Merrell Rallies The Pack, a Community of Outside Athletes

With the goal of uniting outside athletes into a wildly active community, Merrell establishes The Pack, created to inspire and increase outdoor activity. The Pack mentality vigorously supports others in their athletic endeavors outdoors. Outside athletes can join the Pack at any level. Some are leaders of The Pack. Some are members of The Pack. Choose the incentive level that’s right for you – everyday athletes, Alpha leaders and The Pack Project grant recipients. www.merrell.com/thepack

“Outside athletes are the heart and soul of the biggest gym we have – the Outside,” said Stephanie Ofili, marketing manager at Merrell. “The outside runs in our blood. It is our athletic passion. It is what inspires us to go further, push our limits and have fun. Merrell is rallying The Pack as the place to come together as a community of enthusiastic outside athletes that inspire more people to get outside and live active lives.”

To kick start the program and encourage athletes to take their daily fitness routines outside, Merrell launches a 30-day Map My Fitness program. From barefoot running to cycling, Cross Fit, yoga or SUP, the Merrell Map My Fitness outside training challenge is a catalyst for increased outdoor participation. Select winners will receive a year of Merrell gear. http://www.mapmyride.com/challenges/challenge/65/

Anyone can join The Pack and share photos, videos and social content that demonstrate the outside is the best place to train. As part of the community, each member will receive monthly insider training tips and videos and will work together to encourage each other to be better outside athletes.

Merrell “Alpha” Pack members, selected through an application process, will inspire others through attitude and action, while challenging themselves to go beyond limits and set positive examples daily. Encouraging people to get outside, this select group will interact with The Pack through Merrell blog entries, photos and training videos. In turn they will receive exclusive mentoring and training tips to help them become better athletes. This is in addition to other items they will receive such as a tech shirt, hoodie and Merrell Pro Deal.

Continued Ofili, “At Merrell, we know the smallest awards can often make the biggest difference. As part of the activation of The Pack, we established the Pack Project to award people with amazing ideas the chance to give back.”

The Pack Project grants individuals and charitable organizations the funding to bring their active ideas to life. Two rounds of five $2500 grants will be awarded for the most innovative, impactful and sustainable projects that inspire increased active outside participation.

Every Pack needs a leader and the Merrell Pack has four ambassadors to help rally the troops. The Pack leaders include outdoor athletes:
•Robyn Benincasa – all-star adventure racer and motivational speaker
•Suzanne Bowen – nationally certified fitness instructor and BarreAmped creator
•Heather Gannoe (Run Faster Mommy) – an avid runner and athlete who loves outdoor exercise and has an unrelenting passion for helping others reach and exceed their fitness goals
•Brent Allen – ultrarunner, IronMan and outside athlete with a love of the ocean and watersports

Each Pack ambassador will share their wisdom through training videos and how-to tips, available exclusively to Pack members, on how to use the outside gym to stay fit.

Merrell® is an outdoor footwear brand within the Outdoor Group, a division of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. that also includes Chaco and Patagonia Footwear. Merrell believes in encouraging everyone to get outside, be active and have fun. The brand’s mission is to increase youth participation in the outdoors through causes like Outdoor Nation and national events like the Merrell Down and Dirty Mud Run Series. Wolverine World Wide, Inc. is headquartered in Rockford, Michigan. The company’s portfolio of highly recognized brands includes: Bates®, Chaco, Cushe®, Hush Puppies®, Merrell®, Sebago® and Wolverine®. The Company is also the exclusive outdoor footwear licensee of the following popular brands: CAT®, Harley-Davidson® and Patagonia®. The Company’s products are carried by leading retailers in the U.S. and globally in nearly 180 countries and territories. Merrell, 9341 Courtland Drive, Rockford, Mich. 49351. Phone: (800) 789-8586; Fax: (888) 746-3329. FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/merrell TWITTER: @merrelloutside.