe.
Mary Beth Roach (2017)
Coordinating city services for festivals, parades, holiday events, and big races is no small task—and Mary Beth Roach did it all. As the longtime point person in the City of Syracuse parks department, she handled the many moving parts that made the Mountain Goat Run possible, from prepping Clinton Square to answering the steady stream of race requests with grace and professionalism.
Walt Price (2017)
Walt Price was among the original thinkers behind the Mountain Goat Run and a key member of the founding group that brought the idea to life in the 1970s. While he rarely sought recognition, the race would not be the same without him. Walt’s vision and steady guidance helped shape an event that continues to energize Syracuse’s running community and the Mountain Goat Run itself.
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