Ezra arrived in Los Angeles during the Summer of 1990 to attend college at California Institute of the Arts, earning a BFA in Theater. After living a pretty non-athletic life growing up Ezra found Tai Chi while attending Cal Arts and fell in love with the discipline of the physical practice. It would be another 8 years until Ezra discovered his passion for running and fuse all the tai chi principles of alignment and breathing to running. He began running in 1988 to "get in better shape for his wedding day". Ezra continued running on his own and eventually decided to register for the Terry Fox 10k for cancer research. Ezra's father, Simon Weisz, lost his life to cancer when Ezra was only 14. This sparked a new found passion leading him to register for the 1999 Los Angeles Marathon. Ezra’s goal has been to participate in the Los Angeles Marathon every year since. Ezra has been with the Pasadena Pacers for over 16 years and is their RRCA certified Half Marathon and Marathon Coach and considered the clubs "Spiritual Advisor", often speaking and bringing the club together during times of great joy and difficult sorrow. Running has been essential in Ezra's life having completed over 40 marathons and countless other distances. It brings him balance and peace, an outlet to expel energy, focus on goals and challenges, all while surrounding himself with wonderful like-minded people who all wish to live a happier and healthier life. In the non-running world, Ezra is a voiceover director and a live studio audience comedian. Ezra teaches Improvisation and acting and voiceover classes around the country. Being a first generation Holocaust survivor, family is very important to Ezra. He has been happily married to Sabrina for 23 years and they have raised 2 amazing kids, Sarah and Jacob. The support he feels from his friends and family, cheering him on to the finish line in every race (be it in person or remotely) carries Ezra through every course with a smile on his face and love in his heart.

What pushes you to be the best person you can be? 

It may sound simple or silly but seeing people when they are happy motivates me to be my best. I work as an audience warm up comedian. My job is to make people happy and laugh. It is drastically different from a stand-up comedian. My job is to transform the entire audience of strangers into a happy, fun filled space that welcomes their genuine laughter and good vibes for the show they are watching. A taping of a television show can last 4 hours or more sometimes. At the end of the evening, as the audience is exiting the sound stage, they stop to tell me how they appreciated me, how much fun it was, and how much energy I have to keep going for hours and hours. I feel the same satisfaction and joy when runners that I have coached cross the finish line of a Half Marathon or Marathon. Seeing the light in their eyes and the smiles on their faces pushes me to keep going and to do better. I want to elevate humanity, one person at a time, by making them happier and healthier. 

What are your running/working out must-have essentials? 

I must have a hand held water bottle for short runs or a hydration vest for my long runs. I need to have the peace of mind knowing I have water at the ready for me. Sunscreen is a must. My Timex watch because I run with Run/Walk intervals. I always run with tissue or toilet paper in case of emergencies. I also highly recommend every runner to do the same especially during a race. You never know when you find yourself in a portable bathroom and discover to your shock and dismay that there is NO TOILET PAPER!