Carrie Tollefson: Hey everyone, I'm Olympian Keri Tullifson and welcome to the SeaTolly Run podcast. Today we have fourth place finisher from the Boston Marathon just a few weeks ago in 2026, Mercy Challengott. Mercy is a professional runner for Hoka Northern Arizona Elite. She was a two time NCAA champion at the University of Alabama and one of the most decorated athletes there with nine All-American honors and eight SEC championships. She just ran her second marathon in 220 everybody. Christy, last year I spoke, which I will definitely be running my mouth again, as I always do, but we had some really cool experts that came up and shared some information. Are we gonna have that as well this year? Hey everyone, I want to take a moment to tell you about an incredible opportunity for all the female runners out there and to help me introduce this, we are going to have the event director for the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, Kristi Mackey. How you doing? our listeners what we have coming up. Alright, Mercy. ⁓ my gosh. I just feel like we have not celebrated this amazing achievement that you just had enough like fourth at the Boston Marathon in 220. Lady, are you fired up or what?

Kristy Maki: We are, we have so many great women that are going to be there talking from ⁓ running gear to nutrition to injury prevention, ⁓ lots of great details to share and they're also motivating and you're not gonna wanna miss what they have to share with you. Thank you, We have a really amazing weekend-long women's running camp up here in Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin called Stry-Dashi. You were with us there last year. It's coming up July 10th through 12th. It's modeled after our popular ski-dashi weekend, except this time we're focusing on running in July instead of skiing in January.

Mercy: Yes I am, I'm so fired up, that was so good. I didn't expect that to be honest, but it was so good, I'm so happy about it.

Carrie Tollefson: I can't wait to hear all about it. So let's get after it. You did expect it or you didn't?

Mercy: I did not. I was just like, I'm just going to go and race and see what happens. what happened was so amazing. didn't think I could do that. I was just like, if I come top 10, top 20, that will be fine.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Well, I have to say as a non-skier who attended Ski-to-Ski, I learned so much and I had such a blast. Thanks so much for joining me today on SeaTally Ron. My guest today was Mercy Challengat. can find her on social media at Mercy. That's M-E-R-C-I-E underscore zero four. Before we go, a big shout out to Rundot for supporting the show and to Andrew Harley and Sarah Burney, the amazing producers behind Try Dot, Rundot.

Kristy Maki: Yeah, it's a really great time and super motivating and we are really excited to bring that same experience to runners for the second annual Stratashe. Not only will we learn running techniques, strength workouts, ⁓ effective ways to train, nutrition, but it's really three days of empowerment, connection and community building.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ my gosh, no way. Like I totally was, you were on my radar and I was, we get, we get into all of it, but. I wanted to find out what happened because you were supposed to come to the NYC half and then we got to chat and you told me what happened. So we're gonna get into that. But let's stick with this marathon first. So you and I run into each other at Walgreens two days before the marathon. You were all smiles. You were so excited but yet pretty nervous. So you said it like you kind of surprised yourself. What went well during the race? Like was it just everything was clicking? You were hanging on? Tell us about it. and see Tali run podcasts and. If you're a fan of this pod, we'd love your support. Please take a moment to leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and share the show with your friends. It really helps others discover the podcast. You can find us on Facebook, YouTube X and Instagram at C Tally Run or at Carrie underscore telepson. ⁓ And you can visit us anytime at Ctallyrun.com. Thank you so much.

Mercy: Thank you. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Actually I feel like I had, so I was told during my training period that the Boston Marathon is hilly, it's a hilly course. So I was expecting hills, so I was prepared for the hills and I think I did really good preparation. So when it was like time to hit these hills, I felt ready, like I felt like I could do it. Even though they did left me in one of the hills, I don't know which one.

Carrie Tollefson: for joining us today and don't forget to get after it! Yes? Awesome. Okay, how can they sign up?

Kristy Maki: You can go to Berkey.com and check out our run page and then stride to she and you'll find all the details there.

Carrie Tollefson: Hmm. Alright ladies, well it's your chance not only to run with me but to connect with an awesome group of empowering women at Stride to She this July. Head on over to Berkey.com for details.

Mercy: They dropped me, so I guess maybe it wasn't, I don't know, it was just, I guess I was tired at that point.

Carrie Tollefson: Well, listen, I want to go through the results real quick because this you are only like a minute and 40 seconds back from the win. Lady. Like even just saying that aloud, doesn't that mean isn't that like crazy? You're a minute and 40 seconds away from winning the Boston Marathon.

Mercy: know, that was, yeah that's crazy. Just you talking about it like that seems crazy but yeah I was like wow this is amazing, this is great. It was, it's mind blowing.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. It is mind-blowing. Okay, so in first was Sharon Loquetti who trains out where you do in Flagstaff. Second was Laos Chemnang who like you just ran her second marathon. She ran Chicago in the fall and that was her second. We're gonna get into your first. And then third place was a veteran who just kind of always is in it. Nugie Cooper, Mary Nugie Cooper. Like so awesome. She's just such a great athlete and a legend in her own right, right? And then you had right behind you Jess McLean, who a lot of us Americans know over here and have been rooting for for many years. So, I mean, you have this great group of women right there along with many others. So during the race is a big pack. Were you just feeding off of people? Were you running your own race? What were you doing?

Mercy: Yeah, it was. was just running with them. was like, I'm just going to go with these women. I know they're really good and they do help because they say it sometimes in different races. Sometimes it can be like a no man's world and it's just you running. But when you have these amazing women around you and then you're just running together, yeah, you can feed off them. You're like, ⁓ my God, I'm with these women today. It's amazing. It feels good.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah.

Mercy: They're their fluids, you're grabbing your fluids, you're running together. It's so good, I like it. And also the crowd, the crowd in Boston is like so loud and everybody's just sharing and it's so fun. ⁓ I love it. I loved every part of it.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ Yeah, there were, ⁓ you know, like, well, I guess pictures and on screen when I was doing the commentary, we saw all of you ladies running through Wellesley College, which is so loud. It's all these girls and these women just going nuts for you. And we could see lots of smiles and things like that. Were you able to enjoy yourself during this race?

Mercy: I did, I did. I enjoyed myself so much. I just wanted to go and high five everybody. I just wanted to get up the rails and just like say hi to everybody. It was so good. Like those ladies were so, they were so loud. Like I've never experienced that in a race. Like other races that I've done, it's not like that. Like this was so amazing. I enjoyed it. I was having so much fun. It was so good, honestly. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So tell me a little bit about what Jack Mulaney, your coach at Hoka Northern Arizona Elite, had to say before the race. Because he did tell me you were ready and he knew that you were gonna have a really good day. So what was his advice? He's such a fun guy. He's also from Minnesota. We were talking about some Minnesotans before we hit record. He's from here. So shout out to all the Minnesotans in the world of running. Yeah, tell us what he had to say.

Mercy: Yes. Yeah. We really talked before the race, but okay, so like few days obviously when I got to Boston and also they got to Boston, because I was coming from Kenya and then they were coming from Flagstaff. It was just like, I know you already. I was also with Caroline, do you know Caroline Rotich?

Carrie Tollefson: Well, I know of her, yes, but I don't, I haven't... Yes.

Mercy: Yeah, she used to run. won Boston like a couple years ago. But I stayed in a place in Eten, Kenya. So we were together for a while. She actually took me to some of the runs and helped me with the fluids and stuff. So I have been talking to her for a while. And then when I got to Boston, Kojak is like, I want to hear what advice did Caroline give to you. So he wanted to hear what Caroline had to say so that he can add to whatever he wanted to tell me. But then I don't know, we just didn't get a chance to talk about it. he was just like, I think you're ready. Just go run your race and you'll be fine.

Carrie Tollefson: Isn't that a nice feeling though, too, that having a coach that just feels like you are ready and you can do what you want to do, use your instinct on your own.

Mercy: Yeah, I know it's amazing. ⁓ I've had so most of the time when they say that I'm just like, ⁓ whatever we'll see in the race. Cause sometimes also it's like, like in chat. like, so when I was training in Kenya, we have this app, what is it called? Final Saj. So that's where he like training and then I do them and then it just, I connect to my Coros app and then it just like uploads my workouts. So he like sees that and then he's texting me like,

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. ⁓ yeah.

Mercy: I can see what you did today on the workout. I think you were ready, Marcy, and I'm like, ⁓ whatever. It's different. It's different in training and it's different in the race. But then hearing that also gives me a little bit of confidence. And I'm like, yeah, if the coach thinks I'm ready, I guess I am. I don't know.

Carrie Tollefson: Hmm. Yeah. think it's great. ⁓ You know you you've talked a little bit about being over there in Kenya and I wanted I want to talk about that but first and foremost this was your second marathon as I said. So you enter your first marathon in Ottawa was that what year was that again was it 20 spring of 2025? Yeah just last spring basically early spring though right? Is it a March race?

Mercy: Yeah. 20-25. Yeah. Yeah. it's May. It's May 24th. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: May, okay. Okay, so a little bit later. It's coming up. ⁓ So you run that race and was it right? You weren't gonna pace. You were gonna race that race, right? Your training partner paced you.

Mercy: Yes. Yeah, it was Paige. So we were training together for that. And then she had some issues with like health issues. So she couldn't race. So she paced me for a little bit over half way. Yeah, and she was so good. was just amazing to have her run with me. And then I was like, ⁓ my God, you're so good. Let's just finish this race. And then she was like, no, because she had to go to Grandmas after that.

Carrie Tollefson: Yes. She pays still. Okay. No, yeah, she ran grandma's that's right. That's right

Mercy: So she decided to pace me when she, she just wanted to travel with me to a tower, because we were already planning and stuff. So it was, it was good to have her there. And she was also my roommate in the hotel. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah, well that is so nice and it's fun and it feels you know like it's kind of like practice but yet elevated to the race. But you ran 223 there so you ran really really well. And then you didn't run a fall marathon. Was that designed that way or was there something that happened or just you're so young still? So what was the point behind that?

Mercy: It's because we were kind of late. So after I finished my own time, I took my couple weeks off. And then during that time I was like, I don't really want to talk about race, but then these other races, you have to get in like way early. So it's kind of late for most of them. So I took to New York, I think, and they said, oh, we we don't, we are full already. Like you cannot get in at this time. You're so late. So I couldn't get into.

Carrie Tollefson: Sure. Yeah.

Mercy: the races that I wanted to and I was like, ⁓ there's no need. can just wait until next year that I do Boston. So I just decided to just run like a couple of races in between as I wait for Boston. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. How early, like how long ago did you sign with Boston to say that that was going to be your second marathon?

Mercy: I was also late for Boston, I think. ⁓ We were talking to them back and forth for a while. then, I don't know, we just couldn't get in for a little bit. And then we also wanted them to help us with the visa stuff. So we kept talking to Medicaid for a while. And then, yeah, she ended up accepting us into the race. I was so happy about that.

Carrie Tollefson: Sir. mean seriously she must be so happy too you're talking about Mary Kate Shea who is the lead athlete coordinator there at Boston I mean you finished fourth I still am like I knew you could do it and obviously you are always a name that we have to be keeping our eye on but it just felt like it went perfect like it was a really really solid day we didn't even get to talk about you much on the broadcast because where you were and I feel like as you should be in a second marathon you were tucked in there and you were sort of hiding a lot of times where we didn't have the camera was right on you. So it just felt like it was a great day. In the pictures of you coming down Boylston and you are hearing the crowds and you're smiling and it looks like you hadn't even run 5k. Like you look so good. What was that moment like?

Mercy: ⁓ it was so good, was like, ⁓ my god, just give me a little bit more strength to finish. My legs were kind of tired at that point. But I was so excited to be able to finish and running strong and on fourth, because I already knew that I was going to be fourth and I was so happy already. Like it was so exciting. I just wanted to get to the finish line and celebrate so bad because well, it's a marathon and then you just couldn't wait for the finish line.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. So you were back home in Kenya where your daughter Audrey? Audrey's back there. How old is Audrey now? ⁓ my god.

Mercy: Mm-hmm. Seven years old. She just turned seven, like a couple weeks ago.

Carrie Tollefson: What a fun age, isn't it? I mean, I'm sure now she kind of understands what mom is doing and she's like understands why you split time between Kenya and Flagstaff and why you have to travel and all that. what was that time like being back home training for such a big event, but also being with your family and your daughter?

Mercy: Thank you. was good being with family and my daughter for sure. ⁓ I wish I could be with her 24-7, like every single day and time. yeah, it was good. It was good being home with my family, being with my daughter. And also I had to split time between going to E10 because well, I come from Kerecho, which is like four hours away from E10.

Carrie Tollefson: Yes. Okay.

Mercy: So I have to drive back and forth, especially for big workouts. Well, on my easy runs, in the middle of the week, I can be home. But then I have to be in tent for my big workouts and long runs. So I had to also split that time. So it was also hard because you're like, I'm home, but I'm not home. And then she has to go to school, so I cannot really be with her in the tent. So it was good, but also a little bit challenging. But it just takes a day at a time and I'm just grateful that I'm able to be at home, at least.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, exactly. You said that. How do you do that then? Do you stay in Itan then for like two, three nights a week? Is that how it is?

Mercy: for a little bit, yeah. So mostly I stay in a tent every day until Friday or Saturday depending on when my workout is. And then I, yeah, long run. I finish my long run and then I come take a nap for a little bit and then get my massage and then go home. And then I stay home the whole weekend and Monday. And then if I don't have a workout, so it depending also on how my week looks, if I don't have a workout on Tuesday, I'll travel on Tuesday. If I have a workout on Tuesday, then I have to travel back on Monday. So I drive back to eat in.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ Yeah.

Mercy: and then sleep for a couple days and then go back home. So I just did that bucket for thingy. And so most of the time I drive myself, but sometimes I just like get someone to drive with me so they can, yeah, so they can drive. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: someone to help. Well, when you're training that hard too and that much sometimes those long drives get kind of you get kind of tired. So I think that's smart. Sometimes I have company, know, mercy. It's you know, even since you were at Alabama like everyone kind of fell in love with you. You just are bubbly and you're smiley and you race so hard and you put everything into it. And then, you know, when now we have followed your journey as a mom and you have really made this work like it's it's hard on you and

Mercy: Yeah. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: it's hard for your family at times but you've made it work and you seem to be happy like it seems like it's it's you're in this routine you know your daddy your daughter is in a good spot and she's happy as well so how do you feel like you make it all work is there a lot of time on FaceTime ⁓

Mercy: There's a lot of first time I try to do that every single time before so mornings we do mornings I already did this morning and then we do before I go to bed sometimes it's Sometimes I go to bed before they get up But most of the time I I just try to do it twice a day I do it in the morning and then I do it in the after in before I go to bed Yeah, and then it's it's hard, but you just have to like see the bigger picture and see like What is the future going to look like? We are working on that. We are working on getting her to be here with me full time. yeah, so we just take her one day at a time. And then also she's growing. One day she will be independent and she won't need me as much. So we are just trying to like work on that and then take a day at a time and then just be like, yeah, some days it's hard. Some days it's hard for me mentally. I'm like, oh my God, I wish.

Carrie Tollefson: Bye.

Mercy: She could be here, but most of the time I just like take a day at a time and then be like, yeah, it will work out someday. We're working on things and then we hope someday she will be here with me full time and I don't have to. Yeah, she lives with my mom in Kenya, yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Hmm. And she lives with your mom, right? And does your mom ever want to come over here to America or is she liking it still back home?

Mercy: She really loves it here. So when I was in college, my brother also went to college with me and he graduated in 2019 in Alabama. So we were able to get my mom a visa, a visa for five years. So you get one for five years, but you only have to stay in the U.S. for six months at a time. So she had that from 2019 to 2020 something, five years from 2019.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. yeah.

Mercy: So she was able to be here most of the summers. So she was able to travel with Audrey most of time when she comes here, she comes with Audrey and then they go back and then. So they were able to come back and forth. So it wasn't as bad, but half visa expired and we have had a problem with renewing it. So we are working on that. So now she doesn't have a visa to come here, but we are working on it. So we are hoping when she gets the visa comes here. Yeah. There was a time she came for like five months. So, yeah. ⁓

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. I see. Hmm. Well that would be so nice if they could do that. So hopefully they figure this out. So tell us about that because that was one of the reasons. I mean the NYC half is a really popular race to run before the Boston Marathon. A lot of people do it and obviously we all love New York Roadrunners as well as the BAA like they have this great partnership too and

Mercy: Yeah, certainly be a lost and win. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: You weren't able to come. I mean you were on the list. I was doing the commentary. I was prepping for you to be there and last minute your visa didn't go through. How does that work? Like normally it's fine.

Mercy: Yeah, I know. So after college, I had a P1 visa, which is basically the visa that says you're here for an athletic activity. So for my run, you have to do your contracts and stuff, and then you get approved. So I did that when I was in college, but I only got it for two years after college. So it expired 20, 25 December on the 14th, I think, or 13th.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah.

Mercy: in 2025. So I was supposed to get out of the US on that day. So that's the day actually that I left. And then ⁓ I was trying to renew it, but we were late because they need a lot of paperwork when you're trying to renew it. So my agent was working on that and we were working with a lawyer and he suggested that we we need to get these races to give me an invitation letter. They need to write some type of documentation. So we had Boston to write one. I don't remember if we had New York do it as well. But we were collecting all these documentation and filing it together and giving it to the lawyer so he can submit it to the USCIS. But the timeline...

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ huh. I see.

Mercy: as well. We were kind of late. So you were supposed to start as early as six months before your visa expired, but we literally started like in December or November or something. So we were already late. he suggested that, ⁓ so since P1 usually takes a long time, he suggested we do another visitor visa that you only come to race and then you go back. So we did a B1, B1-B2, which is a visitor visa. ⁓

Carrie Tollefson: Sure.

Mercy: So I got that one and I was supposed to go to the embassy in February, right before I come to New York City. And then I went to the embassy and they said no, they denied me a visa. And they said, we can see here that you had a P1. If you are, ⁓ what is it? What is the word? If you can apply, if you are eligible for P1, why don't you apply for that one?

Carrie Tollefson: Okay.

Mercy: And then I was explaining, was like, my lawyer suggested that we do this instead of this. And then they were like, we are so sorry, our immigration rules changed and we cannot approve your visa. I was so upset and I was like, oh my God, I'm not gonna make it to New York. And then I just went back home and then we had to start over again and apply for P1. So the lawyer had to submit everything and then we just fingers crossed that it doesn't take long, cause it can take as long as six months. So.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ it's so confusing. ⁓ bobber. ⁓

Mercy: Yeah, so I was so worried. I didn't know that I would make it to Boston. I was just training. At that point, I was just like, I'm just going to train. Actually, day that they denied me a visa, the next day I didn't run because I couldn't just take it. Mentally, I was like, I'm not going to race in Boston. So I was like, what is the point of training if I'm not going to race in Boston? Because I wanted to race in Boston, but my people are like, it's OK. You can go to another race. You can go to Europe. can go somewhere else. There's no in the US. But I was like, no, I want to go to Boston.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, you are just worn out. Yeah. Right.

Mercy: Yeah, so it was so hard, but we made it work. we, the lawyer submitted the P1, like she filed it and submitted to the USCIS. And then I was able to go to the embassy. I was able to the date. ⁓ my God. I got like April 1st, I think. That was my interview date at the embassy in Kenya, at the US embassy in Kenya. So I went there. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Well. ⁓ my gosh, and the marathon was the 20th.

Mercy: So everything was super, super last minute. So I like, I travel. I was also like, this also is hard because while you're traveling, like trying to get all these things done and then you're also full time trading for a marathon. So I was all over the place. I was going to Nairobi, Kenya and I was coming back to Eldorado and I was going back again. So I went to the embassy, I did the interview and then I was approved and then I was like, Oh, thank God. So now we have to wait. So you go there, they approve your visa, but you have to give out your passport. and then they will print the visa inside the passport and send it back to you. And that will take like five business days or something, business days. And then it was the holidays, I think. We had like Good Friday, something, something. Like it was so hot. Yeah, so basically I got the visa. I was able to go pick it up. And then also they took long. I think they took exactly five days, but it was like so long. So I...

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, Easter, whatever.

Mercy: I was able to pick it up on Monday. So this is Monday. The next Monday is the race, race, race Monday. So I got it a week before then. Yeah. And I was already, so I was talking to my coaches here in my team. So I told someone who is usually booking our flights and helping us with other things. ⁓ I told her to book my flight that is like refundable so that if I don't make it, then they can get the flight refunded.

Carrie Tollefson: Week before.

Mercy: So I was already booked to leave on Wednesday, but I was like, well, let me go pick it up. So I was like, maybe I should, since it's in Nairobi and I'm in Nelderet, I was like, maybe I will pick it up before leaving. But then my brother is like, no, no, no, no, don't do that. You better go on Monday, pick it up. Cause I got the email on Friday, like like late evening. So I couldn't travel to Nairobi. So my brother is like, you got the email today that you can go pick it up. So go on Monday. So I had to book a flight on Monday from Nelderet to Nairobi, go pick it up. go back to Eldorado the same day, do our cover the next day, Tuesday, and then drive home, took a ritual for hours, and then spend the night with my daughter and my family and then travel on Wednesday to Nairobi, like drive for like six hours. It was so crazy, but I'm glad I got it.

Carrie Tollefson: That, mean think, so glad you got it, but I mean even just thinking of you going to Boston after all of that, like you had to have been exhausted.

Mercy: was mentally exhausted, I physically exhausted, was tired and I had really bad cold. I was coughing so much during that time. I don't know, there was just something in the air. yeah, was so crazy, but I'm glad everything worked out. I I was watered. Most of the time I was watered, I won't make it. And I was like, well, we just have to talk to Atawa again and see if I can go back. But then I was like, it's so late as well. You cannot get into a race like...

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah.

Mercy: a month before the race or something. It was so hard but I'm glad it worked out.

Carrie Tollefson: say like even just thinking about all of that that you went through it just makes this fourth place finish even bigger like it's just wild that you were able to can kind of compose yourself get to Boston also you know we were talking about this I was a little bit ticked off that you weren't at the press conference because I'm like We got this two-time NCAA champion that just ran 223. She needs to be at the press conference because I need to talk to her. And I saw you and I was like, I didn't like that very much, right? And that was maybe just a blessing in disguise. You needed maybe a little bit more time to relax and run. So maybe the big guy upstairs was looking out for you.

Mercy: Yeah. I know. I know, I know.

Carrie Tollefson: Well, I mean just such a it's a lot, isn't it? Sometimes it's a lot.

Mercy: I know it was a lot most of the time I was just like sometimes it wasn't good for my mental I was like what am I doing? Should I even try today? Maybe I should just sleep in and not try but well I just took a day at a time and then just fuck us and I was like well if this doesn't happen then we'll fuck us on something else I'm sure there's like so my agent was like we have like option plan A B C D whatever so this doesn't work we go to the next

Carrie Tollefson: No. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Mercy: So we're just like doing that and then just, I don't know. Visa stuff is so hard, but I'm glad I got it. And then I got approved for five years. So I see that before I can deal with that again.

Carrie Tollefson: right. Yeah. ⁓ good. ⁓ that's a big one then. So you have you're good for five years to kind of go back and forth then. Okay, nice. ⁓ I also want to just kind of we don't have to get into the nitty gritty because you know finances and things like that it's kind of hard but that's a big deal like for you not to be able to come to New York and run the half like that's a big prize purse. ⁓ But then also for you to finish fourth at the Boston Marathon, there's not only just the what is public, right? Like we can see what you won prize money, but there's incentives not only from the BAA, but from Hoka, maybe from other sponsors or your team. I don't know. But I mean, when you don't get to come to a race, that's your livelihood and that isn't good, you know? So it's a big deal.

Mercy: Yeah, it's not. It is. is a big deal. You're losing. Yeah, you're losing you basically you're losing money and well, that's what I used to support my family and support myself. And it's like, ⁓ yeah, it's it's crazy. You just have to to to to not is it to reduce your your cost and whatever you're spending on things and then just be be careful. But I'm also glad that I'm part of a team so they are able to pay for my fisio and stuff and stuff like other things. They cover a lot of things that.

Carrie Tollefson: Yes.

Mercy: So it's also like it also makes make it easier that way. But I know for some people who don't have that privilege, so I am glad I have that covered. So even though it's hard for me financially, I get a little bit of help with the team and stuff. So yeah, it's it's hard. Actually, it's hard. You're like, I'm losing on money. I'm losing on these. I'm losing on these. I'm losing on rankings. Maybe I could have placed better in New York City, New York City half and then I will have.

Carrie Tollefson: Yep. Yeah. Right. Yep.

Mercy: Because right now we're really working on rankings because I'm like, you know, the world rankings, obviously, ⁓ because it helps with like future planning and stuff. So yeah, we, we, yeah, we, just like take a day at a time and be like, yeah, I'm losing on these. also, well, there's nothing I can do about it. I just have to, to just try and focus and just hope everything goes well. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. How big of a deal was it for you when you won those national championships at Alabama? I mean, what I think is really cool is when I was doing some research on you, ⁓ Alabama posted that you were fourth at the Boston Marathon and they and this is true. Obviously, you're like a nine time All-American, eight time SEC cross or conference champion, two time NCAA champion. And at the University of Alabama, they call you one of the most decorated athletes ever. And you think about Alabama. and you think about the amazing football team that they have. know like all of these sports that they have professional athletes coming out and you are one of the most decorated ever. That's pretty awesome.

Mercy: Yeah. I I know. I feel like we don't really get to like, thinking about it and putting it that way, like the way you put it, it's a big deal. But I feel like when I was there, I was like, ah, whatever, it's fine. But we just try to like, I don't know, take it as if it's really nothing, but I know it's a big deal. So yeah, I really, it's good, it's good that I went to Alabama. It's good that I'm one of the, like, well-decorated athletes. I'm really happy and glad that it...

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Mercy: Basically, Alabama builds me to the athlete that I am now. The reason why I'm here now is because I went there. Because, I wasn't there at beginning. I was in another school in Texas, and then my brother decided, oh, why don't you come here? And I'm glad the coaches decided to take a chance on me because I wasn't in good shape. I was really bad. So yeah, it builds me. I'm glad that I went through that.

Carrie Tollefson: Mm. Yeah. Yeah.

Mercy: It made me into an athlete I am today. So I'm really grateful that I had that experience back in college.

Carrie Tollefson: Who was your coach again at Alabama?

Mercy: I was coached Will Palmer for a while and then my last year of college we had Nick Stenoff so they hired a new coach because Coach Palmer decided to go to Florida. So yeah, so it was coached Will Palmer for the most part and then the last like year it was coached Nick Stenoff. Actually it was like a few months like the only the spring. Yes.

Carrie Tollefson: It was. ⁓ Cool, okay. When you s- Yeah, spring. Palmer obviously is at Florida as you said now. Parker Valby's coach. A lot of people know him. ⁓ Let's talk a little bit about how you got into running. Because we know that your brother was there at Alabama. Is he running well? Is he running right now? Okay. I didn't know if I'd seen him in the ⁓ rankings and things like that lately. But tell me a little bit how you started.

Mercy: Yeah. No. Oh yeah, okay, so my dad used to run a long time ago when he was young. So he used to run with his brother. So it's in the family, I can say. But well, they didn't do any national steam or anything. He just ran in school, in primary school and in high school, and then he got a job and later. But yeah, so yeah, my dad used to run and his brothers, and then my brother, who is my older brother by a year, he used to run a lot.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yeah.

Mercy: in primary school. We went to the same primary school so I was like cheering him on. Because well in primary school you just run barefoot. don't even, like you just run. Like it's not even, it's not even, it's not really organized sports but it's like you just, you just run for fun. So he used to run for fun. And then he later joined the school cross country team. You can say cross country because well it's track but then you're running with grass.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yeah. Mm-hmm. ⁓ you're on the grass, yes, okay.

Mercy: So it feels like cross-country. Yeah, so you're in circles or grass. then, yeah, so he, I think he joined that when he was like in fifth grade, fourth grade. Like he was really interested in a really young age. I wasn't, I was just watching on the sidelines, cheering and stuff like that. So he continued that way, like ran 10K, 5K, whatever, whatever. Until he finished primary school, he went to high school. And then that's when it really, he really like focused and did it like.

Carrie Tollefson: Mmm.

Mercy: competitively and like travel to these meets and races in Kenya, like organized sports for high schools. So it was a lot of competitions. And then there was a teacher who was like, ⁓ you can actually get a scholarship. So this teacher came from Eldoret and Eldoret already knew about like the training camps and like coming to the US for scholarships and stuff. So he told him that he can go to Eldoret and join a training camp and then do all the...

Carrie Tollefson: Okay.

Mercy: Because that's where, if you go there, that's how you will know everything that's needed to come here for school. Yeah. Yeah, so my brother finished high school and then he was like, ⁓ whatever. He didn't really, he didn't actually do it immediately. He went and teach in another school. It's basically, so you just go what it's called, they say what I forgot. So he went to teach in an high school. And then he went back to school to get some paperwork or something.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, and you get recruited and stuff like that.

Mercy: And then the teacher is like, what are you still doing here? You're supposed to have left already. So he decided to actually do it. He decided to be serious about it. And then he went to the camp and then he was able to come to the US after only a couple of months, I think. He didn't stay for long. So he went to the University of Southern Missouri, Missouri Southern State University. Yeah. And then, yeah, he got a scholarship to go there and then he stayed for, I think, three years. And then he transferred to the University of Alabama.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Okay.

Mercy: And then I was in, let's see, Form 3, what is that? It's like before two years, before you are done with high school, you basically have that year and the next year and then you're done with high school. So he was like, yeah, when you finish school, like high school, you can come join me. But I never ran. I never ran in primary school. I never ran in high school. No, we didn't really. So my high, went to a, so in Kenya, this is common. I went to an all girls high school.

Carrie Tollefson: Sure. Really? Yep.

Mercy: And we didn't have any organized sports. We're just there. We didn't have any. We had zero. We had one lady when I was in my last year of high school who was a runner, but she never trained. She just went for competitions and stuff. I don't know how she did it. But I only have one when I was in like last year. So we didn't have any since I was like a freshman in high school. Yeah. So we didn't, I did not do any. I was just, yeah, I was just there. I didn't do any yoga.

Carrie Tollefson: Did you run, you know how they say most Kenyans run to school and back, at least the older Kenyans at least. Did you do that or no?

Mercy: Yeah, I did when I was in primary school, but my home is not as far from school. was like, I don't even think it was like one mile, probably like one kilometer from my house. if I did run, probably just ran when I was late, or if you're not late, just walk. But if I was late, I could run. So yeah, it wasn't far. So I didn't really run that much. But then sometimes we could like compete with my brothers around the house. then they beat me, then I'm like, I'm not running.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. ⁓ okay. So that wasn't really benefiting you. Yeah, yeah. Okay. That's so interesting.

Mercy: So yeah, no, I didn't run ever. And then after high school, I went back home. So basically you finish your national exams at the end of the year, towards December. So I just went home in 2016 December, and then I was home for at least three months or something. And then I decided to go to the Camping Elder to go try, and I was there for a long time.

Carrie Tollefson: Yep. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Mercy: I started from scratch. I ran for 10 minutes or 20 minutes and I'm dead the rest of the day. I'm just lying down like this. It was so bad and it was so hard. But when I kept going, I kept going and I kept showing up every day and then it got better. And then we used to do this time trial at the end of every month. And then that's when they post your times on our website. It's called, what was it called? Scholarbook.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ Yeah. Okay?

Mercy: So they posted on the website and then that website is where the coaches from the US can see and like recruit. So yeah, the coach in UT Rio Grande Valley in Texas saw my name and then he recruited me from there. And that's when I came to Texas. But after a year and five months, because I stayed the whole of 2017 and then I came to the US 2018 in the fall. So I was there for a really long time and the training camp for one year, five months, yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: That's wild. So really you only ran for a year and a half roughly before you came over to compete at the college collegiate level. ⁓ So how so in 2017 is when you started racing and running.

Mercy: Yes. Yes. Yeah, I wasn't another so I wasn't I didn't really I think I did in 2018 around March where I Decided to go to another camp that they were doing time trials because my car we didn't do any time trials before So I was there on the training just training no time trials if we did time trials You probably just go on the track and then just run and see how fast you can do But then these are the ones that had like the scholar book

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yeah. you've really only been running though for like I don't know what is that nine years?

Mercy: Yeah. Yeah

Carrie Tollefson: My gosh the future is so dang bright mercy. I can't even handle it

Mercy: I know.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ I love it. Well, I know that we've been chatting for like 35 minutes. So I want to do some rapid fire with you just so my my peeps get to know you a little bit. These are called the run dot rapid fire questions. They're kind like would you rather and they're fast like you are. So we're gonna start with braids or short hair. What would you rather have braids or short hair?

Mercy: Braids.

Carrie Tollefson: But you have had short hair in the past, but I love your new braids. They're really cute. Those are post Boston braids. Yeah, yeah. Okay, painted nails, which you have or lip lipstick or lip gloss.

Mercy: I know I like this. Yeah. you

Carrie Tollefson: See? These are hard questions. Okay!

Mercy: No, I only do lip oils, but ⁓ lip oils. But I also love my nails. I don't know. Okay, nails.

Carrie Tollefson: I that's when I think of you I think of nails and a little lipstick and your braids so I had to ask. Okay dresses or sweats?

Mercy: SETS!

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ me too. But I do love a nice dress. I think it's Roads are track.

Mercy: Me too, yeah. Roads.

Carrie Tollefson: Ooh, movies or books?

Mercy: books.

Carrie Tollefson: dry needling or deep massage?

Mercy: Deep massage.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ I don't like that dry needling stuff, but it works. So whatever. Okay, weight room or yoga?

Mercy: Wait room.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ you like to go pump the iron. ⁓ Dancing with the Stars or Love Island?

Mercy: Love Island?

Carrie Tollefson: Okay, cookies or cake?

Mercy: Cake.

Carrie Tollefson: make an Olympic team or win a world major.

Mercy: Winner world major!

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ That is a that is a controversial question lots of people like have to think about it, but you want to win them

Mercy: Yeah, because also Kenya, know, Kenya is, well, it's hard to make an Olympic team. But I guess if I win a major, I will make an Olympic team. So maybe, yeah, but yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah! See, you can do both, you can say both. That's okay. Okay. ⁓ Mercy, thank you for taking the time and congratulations on everything and just for being an inspiration. You know, we know that this isn't easy. Your path has not been easy when you are splitting time and your daughter is sacrificing as well and it is just a true honor to watch you race. You're so good out there. Way to get after it.

Mercy: Thank you. Thank you so much. Yay.