2025 Overall ROY Winners

YEARS RUNNING / RACING: 15

# YEARS AS CTC MEMBER: 4

Laney attended last year’s Banquet and was challenged by the keynote speaker, DeeDee Trotter, to set a big goal and state it out loud. She declared that she was setting her goal for 2025 to win the overall ROY award – and she did! Laney participated in ten CTC events, winning her Age Group four times and placing 2nd, 3rd (2x), 4th, 7th and 14th for the rest of the races. She ran PRs in the Chickamauga Chase 15K and in the Battlefield Marathon.

Laney’s favorite distance is the 10K, so it makes sense that her favorite race is the Moccasin Bend 10K. Her favorite CTC race though is the Chattanooga Chase 8K because of the incredible way the neighborhood and community show up! It’s a big race-day party surrounded by all of your running friends and amazing energy! Her most memorable race was the 2023 CAM Run 5K with the Magnum Mile that evening. The night was electric!

She doesn’t have a favorite song but does love Shakira! Her favorite mottos are: “I’m already doing the hard thing” and “Trust the process; trust the training.” She runs to feel strong, capable, free and fast (and she especially loves doing speedwork)! She races to have fun and measure progress. Most people don’t know that she hated running in high school – and thought it was dumb!

Laney didn’t start running until her early 20s. She balances her running with a busy schedule as wife and mom to three awesome kids! She’s gotten her husband and kids to participate in some races as well! Her big goals for 2026: train for and compete in both Chattanooga Ironman races (both the half and the full)!

YEARS RUNNING / RACING: 25 (21 consecutive) / 23

# YEARS AS CTC MEMBER: 20

Ryan didn’t start running until he was 33 (he’s 58 now). As overall ROY winner with nine CTC races, he placed 1st overall in one race, won the GrandMaster award five times and won his Age Group three times. He’s an amazing runner at all distances which explains why his favorite distance is a tie between the 5k & Marathon. He has completed 132 marathons (and is an ace at being a pacer for a lot of them). Boston is his favorite race because of the history, traditions, the qualifying, community support, course (tough), the convergence of all things running into the city for a week, and the friendships formed (aka, the Super Bowl of running!). His most memorable race is the 2014 Boston Marathon (the year after the bombing) because the crowds along the course were the loudest they’d ever been and Meb’s victory was like a fairy tale ending. Boston Strong was a reminder that good overcomes evil!

His favorite CTC race is the Missionary Ridge Road Race (3rd oldest CTC race, odd distance, same scenic course since the beginning!) (He was race director for 10 years). His favorite song is “The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner” by Iron Maiden and his favorite quote is “Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue. Your only recourse is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic.” by Dr. Tim Noakes author of Lore of Running. Ryan runs for his own physical and mental health but races to test his limits. He hopes he inspires others to run! He loves seeing everyone on race day!

During the week, he stays busy as an account executive for Business Water Solutions. Did you know that Ryan loves a good game of chess?