Emily Keddie – Bend Running Coach
All runners welcome • Highly communicative and tailored to YOU! • New to advanced • See reviews! • Let’s reach those goals.
Running Coach Description
Emily Keddie specializes in both road and trail/ultra running, from shorter distance “dipping the feet” or new to running, all the way to experience and elite runners going for the longest of ultra distances (200 mile+) and adventure runs. She enjoys working with athletes taking on their first races, as well as runners looking to PR or chase podium goals. Training is highly supportive, communicative, and rooted in the latest science. Limited in-person sessions are available near Bend, OR.
*If price is a concern, please reach out anyway and note that. I never want budget to be a barrier to high quality coaching. We will find a way to work together.*
*** Emily’s roster is currently full and she’s not taking on any new runners. Please reach out below to join a waitlist ***
Specialties
Beginner to Advanced are welcome! Road and trail, 5k/10k/Half Marathon/Marathon to Ultramarathon distances, any distance up to 200+ mile races.
I also coach for self-supported routes, mountain running goals, and FKTs.
Running is a passionate sport, and I love to share that with my athletes whether training for their very first race, a new-to-them distance, or chasing goals to PR or land on the podium. I love the range of experience possible and the excitement of accomplishing a hard-earned goal.
With a Ph.D. in Psychology, I understand how motivation and determination are grown and strengthened, and how things like stress, mental health, and sleep affect our overall functioning as athletes. I take a humanistic, athlete-driven approach to get to know you inside and outside of running, and support you as a person and as an athlete both. We can dive into more sports psychology-related factors, if you want to!
Philosophy
High quality individualized coaching, communication as frequently as desired, and at a reasonable price: these are all things on my own coaching wish list, so the best thing I can possibly do is deliver these myself. Everyone who works with me gets attention, access, and research-informed training. The reason I am able to deliver on this? I love what I do. The reward of working with different people, with different goals and lifestyles and levels of experience and getting to know each runner personally, is so great for me. I keep my number of athletes to a reasonable amount so I’m not forgetting what time zone someone is in, what their next race is, what they do for work- those details help me coach better because I understand what is going on in someone’s life.
Beyond that, my experience as a psychologist (conducting therapy, assessments, working in clinics and day treatment programs, doing academic research, and teaching) has enhanced my ability to understand peoples’ needs and take on a holistic approach. I coach not just the runner, but the whole human who has a history and an evolving life. I incorporate (as desired) cognitive behavioral strategies like tracking/ understanding thoughts and feelings around running and races, understanding motivation, creating habits, approach to training mindset, and goal setting.
Coaching is joyful for me, but I also take it very seriously – my athlete are trusting me not just with their running, but with their goals, fears, day to day challenges – and it’s an honor to be part of that process.
ABOUT YOU
I am a competitive ultra runner, mountain athlete, and Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker on the west coast- but I coach people all over the world! To me, running is: Mountains, trails, views, exploration, freedom, beauty, strength, independence, self-sufficiency, and empowerment. It is a way to enhance being alive and celebrate what bodies are capable of. I have moved between road, trail, and ultra racing, varying my training to focus at times on speed, endurance, and adventure running.
I live in Bend, OR with my family and our dog, Jolly. I love to backpack, camp, cook, watch movies, read, rock climb, skydive, ski and snowboard, and enjoy a balance of family and adventure.
I spend personal time preparing for races throughout each year, as well as longer individual efforts like FKTs, many unsupported and integrating on and off-trail and climbing elements.
I love coaching – it is wonderful to be able to love my job. How individualized I can be with my athletes, and I enjoy supporting them and seeing them grow and succeed.
Coaching Experience
Beyond coaching runners, I have coached middle school boys basketball- what a fun challenge!
Big Influences
Some of my influence naturally hails from the psychology field, including Client- (Athlete) centered coaching, Attunement to body and Mindfulness, and working with the Whole Human. Training is a lifestyle, and I love to figure out how to make it work for you.
Many runners have inspired me, including Courtney Dauwalter, Stephanie Case, and coaches/runners David and Megan Roche. I am most positively influenced and inspired by the friends and runners I see in my day-to-day life: those whose stories are varied, unique, and full of challenges, and who persevere- making me believe that anything is possible.
Race History
Notable Races and Performances:
- Quad Dipsea 28.2 – 6th (2025)
- Bank of Marin 5k – 2nd and PR (2025)
- Transylvania 100K – 1st (2025)
- Rogue Gorge 12k – 2nd (2025)
- Ancient Lakes 50M- 1st, PR, and Course Record (2025)
- Siuslaw Dunes 50k: 1st and PR (2025)
- Spike Camp 12-Hour: 2nd (2025)
- Lake Sonoma 100k Sufferfest- 2nd (2025)
- Ouray 100M- 2nd (2024)
- Quad Dipsea 28.2- 7th (2024)
- Oregon 200M- 1st (2023)
- Ancient Lakes 50M- 1st (2023)
- Quicksilver 100k- 2nd (2022)
- Tahoe 200M- 2nd (2022)
- Moab 240M- 10th (2021)
Notable/Favorite FKTs:
- Oregon Volcanic Skyline Route: First Known Completion
- High Sierra Trail
- Three Sisters Trifinity Loop
- Oregon Five Peaks Traverse
- Three Sisters Traverse
- Lost Coast Trail (North and South)
- Broken Top Summit Ascent
- Three Fingered Jack Ascent and Round Trip
- Escalante Overland Route
- Rae Lakes Loop
Certifications
I am a UESCA Certified Ultrarunning Coach, and I also have a Ph.D. in Child and Counseling Psychology from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York.
Awards & Accolades
- 2.244 million vertical feet in a calendar year (2024), across disciplines of primarily running and uphill skiing.
- Century (100 mile) mountain bike ride (2023)
- 3x Everest (2x on foot, 1x on skis)
Personal Records
- Ancient Lakes 50- 50 Mile PR, Course Record (2025)
- Siuslaw Dunes 50k- 50k PR, 3rd fastest female course time (2025)
- Oregon 200- course record (2023)
- Ouray 100- 6th fastest female course time (2024)
Publications
- Spike Camp 12 Hour Race Report
- Quad Dipsea Race Report
- Transylvania 100K Race Report
- Volunteering At A Race: What, Why, How
- Co-author of several articles and a book related to anxiety, depression, and primary prevention of eating disorders.
Contact Emily
13 reviews for Emily Keddie – Bend Running Coach
CJ Woods –
Emily is a phenomenal coach! She brings an awesome combination of knowledge, compassion, and encouragement/gentle harassment. She will push your limits, but at the same time respect them. She will definitely help me PR my 50k and get me across the finish line for my first 50M. I couldn’t recommend her high enough.
Allison Cunningham –
I am so grateful for Emily. She is a good mixture of hard and soft. She knows when to push me and she also knows to gentle if I ever miss a workout. She’s helping me a lot with mindset. I am not an intense runner – and I’ve been thankful that she’s meeting me where I’m at, instead of pushing me to be more than what is realistic. The programming has been great. I would say it is not easy. But, I’ve been able to do everything she’s thrown my way. I feel like I’m just right at the edge of what is possible and on the other side is failure. She keeps me on the right side just barely. So, it’s doable, but feels impossible – until I do it! She’s also very funny and I really appreciate humor when I’m doing something unfamiliar and uncomfortable. All in all, Emily is a very knowledgable, experienced coach with a very delicate sense of her client’s needs. Whether you’re embarking on ultra running or just trotting around your neighborhood (like me), Emily will know what you need and it’s important that you heed her advice. You will come out stronger on the other side.
Carrie C –
Emily is amazing!!! The amount of time, attention, and energy she pours into the training plan is truly astounding. She absolutely helps motivate and inspire me! And adds in workouts I would otherwise not try… But so far end up enjoying! I hope to keep working with her for as long as she’ll have me.
Korbyn Ukasick –
Emily is phenomenal! I had never worked with a coach before Emily, and the experience has surpassed my expectations in every single way. Emily’s workouts are fun, thoughtful, and always tailored to what I need. She is present, truly listens to your feedback, and works with you to design a training plan that puts you in the best position to succeed.
Even more than the physical prep – she helped SO much in making sure I was mentally prepared going into my race. With Emily’s guidance, I was able to finish my first 100 (my absolute dream race). Since then, she’s helped me with training for and PR’ing at the 100k distance, and we’re currently prepping for my next one as I write this! She’s just a solid all around person, and a great human to have in your corner. If you’re looking for a coach, Emily is the one!
MK –
I started training with Emily three months ago with the goal of completing a 200K race in Argentina next February, featuring over 34,000 feet of elevation gain. From day one, Emily has been exceptional. I began untrained, overweight, and relying mostly on motivation and a history of past accomplishments, yet she has guided me to consistently complete four-hour training sessions and maintain a regular five-days-a-week routine—while also building genuine confidence in my ability to reach my goal.
She supported me through a two-week injury and a demanding schedule, helping me grow stronger by precisely focusing my training on developing the aerobic base I urgently needed, without ever losing sight of the race’s unique demands and terrain.
I highly recommend Emily to anyone looking to train for an ultra-distance event in a mountain environment.
Eric Root –
I feel very lucky to have Emily as my coach. I’ve always admired her amazing achievements in the world of Ultra Running, FKT’s and Outdoors Adventures. Picture your most favorite professional athlete that you admire and look up to and then being able to have them as your personal coach! She goes above and beyond personal attention and you can tell she has a vested interest in your success. 5 star coach and a 5 star athlete!
Ashley King –
Emily is a fantastic coach! She provides thorough instruction and feedback and has been beyond helpful and supportive in navigating some of the challenges I’ve had this year managing injury and safely building towards goals. I cannot say enough good things!
Troy Ukasick –
Great coach and better person.
Danielle Sigman –
This is the first time I’ve worked with a coach and it has been a wonderful experience. Emily works with your schedule to create a training plan that works for your life while not leaving anything on the table. She not only gives you a training plan that works on your deficits but also tackles nutrition, problem solving, athletes mindset, and so much more. I’ve felt more confident in my running and had the appropriate training to go for some hard races without fear of injury or over training. I was able to PR my 60k and have the confidence that I will set a PR for the 100 miler that is my A race this year. Emily is such a huge support and integral part of my training this year. Oh! And her workouts are FUN and utilize creativity mixed with science for some spicy training days. Overall, I would 100% recommend Emily for anyone looking to level up their running while also focusing on the joys of it. Thank you so much !
Levi Gilkison –
Emily is the best! Not only is she very well educated, really fast, actually competitive, gritty to the core, but is also a lot of fun!! She clearly is into the coaching and I often wonder how she can provide so much attention to an individual runner. She’s pushed me to up my game, and an excellent fit considering she holds the women’s course record on the 200 miler I’m training for. It’s impressive how Emily is always pushing herself to improve, win races, claim crazy FKT’s, and is untouchable on vert volume.
Ashton Holland –
Working with Emily this year has been a ton of fun. She’s helped me set a PR in the half marathon, complete a 50 miler, and is currently helping me train for a 100 miler!
Her coaching approach is great! We typically meet every week and discuss current training goals, the process we are in along with a recap from last week with a prep talk for what’ll happen next week. The workouts she schedules are a ton of fun and have helped me stay away from any major injury.
I’ve really appreciated working with her the past couple months and look forward to where the coaching will lead in my running journey and the progress well make together in the mean time. She’s always been on my side as a team mate and will be for you as well!
Michael Unfried –
Emily is absolutely amazing! She is very detailed, knowledgeable, supportive and extremely easy to work with. She helped me PR my 50k after 10 weeks. If you want a great coach, Emily is the one.
Mike Arrera –
I could write a book on how amazing Emily is as a coach and person, but I will just get to the point. Emily is an amazing coach. Hard stop. She always seemed to have an answer for the curveballs that came up throughout my training. She adapted my training plan to what I needed and how I operated, and at the same time made me feel like we were a team with the same goal.
She not only knows a thing or 10,000 about running, but she knows what it means to be a person who does hard things. She just doesn’t help you train your body, but your spirit, your drive, and your emotional approach. If it was not for Emily, I do not know if I would have completed my first ultra this year. I am forever grateful for her.