A young Pacific Grove runner hoping to inspire others sets – and meets – goals for himself.

Rudy Ayala smiles when he’s asked if his 11-year-old son Mason beats him when they run together on the track.

“Sometimes,” he says.

Mason interjects: “No, always.”

Rudy gives in. “He always has that burst at the end,” he says.

Father and son often spend their weekends training on a track. Running is in the blood for the Ayala family of Pacific Grove. They compete in various races locally and beyond, multiple generations all on the same course together.

Rudy says his father got him into running at the age of 11, and Rudy Sr. continues to run at the age of 75.

So Rudy Jr. wanted to pass along that knowledge to his sons, starting with Mason when he was 6. And in a story as old as time, the student has surpassed the teacher.

Mason completed his 10th official race in November, meeting his goal of finishing 10 races before he turned 11. That goal he set when he was 8 while running in the Pacific Grove Lighthouse 3K, and has placed first in his age group or close to it in every race since across Monterey County and the Bay Area, plus one in El Paso, Texas.

That goal formed in his mind mid-race, when he broke away from the crowd and there was no one else around – “I just felt great,” he says.

“When I run, I like seeing the scenery,” he says. “It propels me forward.”

Now, Mason has more goals: run his 11th race in his 11th year, and next, run a half-marathon with his grandfather when he turns 13, the first year he becomes eligible to compete in most such events.

The fifth-grader from Stevenson School in Pebble Beach leads an active lifestyle. In addition to running, Mason is also a football and baseball player, along with being a swimmer. However, his father notes that even though Mason competed in a triathlon where swimming was involved, his son isn’t a fan of jumping into the cold water.

While he may not like getting in the water himself, Mason still has a fondness for the ocean. He notes that his dream is to become a fisherman.

“I’ve always liked the ocean and the idea of catching fish,” he says.

Rudy says he’s proud to see how far Mason has come in his athletic journey in such a short time.

“I watch him enjoy it and push himself,” he says. “We’ll run next to each other in a lot of these races. I’ll see him get tired, and sometimes he talks out loud, ‘I can do this, I can do this.’ My heart flutters when I hear him pushing himself.”

Both mother Chnar and father keep meticulous track of Mason’s race times – Rudy shows the long list he’s compiled on his phone. For example, he placed first in his age group in the Pacific Grove Lighthouse 3K in 2023, as well as 14th overall out of 478 participants, running a blistering 14:44. It’s worth noting that the time is about half that from when he competed in the same 3K the previous year, the pivotal race that set him out on his journey.

Mason has also inspired his little brother Titan to run with him in practice, as well as his friends. He notes that by sharing his goals, he hopes it helps others pursue their dreams.

“I hope they will get inspired and encouraged to keep going,” he says.

But it’s not easy work. He says when he set his goal, he felt it was going to be difficult, “at the edge of my capability.” But, “With the last few [races], I knew I could do this,” he says. “It’s in my comfort zone now.”

He points to the Pebble Beach Zombie Run, which he has run multiple times, and each time he’s faced a steep hill near the end that’s proved challenging.

Mason says he found himself tempted to slow down and walk the hill, but remembers what his father told him, that he needs to keep his muscles moving to keep his momentum. Otherwise, it’ll be harder to get going again.

“As I’m running, it feels like a challenge, but it’s a challenge that’s fun as you’re doing it,” he says.

Mason notes that it would be “really inspiring” to continue making and meeting goals, but he adds that’s never been his main motivation. Running may be fun for him, but there’s another motivation behind it.

“I like to impress my dad, first of all,” Mason says.