Mercedes Siegle Gaither - Professional Trail Runner, Ultra Marathon Runner, High-Endurance Athlete, and Biologist. Mercedes is a high-endurance athlete specializing in trail ultra-marathons and backcountry backpacking. She grew up in a small town, where her love for the outdoors first took root. Mercedes earned a BS in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, during which she studied symbiotic relationships in Belize and plant ecology and management in Australia at the University of Newcastle-Callaghan. She went on to complete an MS in Forestry at Mississippi State University. Following graduation, Mercedes worked with the Bureau of Land Management in Wyoming and Colorado before becoming the Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture. Later, she returned to Colorado to serve as a Wildlife Biology Technician with the Southwest Conservation Corps and the Bureau of Land Management in Cañon City, CO. In 2023 and 2024, Mercedes worked as a Forester for the Colorado State Forest Service, where she focused on educating landowners about wildfire mitigation, enhancing wildlife habitats, and promoting forest stewardship. In early 2024, she paused her biology career to focus full-time on her well-established career as a professional trail runner, competing in ultra-marathon races worldwide. Mercedes Siegle Gaither joins Bobby Marshall in the studio to discuss ultra-marathon running, mountain life, training at altitude, biology, the HURT 100-mile race, Hawaii, world travels, nutrition, and much more. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on social media for updates on the show, events, and new episodes

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