Mighty Miler

Keila Merino is one of the most gifted long-distance runners in the United States. She was the first finisher, man or woman, in the inaugural Greater New York 100 Mile Race in 2012, and in 2013, she placed third in her first attempt at the legendary Leadville Trail 100 Run in Colorado. In 2014, Merino is also one of only a handful of elite runners to complete the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning—the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, the Vermont 100 Endurance Run, the Leadville Trail 100, and the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run—in three months. She has won the New York Road Runners Knickerbocker 60K and twice been named NYRR Ultrarunner of the Year. Her next challenge is to raise funds for charity by running from Los Angeles to New York in a record-breaking time.

A teacher in the New York City public school system, Keila has helped incorporate running into the routines of thousands of elementary school students, many of them first- or second-generation Americans. Her family immigrated to the United States from Mexico when she was nine years old, and running gave her confidence and a sense of identity during that challenging transition. She lives in Manhattan and teaches in Queens. “Keila's commitment to running is extraordinary,” says Peter Ciaccia, former president of events for New York Road Runners and former race director of the TCS New York City Marathon. “She’s the class of New York when it comes to competing at long distances. Now it’s time for America to see how strong she is.”