Issaquah Runner Uses Whidbey Marathon to Honor Late Cousin's Legacy

Emma Smith was, by her own admission, a "fake runner" as recently as last fall, someone who lapped Green Lake occasionally and logged maybe two miles before calling it a workout. On April 26, she will cross the Deception Pass Bridge as part of the Whidbey Island Marathon, carrying the memory of her late cousin Pava LaPere across 26.2 miles.

LaPere was a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree who co-founded EcoMap Technologies and built programs to support student entrepreneurs before her death. Smith, an Issaquah resident, chose the Whidbey Island Marathon as the platform for a fundraising effort supporting the Pava Center, a legacy project in LaPere's name, and a new Baltimore-based start-up launched by LaPere's family. That start-up centers on economic-development tools and youth entrepreneurial support, extending the work LaPere started through EcoMap and her student-focused initiatives.

The pivot from occasional jogger to marathon runner is striking on its own. Smith began structured training in early December, coming off ankle surgery with no real base mileage behind her. Within a few months, her long runs reached 18 miles. She has trained across Seattle-area routes including Green Lake and has built her preparation around the Whidbey course's elevation demands, terrain that becomes most visible on the stretch across the Deception Pass Bridge before the finish at Windjammer Park in Oak Harbor.

LaPere's brief interest in endurance sports added weight to Smith's choice of event. Smith remembered her cousin's presence in plain terms, calling her "a 5-foot-2 giant" whose energy pushed the people around her. That description carries the shape of the fundraising mission: the Pava Center and the family's Baltimore start-up are built to multiply what LaPere started, backing young entrepreneurs and the ecosystems that support them.

The Whidbey Island Marathon on April 26 includes a full marathon, half marathon, and shorter distances, with the finish at Windjammer Park in Oak Harbor. Donations supporting Smith's run can be found through her race profile and the event's promotional materials on the race organizer's site.