A teenage fire survivor competes in the L.A. Marathon

By Elise Hu

Published March 17, 2025 at 6:03 PM EDT

Abel Rivera lost his home in the Eaton fire, along with a beloved medal he got for running in the 2024 L.A. Marathon. On Sunday, he ran again with his mom and other fire survivors from his school.

Elise Hu

Elise Hu is a host-at-large based at NPR West in Culver City, Calif. Previously, she explored the future with her video series, Future You with Elise Hu, and served as the founding bureau chief and International Correspondent for NPR's Seoul office. She was based in Seoul for nearly four years, responsible for the network's coverage of both Koreas and Japan, and filed from a dozen countries across Asia.

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A teenage fire survivor competes in the L.A. Marathon