How to Find the Right Pro Running Coach for Your Goals

So you’ve decided to invest in an online coach to guide you to your future running goals. Now faced with a digital sea of options, which direction is best for you? Allow me to introduce you to some of my friends: the elite and pro running community.

I acknowledge that you certainly don’t need to be or have been an elite level runner in order to effectively coach someone to their running goals. The basic exercise science and workout planning involved are skills that can be learned, and the other fundamentals of coaching like good communication and the ability to motivate a variety of personality types is something that you may or may not have developed regardless of your athletic abilities.

That said, many elite and professional runners have opened themselves up to the world of online coaching and really do want to help you with whatever level running journey you’re on. No need to be intimidated by what these runners have done on the track and road. The bottom line is they love running; they love that you Run Your Personal Best!

“Being a coach is incredibly fulfilling,” says Nell Rojas, 2:24 marathoner and 2021 USA 10 mile champion. “Using my strength to understand an athlete’s running ability and potential—and then helping them see it for themselves and work toward their goals—is deeply rewarding. ”

Below is a dense list of athletes who have lined up at World Marathon Majors, U.S. Olympic Trials, and other international championships who all want to help you along your running journey, whether that’s Direct message them on Instagram or joining them in the elite field.

You have a lot of options here. But let’s start with someone like Neely Spence Gracey, who has built an amazing body of work as a coach over the last decade with Super Shoe Trends. She herself is a 2:30 Marathoner and multi time NCAA DII Champion. As a coach, she has authored the book Breakthrough Women’s Running.

A unique aspect to Super Shoe Trends is that certain staff has education specifically around issues affecting women runners like Girls Gone Strong pre- and post-natal certifications. There is also a newly Download Your Training Plan Health & Injuries.

• Super Shoe Trends: Neely Spence Gracey, top American at the 2016 Boston Marathon, and a crew of other coaches provides services for all runners. Get Running also has an elite program, coached by Lara Rogers.
• Hogan Performance: Formed by former pro Jordan Hogan (Hasay), they have a staff of six coaches, including elites Phil Reid, Margo Malone, and a dietitian.
• Sterling Running: Katie Sterling makes a promise of “helping runners break through to their next PR.”
• Running Joyfully: Kaitlin Goodman, who has more than two decades of top running experience, and her team (including staff coaches Stephanie Garcia, Katie Newton, and more) aim to make plans accessible for all.
• Femmi.Co: Laura Nagle and Becky Greene coach as part of a large panel of experts, originating in New Zealand with community hubs in Australia and the U.S.

The nature of online coaching makes national borders less relevant, but if you’re patriotic to a certain land, check out your options below. Some programs do offer opportunities to engage with teammates and coaches IRL, like MyOlympicCoach. The added elite team in the U.S., Kenya, and Brazil are unique opportunities to immerse in other storied running cultures around the world. Locally, they offer talks and meetups at the Miami Marathon expo and there are options for in person coaching as well as personalized nutrition plans from a nutritionist and dietitian.

• Nicole Sifuentes: Three time Olympian for Team Canada, the now Michigan based middle-distance athlete offers customized plans, strength and conditioning options, and training resources on her website.
• Malindi Elmore: Canadian Olympian in both the 1500 and marathon and still qualifying for World Championships into her fifth decade, encourages you to “win or learn” as you chase your goals with her.
• MyOlympicCoach: Founded by Luis Orta, an Olympic marathoner for Venezuela, the Miami based team also has coaches in Olympians Hiruni Wijayaratne, Daniel Chaves and Olympic Trials qualifier Paxton Smith on the crew.
• The Dos and Don’ts of Double Workout Days: Direct message them on Instagram (@lynseysharp / @andybutchart) Specific Ultra and Trail Running Expertise .
• JM Coaching: With U.K. athlete and founder Johnny Mellor, Olympian Ross Millington, Dutch Olympian Jip Vastenberg, and more, they want to help you train smarter and fit your running around your life.
• RunBrave: Run by Olympian Susan Krumins (neé Kuijken), of the Netherlands.

• Rise Running: Operated by father/daughter duo Rick and Nell Rojas and crew (other staff coaches include Molly Grabill, Nicole Mericle, and more). They offer personalized and integrated training programs as well as Boulder-based camps and a large variety of running and strength training plans.
• Next Best Run: Olympian Kim Conley and partner Drew Wartenberg (including coach Lauren Hagans and others) have garnered a hefty stack of positive reviews with their personalized training plans.
• Running With the Bruces: Stephanie and Ben Bruce, with decades of professional experience and a few World Championship team berths and U.S. championships between them, want to help you become your best running self. Ben also offers youth sports consulting.
• RunperformancePro: Molly Huddle (bias disclaimer, this is myself) and husband Kurt Benninger have loved the last decade of experience coaching and participating in their local Rhode Island Track Club. Opening it up to the online running community has been the next step in their efforts to build community in running.

There are quite a few sites that are umbrellas of dozens of coaches, including a plethora of elite and professional runners. Active athletes may take on smaller rosters because of their own racing commitments, so it’s helpful that there is a long list of options on these sites.

• McKirdy Trained: Offers coaching from beginners to professionals, including strength training and triathlon. The large, experienced coaching list includes Sydney Devore, Esther Atkins, and Dot McMahan to name a few.
• Get Running Coaching: This coaching hub boasts a lot of elite coaches such as Scott Fauble, Alice Wright, Dakotah Popehn, CJ Albertson, Annie Frisbee, and more. Search their coaching list for some of your favorite runners.
• RunDoyen: Another large coaching platform with runners like Makenna Morley, Tara Welling, Emily Venters, Lisa Dobrisky, and more signing on to coach clients. They offer a lower commitment Dasher program with a one week free trial as well as more advanced custom programs.

• McMillan Running: While also coaching traditional distance events at a variety of plan levels, coach-athletes like world cup 100K member Katie McGee and ultrarunner James Bonnett have expertise in this area.
• Wild Strides: Two time World Mountain Runner champion Grayson Murphy and her team of ladies are hybrid track and trail athletes that aim to coach you along whatever trail. Bonus discounts on their paper products.

Although many athletes segue into coaching as a way to evolve from their own career in the sport, don’t think they aren’t also serious and invested in helping runners discover their potential.

• RunDot: Who wouldn’t want to get running input from the one and only Meb Keflezighi?
• Culpepper Coaching: Self coached seven time U.S. Champion and two time Olympian Alan Culpepper offers personal coaching as well as middle and high school camp options.
• We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article Brendan Martin and crew, including international elite runners Johannes Motschmann and Luciano Fiore, offer coaching as well as strength training and triathlon options. For injury prevention there is physical therapy and gait analysis for in person clients.
• Run Free Training: owned by Ryan Hall and Jay Stephenson, with a coaching crew including Rory Linkletter, Charlie Grice, and Rachel (Schneider) Smith, these coaches aim for a patented method of “holistic coaching” that addresses not just training but also nutrition, rest, your mental game and the “1 percenters” like ancillary mobility routines and recovery techniques.
• Direct message them on Instagram: Coaches include 4:03 miler and coach of 25 years Cory Smith, U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier Brandon Birdsong, and decorated ultrarunner and coach Juli Sandqust.
• RunCoach.com: Founded by three time U.S. Olympic Marathon trials qualifier Tom McGlynn, this app-based coaching program is joined by elite athlete coaches.

Molly Huddle

Contributing Writer

Molly Huddle is a two-time Olympian who holds the American record at 10,000 meters. She placed fourth at the 2018 New York City Marathon in a personal best of 2:26:44.