South African trail runner Meg Mackenzie is running on clouds for her next adventures – in the French Alps. The 36-year-old joins On as she prepares for the trail season to come in her new home away from home, Chamonix, France.
“Having come from sunny South Africa, Chamonix winters have been both a steep learning curve and a comedy show! I’m still learning every day. Learning to shovel snow, ski, drive on snow, walk on ice, not freeze, not dunk myself in snow constantly and just generally stay upright without falling over. Doing all the winter activities have been great for character building,” said Mackenzie.
Her next adventures will lead her on the trails of Europe, including the Transvulcania Ultramarathon, the Trail du Saint Jacque 100km by UTMB, the Andorra 50km by UTMB, and ultimately the UTMB 100 mile pending qualification.
The South African’s merit list is impressive, having won the South African Long Distance Trail Championships in 2015, African X in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 and Ultra Trail Cape Town 65km. She also represented her country internationally at numerous events, including the Long Distance Mountain Running Championships in Switzerland in 2015.
Next to her athletic ambitions, Mackenzie is also a Master 3 Life Coach and offers coaching to help clients to clarify and reach their goals and increase motivation, energy, and grit. She is especially passionate about being a voice for women’s athletics, which translated into spearheading a documentary on menstrual cycles in sports.
“My goal every year is to keep finding and using my voice. The reality is that women still have a long way to go in changing the landscape of sport, and I’m dedicated to helping that happen, but it takes constant courage and speaking up to do so,” Mackenzie said. “I most admire the values and culture of the brand. I love the forward-thinking, innovative, and creative nature of the people working within the brand – it shows in all the products and in what the brand is doing for the world. On is at the forefront of addressing issues and change like inclusivity, sustainability, and women in sports – it’s inspirational to be able to dream so big about these things with a brand. I’m really looking forward to being part of a team so true to the values I live by; it’s honestly a dream come true.”
“We are incredibly excited to have Meg join the On Trail team. She has a legacy of big performances on the trail and high mountains,” said David Kilgore On Athlete Partnership Manager Trail. “She is not only someone that breaks records but also breaks barriers. Meg is the first female from South Africa to be professionally sponsored in trail and ultra running. She is now paying it forward by bringing more inclusivity into this sport through her female high-performance camps and research studies in her current home of Chamonix, France. Welcome to the family, Meg!”