Team Member Spotlight

If you’ve been around the Waco race scene, chances are you’ve met Merci Moore — she’s that friendly face cheering from the sidelines, handing out water, or crossing the finish line with a big smile and even bigger heart. Merci has been part of the Beef Team for eight years, and she’s truly done it all — runner, triathlete, volunteer, and now race coordinator for Healthy Kids Running Series Waco!

Merci’s running story actually started years ago on her high school track and cross-country team, but it wasn’t until later in life that she rediscovered her passion for the sport. And when she did — she went all in!

Since taking the sport back up again over the last 10 years, she’s completed three marathons in 90 days (earning her Marathon Maniac status), over 20 half marathons, and even dabbled in triathlons — everything from super sprints to the Ironman 70.3 distance.

“I’ve too many events to count,” she says. “But lately with my spine issue, I’m more of a volunteer and race coordinator. It hurts to move and it hurts to NOT move, but it hasn’t stopped me. I’ve just pivoted — now it’s more hiking and volunteering. There are always other ways to stay active.”

It’s this determination that makes Merci such an inspiring part of the team.

Merci joined the Beef Team eight years ago and says it has been one of the best parts of her fitness journey. “I love that when you’re at a race or volunteer event and there are Beef Team members, you can always make new friends,” she says.

Her all-time favorite Beef Team memory came during her third marathon — when she hit the final stretch and saw her teammates waiting for her at a Beef Team water stop. “They played the song ‘Maniac’ for me and my running buddy, Evette,” she laughs. “It was the best feeling!”

She also has fond memories of past team-building events, especially one that sent everyone on a wild scavenger hunt through Cameron Park trails. “We had so much fun with that one,” she says.

Merci’s favorite Beef Team-sponsored race is Ironman Waco — her hometown race — and in general, she loves most every trail race because of nature’s beauty. She is also a fan of Best 5k on the Brazos race because it’s a target race for the Waco Women’s Training Program, an eight-week program for women of all athletic abilities. “For the past several years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be a pace group leader and been a part of the program.” 

When it comes to fuel, Merci’s got her routine down. Before a race or a long volunteer shift, either a steak or hamburger is her go-to. She admits she’s learned a lot about beef since joining the team too. “Medium rare is the way! I used to always prefer well done — not anymore since Beef Team.”

When she’s not running or volunteering, Merci works as an Intergovernmental Child Support Officer for the Office of the Attorney General of Texas — helping families across the state. As for family, she’s a proud mom to two grown kids, a foster grandmother (her daughter and son-in-law started fostering last year), and also has two tiny dogs who run the house: Optimus Prime (a Yorkie) and Luca (a Shih Tzu).

She’s also the force behind bringing the Healthy Kids Running Series to Waco — something she’s really excited about. “I love being part of anything that gets people, especially kids, moving,” she says.

Merci draws motivation from ultramarathoner David Goggins — “Everything that he’s accomplished and continues to accomplish,” she says. And, during an event, she keeps herself grounded and focused forward with this mantra: “Think strong. Be strong. Finish strong.”

While Merci may call herself a “back-of-the-packer,” her teammates say her enthusiasm and dedication to the sport is elite.  Whether she’s cheering at mile three, helping kids cross a finish line, or keeping things organized behind the scenes, Merci Moore embodies what the Beef Team is all about — heart, perseverance, and a whole lot of love for the community.