Growing up, Shamar never considered himself to be a runner. Although he was an active basketball athlete, running never came easy to him. In 2004, Shamar was inspired to run a marathon in honor of his father, who loved running. During his first LA Marathon, Shamar experienced all the rookie mishaps from not following a proper training plan, shoes or nutrition. From mile 1-6, he knew he was out of his element and he thought to himself, will I ever finish? After his first year, he decided to create his own streak and commit to running the LA Marathon every year. His main goal each year was to improve in any way shape or form. 2023 marks his 19th year running and he knows this upcoming year will be sweeter than ever. In 2021, Shamar chose to run with Team TMF to raise awareness of cancer research, and support those who are affected by neurological diseases. “In the beginning of my running journey, it’s started out as running for my father. Now I run for a greater reason and it makes me appreciate every moment until I reach the finish line.”

Since 2022, Shamar has also been an LA Marathon Ambassador!