CDF Team Gluten-Free is proud to be an Official Charity Partner of the 2018 Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon. On March 18, 2018, participants will run from “the Stadium to the Sea”. The 26.2 mile Marathon Course starts at Dodger Stadium and passes by iconic Los Angeles Landmarks including the Disney Hall and Music Center, Rodeo Drive, Chinatown, and more before finishing on Ocean Avenue alongside the Pacific Ocean!

Why Join Team Gluten-Free? All runners receive training and fundraising tips, an official Team Gluten-Free race shirt, a personal online fundraising page, and other gluten-free swag!

New in 2018: The Los Angeles Marathon offers a shorter distance race called Stadium vs. Sea Charity Challenge that is EXCLUSIVE and only available to Official Charity Partners! This is an event, held within the Los Angeles Marathon where participants run either the “Stadium” portion (first half, 12.9 miles) or the “Sea” portion (second half, 13.3 miles) of the Stadium to the Sea course. Runners will receive a participant package, bag, and t-shirt, along with a special medal designed just for the Charity Challenge!

Get Started: We only have three Charity Bibs available for the Los Angeles Marathon Stadium vs. Sea Charity Challenge and three for the full marathon.

1. Commit to raise a minimum of $650 for Team Gluten-Free
2. Claim your bib and register for the Los Angeles Marathon as an invited member of Celiac Disease Foundation Team Gluten-Free
3. START FUNDRAISING – we help you set up your own fundraising page

To claim your bib, email [email protected]

The money raised by Team Gluten-Free participants funds Celiac Disease Foundation’s research,education, and advocacy programs. On your mark, get set, GO!

Meet Our Runners

Heather Kilbride: Heather is a busy working mom to two college students and a high school freshman.  As a transplant from the East Coast, she’s lived in the Cleveland, Ohio suburbs for the past 20 years, but still hasn’t gotten used to the lake effect snow.  She began running about 12 years ago as a way to keep fit and was surprised to find out how much she enjoyed the sport.  She’s now logged countless road and trail races, including the LA Marathon in 2016.  Her oldest daughter, a junior at the University of Southern California, was recently diagnosed with celiac disease.  Heather is very excited for this opportunity to visit her daughter, run part of the LA Marathon again, and fundraise for the Celiac Disease Foundation. Help Heather reach her goal!

Jeff Page: Our journey began late one night in March 2017, when for the second time that year, I was alerted to my wife’s excruciating stomach pain. As I was in the kitchen preparing dinner for our family, I heard a blood curdling scream coming from my wife in the bathroom. I ran into the bathroom to see my wife, sweat pouring from her forehead and shaking uncontrollably, crying and wreathing in pain. She had also developed a severe rash all over her body, was suffering from depression, had little energy, and terrible migraines. It was time to figure this out, so we saw a doctor the next day. Then began the journey of inconclusive tests and useless medications. Finally, in April, after a blood test and biopsy, my wife was diagnosed with celiac disease. The physician was not very helpful, and we left feeling anxious about this new diagnosis. I, being a runner and triathlete, wanted to do what I could to support not only my wife, but others who struggle with this disease. I decided to join Celiac Disease Foundation’s Team Gluten-Free program to run in the LA Marathon. This great charity helps bring knowledge and caring support to the celiac disease community. Help Jeff reach his goal!

David Poole: Hello, my name is David Poole. I’m 21 years old and from Colorado. My twin brother and I were diagnosed with celiac disease at a very young age, and it has affected us ever since. Luckily, my mother decided to open up a gluten-free bakery when I was 8 years old. This gave me more options than the grocery store could ever offer, while at the same time, allowing others to find different alternatives to their gluten-free needs. I’m running this marathon in hopes that the money will enable answers for people like me as well as alternatives, and perhaps a cure. Just like it’s a struggle to live a gluten-free lifestyle, it’s also a struggle to run a marathon. Both are hard and sometimes far from satisfying. I started to get into fitness at the start of this year. My high school days were over, and the pounds started showing in my stomach.  With dedication and persistence, I was able to reach my goals. Running the LA Marathon is another challenge. It’s going to be hard; I’m going to have to train and prepare myself, but in the end it will be worth it. Help me make the most out of my efforts by supporting the Celiac Disease Foundation. I appreciate your support, and I’ll see you at the finish line! Help David reach his goal!

 Jane Downer and Dina Lipton:  This mother daughter team calls Los Angeles their home.  Jane, a junior in high school, convinced her mom Dina to run the LA Marathon for Team Gluten-Free for the Celiac Disease Foundation.  Jane was diagnosed with celiac disease 2 years ago and has struggled to live a “normal” teenage life.  The pair is training together to make it to the finish line on race day.  Supporting the Celiac Diease Foundation by joining Team Gluten-Free gives hope that one day a cure will be found, and those who suffer with this disease will find the relief they dream of.  Please help this mother daughter team reach their fundraising goal! Help Jane and Dina reach their goal!

Ilynn DeFreitas: Ilynn met her husband, Scott, back in 1996 and they wed in 2001.  Since their first date, he has always had strange abdominal pain that he attributed to “something I’ve always had so I don’t know anything else.”  In 2013, Scott was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  Because Celiac Disease is an autoimmune genetic disorder, Ilynn and Scott had their three children tested as well. The children were ages 8, 4, and 2 at the time of testing. Celiac Disease was confirmed in their oldest and youngest children, which shed light upon the myriad of previously unknown and undiagnosed digestive and dermatological challenges from which the children suffered. Somehow, Ilynn and their middle child are homozygous for the gene but are currently not expressing any signs or symptoms. Ilynn is representing Celiac Disease Foundation Team Gluten Free as she runs the “Hollywood to Sea” charity portion of the 2018 Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon. She hopes to raise awareness as well as research funds to find answers regarding gene expression, disease pathology, and gluten alternatives or supplements. Thank you for supporting her and the Celiac Disease Foundation. Help Ilynn reach her goal!

Gabrielle Wojtala: Hello! My name is Gabrielle Wojtala, and I am a 21-year old from Trenton, Michigan, and currently a senior at Loyola University Chicago. I was diagnosed with celiac disease a few weeks after my 21st birthday. It has been a hard transition to the gluten-free lifestyle, but I love a good challenge. I grew up swimming and playing tennis, and never really considered myself a runner. In 2016, I signed up for the Chicago Marathon, on a whim, because of my love for a challenge. I made it out alive, completing 26.2 miles and raising money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. After being diagnosed as celiac, I knew I wanted to conquer another challenge and represent a foundation so close to my heart. I am excited to run on behalf of the Celiac Disease Foundation – Team Gluten-Free for the “Sea” charity portion of the 2018 Los Angeles Marathon. Together, our goal is to raise awareness about the disease and bring support to those who suffer from it. Thank you for your support! Help Gabrielle reach her goal!