Meet The Coach for Team Run for Mercy, Melanie Blair!

Coach Melanie Blair

For the fifth year in a row, Mercy Ministries will have a team running in the Country Music Half and Full Marathon on April 30 in Nashville, TN! This year’s team is led by Mercy staff member Melanie Blair. Melanie first started running in high school where she competed on both the cross country and track teams. She knew early on that she preferred distance events to sprint events and made it a personal goal to someday run a marathon.

One week before her college graduation in 2005, Melanie completed the Country Music Marathon in just over five hours. She thought that once she reached her goal she would move on to other things, but Melanie found that she loved the training, the race day atmosphere and being a part of the whole running community.

At The Goofy Challenge

Over the past six years, Melanie has gone on to complete 10 marathons and 15 half marathons! In January, she ran both the Disney World half and full marathons to complete The Goofy Challenge – 39.3 miles of running over two days. This was also her third marathon in three months, an accomplishment that qualified her for the national Marathon Maniacs club! Melanie’s current personal records include 1:52:16 for the half marathon and 4:11:22 for the full marathon. She intends to break 1:50 in the half and 4:00 in the marathon later this year.

Melanie at Nashville's Run For Mercy 5K

Melanie’s current goal is to get Team Run for Mercy to the finish line of the Country Music Half or Full Marathon and she is here to serve YOU! Melanie can help you determine which training plan to follow, adjust it to fit your specific needs, answer questions and guide you to excellent resources regarding clothing, shoes and nutrition. She can also guide you in your fundraising efforts as you raise money to support the work of Mercy Ministries. You can reach Melanie at 615-831-6987 or mblair@mercyministries.com. Melanie will also be available for encouragement and advice at all scheduled group training runs. Whether you’re a beginning runner/walker or a veteran of distance events, Melanie will do all she can to get you to the finish line of both the race and your personal fundraising goals.

Over 35,000 people participate in the Country Music Half and Full Marathon each year. It’s an exciting event, and you won’t be disappointed. Join Team Run for Mercy to run and/or walk the race to raise money for the hurting young girls we serve at Mercy Ministries. For more information about training plans, group runs or joining Team Run for Mercy, please visit the team website at www.runformercy.com/cmmarathon2011.