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Merrell is proud to sponsor trail running athletes around the world who are not only elite, race winning and industry leading, but also embody the Merrell brand spirit.
2nd - USA Mountain Running Championships (2021 / 2022)
1st - USATF Half Marathon Trail Championships (2021)
6th - XTERRA Trail Running World Championship
2nd - USA Vertical Mountain Championships (2022)
Merrell Trail Athlete, Rachel Tomajczykgrew up in Plano, Texas
and loved doing anything active- she played soccer and basketball in elementary
school and was always running around with her sisters and friends outside. She
started racing in middle school and won 3 Texas State titles and one National
title (Nike Cross Nationals in 2010) by the time she graduated high school.
Rachel continued running at Baylor University, graduating with a degree in
Exercise Physiology, and was a 6X All American for the Bears. After college she
ran professionally on the track and made the Olympic Trials in steeplechase in
2016 and made a USA Team in cross country.
After a few years of running professionally on the track, Rachel discovered
trails and instantly fell in love with the beauty and adventure that running on
the trail brings. She decided to make the transition from track to trails in the
summer of 2021 and since then she's finished 2nd at the USA Mountain Running
Championships (which qualified her for the USA Mountain Running Team), she won
the USATF Half Marathon Trail Championships, and she finished 6th at the XTERRA
Trail Running World Championship.
She currently lives in the small mountain town of Williams, Arizona with her
husband Drew. When she's not running, she's coaching athletes online, hiking
with her husband and friends, and exploring new coffee shops.
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Taking her professional running career from track to trail was a fun challenge for Rachel. Watch to hear how gorgeous views fueled her drive to compete in a new running environment.
3rd - overall male at the Aravaipa Running Across
the Years 72-hour race (2021)
Merrell Trail Athlete, Aum Gandhi is anendurance athlete from
California with a focus on long-distance running. When we say long-distance, we
mean that 100-mile races are not the longest races he runs in a year. In fact,
they were part of his training plan for the Moab 240 in October 2022, where he
was the first runner ever to represent India in the race.
Through racing, Aum also raises funds for The Richstone Family Center, a
California nonprofit organization focused on ending abuse, generational trauma,
and domestic violence.
When he's not moving his legs, Aum is moving his pen and in turn moving our
hearts. He's a writer with an enthusiastic personality, inspiring as many smiles
as his total miles.
He is also co-owner of Run Tri Bike, an endurance sports magazine that is
focused on inclusion and support for all in endurance sports. Aum's love for the
sport and trail community is palpable, and we encourage you to cross paths with
him on the race circuit. You won't regret it.
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Like others who find the sport, Aum embraced trail running as a way to improve both his physical and mental health. Watch here to meet Aum and uncover the many layers of Merrell Trail Team members.