We are Evan and Mel and we’re going to run the Berlin marathon! But this journey is not about us. Our friend Thomas Cloyd is one of the most amazing people you could ever meet and if you didn’t know that already, hopefully you soon will!
Thomas has been using a wheelchair since injuring his neck in a diving accident in 2012. Since then he has travelled all over the world, completed multiple marathons, and won two fantasy football championships! Recently, Thomas set a goal to complete all of the world major marathons and he’s just crazy enough to do it. He checked off Chicago a few years ago and we were there to cheer him on. He attempted Berlin last year but was unable to finish due to the heat. So when the opportunity to try again presented itself, he was, as he always is, ready to rock.
Coincidentally, Mel is also one of those crazy runner people and has the same goal of completing the world majors. She has already run 9 marathons, including Boston and Chicago, and seems to run most days just, like, for fun. So when Thomas mentioned the potential of running Berlin together, she was hyped.
Evan, on the other hand, is not crazy and prefers to travel by Vespa. But as a bucket list item, with Mel’s expert coaching and steady encouragement, he ran the Twin Cities and completed his first marathon in 2024. He was pretty sure he’d never do another, but he is a life-is-short-let’s-do-as-much-cool-sh*t-as-possible-while-we’re-here kinda guy. So when Thomas mentioned the potential of running Berlin together, he was, at least… intrigued… and eventually, convinced.
When you put it all together, it’s a dynamic threesome heading to Deutschland ready to kick @ss, run fast, and probably not finish last!
Partnering with us on our quest is the wonderful organization Achilles International. Achilles’ mission is to empower people with disabilities to celebrate the athlete within. Achilles programs have served over 150,000 athletes worldwide since 1983 and while they focus on running, their main objective has always been to bring hope, inspiration, and the joys of achievement to all! Thomas has raced with Achilles in the past and has had a fantastic experience, thanks largely to all of the great people that are part of the organization.
With the honor of running for this charity, we are tasked with raising $3000 each, all of which will go directly to Achilles International to support their programming. We know the world is a crazy place right now and there are a lot of people that need help more than us. We are privileged and lucky to be able to do this at all. The least we can do is pay it forward and try to help future athletes with disabilities achieve their goals. So if you can find it in your hearts to donate, it would mean a lot to a lot of people, including us! Thank you for your support in whatever form you send it!
Evan on Earth 