Mary Forgione

Mary Forgione was born in Connecticut, but her move to California more than four decades ago fully unleashed her inner hiker, inveterate traveler (especially the Mediterranean) and marathon runner. She climbs Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the Lower 48, as often as she can get a permit. She also is a runner who recently completed another L.A. Marathon. "Mostly I go to feel the love of my city, people who come out just because 22,000 people are running through the streets," she says. "You get a picture of L.A. unseen anywhere else."