The Scena Awards are given each year to recognize excellence in running and in service to the running community in the Northern California. There are three Scena Awards.
The Christine Chapon Award
Each year in December, we present The Christine Chapon Award, otherwise known as The Frenchie. This award is meant to acknowledge athletes from our community who have distinguished themselves both through great running and through service to the broader community.
The award is named after Christine Chapon — and she hates it. But we think Christine represents the generosity of spirit we should all strive for. The Frenchie is meant to be for the rising stars.
In 2024, we recognize Karina Powell for her immeasurable support to local events.
Past recipients of The Frenchie are Christine (of course), Penny McPhail, William Dai, Kelly Haston, Nancy Philippine, Jeanine Holmlund, George Manning, Norman La, and Charlene Bayles and Fred Liebes.
The Stan Jensen Award
In 2017, we introduced the Stan Jensen Award, also known as the Legend. As with the Frenchie, the Legend is meant to recognize a long record of service to the ultrarunning community. Before there was Google, there was Stan with his Run100’s website, providing a concise record of an, at that time, obscure sport. Add to that Stan’s experience as a runner and relentless support of races as a volunteer, aid captain, lottery organizer, and you have an amazing record to stand on that others might not notice.
In 2024, we enshrine Jim Richards as the Legend. Jim has been a great and dedicated runner for years, and as a volunteer has been The Voice at the finish of Rio del Lago, the medal-bearer at the end of Western States, and a dogged volunteer alongside Stan at Dick Collins Firetrails. And more!
Past recipients of The Legend are Stan, Bob Agassi, Mike Palmer, Tia Boddington, Dan O’Farrell, and Lisa Felder, and Steve Jaber.
The Carol LaPlant Award
Presented for the first time in 2024, the Carol LaPlant Award, also known as The GOAT, recognizes the founders of our sport in the East Bay, the Bay Area and the US. Carol was a runner at the first Skyline 50k and has a long resume that includes multiple finishes in every local ultra, as well as at Vermont 100 and Western States. For years, while Carol was running Skyline, her husband, Phil Brown would roast a pig for the runners to eat!
Carol is the first recipient of this award. There is no person more fitting to receive it first.
