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Michelle Merlis
By Kristen Hislop
Imagine sitting at a table at an awards ceremony after running trails for five hours unlike any you had seen before. You are listening to 50 different languages being spoken around you. Those at your table all don Team USA gear. The results are announced. Team USA second place – that’s your team! You head up onto the stage and have a silver medal placed around your neck. You stand next to your idols. Got chills yet? Michelle Merlis just had this experience at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Michelle wasn’t much of a runner growing up in the Hudson Valley. Her first love was basketball at Wallkill High School, though she also ran track for two years. At Elmira College, she played JV basketball there. “I love the team sport aspect,” she said. “After graduation, I had this moment of, ‘What do I do now?’ I still wanted to be active and push myself in other ways. She finally took up running for fun as a graduate student at Purdue University to stay in shape and relieve stress. She fell in love with the sport.
Michelle has some solid experience on the trails, but a year ago she was training for the 2022 Boston Marathon. A February trip to Joshua Tree National Park in southern California would lead to a change in the plan. “I figured I could run Boston anytime, but who knew if I’d ever get a chance to go for a USATF worlds team spot at the Breakneck Point Trail Run at Hudson Highlands State Park near Beacon – the first US citizen male and female finishers would earn a slot on Team USA at the World Mountain & Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand in November. It’s a very technical and challenging 42K course that really suits my trail running skills. By mid-March, I was chasing the win at Breakneck and spent the next six weeks training on the course every weekend.”
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OUR BEST BET EVENTS
Highlighted events are Adirondack Sports advertisers/exhibitors
December issue ad deadline: Tuesday, December 6
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“Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.” –Theodore Isaac Rubin | |
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Adirondack Runners Reindeer 5K Run/Walk. 9:30am. Proceeds benefit Wait House. Student Center, SUNY Adirondack, Queensbury. zippyreg.com.
Dewey XC Ski & Snowshoe Swap. 9:30-11:30am. Equipment drop: Fri, 12/2 from 5-7pm. Dewey Mountain Recreation Center, Saranac Lake. deweymountain.com.
Sunday River Demo Day. 8am-1pm. Sunday River Resort, Newry, ME. sundayriver.com.
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Wilderness First Aid Workshop. Adirondack Loj, Lake Placid. Adirondack Mountain Club: adk.org. | |
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Winter High Peaks 46: Online Workshop. 9am-5pm. Adirondack Mountain Club: adk.org.
Santa Sunday. 7:30-10:30am. Sunday River Resort, Newry, ME. sundayriver.com.
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Greenbush Y Indoor Triathlon. 7am-1pm. Beginner, intermediate or expert welcome for fitness or fun. 10min swim, 30min bike, 20min run. Earn points based on the number of laps or miles completed in the allotted time. Part of the 2022 CDYMCA’s Race Series sponsored by Highmark Northeastern New York. Register: operations.daxko.com | |
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Winter Survival 101: Online Workshop. 9am-1pm. Adirondack Mountain Club: adk.org.
17th Santa Speedo Sprint. 800m run on Lark St. 2pm. Oh Bar & Lionheart Pub, Albany. albanysantasprint.com.
Brew & Ski Weekend. 3-5pm. Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Jeffersonville, VT. smuggs.com.
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Sat-Sun, Dec. 10-March 19 | |
Gore: Mountain Adventure Season-Long Programs for Ages 3-12. An awesome season of snowy adventures on the mountain. Children explore a variety of terrain all season with consistent coaching and camaraderie with friends while building a strong foundation of skills. A SKI3 Season Pass is included for each participant. Spaces are limited and program may sell out without notice. Gore Mountain, North Creek. goremountain.com. | |
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HMRRC Doug Bowden Winter Series: Road Running Race #1. 10am. Phys Ed Building, UAlbany, Albany. hmrrc.com.
Whiteface: Santa Sunday. Calling all Santa’s… Whiteface is bringing back Santa Sunday. Dust off your finest Mr. or Mrs. Claus suit and get a free lift ticket for the day. Participate in a group photo and ski/board a lap down Excelsior at the top of Little Whiteface at 11am. Whiteface, Wilmington. whiteface.com.
Map & Compass Fundamentals: Online Workshop. 9am-3pm. Adirondack Mountain Club: adk.org.
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Wilderness First Responder Workshop. 9am-5pm. Adirondak Loj, Lake Placid. Adirondack Mountain Club: adk.org. | |
Lapland 10K Freestyle XC Ski Race. 10K NYSSRA Nordic race: 10am. Discount for Lapland season pass holders. All welcome. Part of NYSSRA Nordic points series. FREE Bill Koch Youth Ski League Race: 1K-6K kids’ fun race (by age and experience): 11:30am. All welcome. Presented by Lapland Lake & Glenville Hills Nordic/ADK Vauhti. Lapland Lake XC Ski Center, Northville. skireg.com/lapland10k. | |
Beginner & Intermediate Telemark Primer. 9am-3pm. Bromley Mountain, Peru, VT. bromley.com. | |
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Gore Mountain Snowshoe Race. 2pm. 5K run & 2.5K run/walk. Gore Mountain Nordic Ski Center, North Creek. skireg.com.
USA Snowboard & Freeski Association: Adirondack Series – Rail Jam #1. First of three rail jams for the year. Come to one event just to check it out or all three to work toward an invite to Nationals at Copper Mountain, CO. Whiteface Mountain, Wilmington. teamapp.com.
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Outdoor Winter Solstice Celebration. 4pm. Old Forge Library, Old Forge. oldforgeny.com. | |
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Saturday, December 31
ORC Viking Run. 11am. 6M run with reputation of being uphill both ways. Onteora Runners Club. St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Rosendale. zippyreg.com.
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Sunday, January 1 – New Year’s Day | |
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Inaugural Saratoga First Day 5K. 11am: 5K road race. New USATF certified course. Open, masters, age group prizes. Walkers welcome. Refreshments & entertainment. Produced by FC4 Events. Saratoga Springs City Center, Saratoga Springs. saratogafirstday5k.com.
46th HMRRC Hangover Half-Marathon & Bill Hogan 3.5M Run/Walk. 12pm. HMRRC Winter Series #2. All welcome. Physical Education Building, University at Albany, Albany. hmrrc.com.
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Saturday-Sunday, March 18-19 | |
17th Adirondack Sports Summer Expo. Sat: 10am-5pm. Sun: 10am-4pm. Free. 200 exhibitors. Upstate NY’s run, bike, tri, hike & paddle show. Plus, health, fitness & travel. Saratoga City Center, Saratoga Springs. adksports.com/summer-expo. | |
TUE Shenendehowa Nordic Club: Bill Koch Youth XC Ski League. Practices: 11/1-3/27. 4pm. Ages 4-13. Cross-country skiing, Nordic sports & outdoor activities. Free w/SNC family membership. Snow or shine. Garnsey Park, Clifton Park. Shen Nordic Club: facebook.com. | |
MON-FRI Rock Your Fitness: Boot Camp Workouts. Mon/Wed/Fri: 5:15am, 6:30am, 9am. Tue: 5:30pm. Thu 7pm. Special offer: Free week of class with registration for 2x/3x per week option. To register, text and use promo code “ADK fit” to 518-522-9765. Malta Community Center, Malta. facebook.com/rockyourfitnessllc. | |
Follow Adirondack Sports on Facebook & Instagram | |
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