I specialize in coaching distance runners who want to train with structure, consistency, and purpose. My background as a high school cross country and track coach, combined with my experience coaching athletes online, has allowed me to work with runners ranging from newer athletes building a foundation to experienced competitors pursuing ambitious goals.

I primarily coach runners training for the 5K through the marathon, with particular experience in cross country, road racing, and middle-distance development. I enjoy helping athletes improve in events such as the 800m, 1600m, 3200m, and longer road races by combining aerobic development, speed, strength, and long-term progression.

My coaching philosophy centers around individualized training, consistent communication, and sustainable growth over time. Whether you are returning to running, preparing for a breakthrough race, or looking to take your training more seriously, I build plans that are tailored to your goals, schedule, experience level, and training history.

I believe the best running progress comes from consistency, patience, and trust in the process. Whether an athlete is training for a first race or pursuing a major personal best, my goal is to create an environment where runners can train with purpose, build confidence, and develop sustainable habits that last well beyond a single season.

As both a high school coach and online coach, I value communication and individualized training. Every athlete brings a different background, schedule, motivation, and set of goals to the process, which is why I believe coaching should be flexible enough to fit the athlete while still providing structure and accountability.

My coaching style emphasizes long-term development over quick fixes. I want athletes to understand not only what they are doing in training, but why they are doing it. Through consistent communication, thoughtful training progression, and a balanced approach to performance and recovery, I strive to help runners improve while continuing to enjoy the sport.

Running has the ability to build discipline, resilience, confidence, and community. I want the athletes I coach to grow not just as runners, but as people through the process of training and pursuing meaningful goals.

I have been coaching cross country and track since 2018, beginning as a volunteer coach during student teaching and continuing at multiple high schools throughout the Chicago suburbs. During that time, I’ve worked with athletes ranging from beginners to high-level competitors, helping guide multiple athletes to All-State performances and collegiate running opportunities at Division I programs across the country.

My coaching background is rooted primarily in distance running, including cross country, middle-distance track events, and longer road races. I have extensive experience developing training plans for athletes competing in events ranging from the 400m to the marathon, with an emphasis on long-term progression, aerobic development, speed, and consistency.

In addition to coaching high school athletes, I currently coach runners online through Team RunRun. My online coaching experience includes working with adult runners preparing for marathons, athletes returning to the sport after time away, individuals training for police and military fitness tests, and competitive runners pursuing major performance goals. One of the athletes I coached online earned a state championship in the 3000m during our time working together.

Coaching both in-person and online has allowed me to work with athletes from a wide variety of backgrounds, goals, and experience levels. Regardless of the athlete, my focus remains the same: providing thoughtful training, consistent communication, and a structured process that helps runners improve over time.

I’m Dean, a teacher, coach, and lifelong runner based in the Chicago suburbs. Running has been a central part of my life since I was 10 years old, and over the years it has shaped not only my athletic goals, but also my mindset, relationships, and approach to life.

As both a high school coach and online coach, I love helping athletes discover what they are capable of through consistent training and meaningful goals. Some runners I work with are chasing personal bests or major race goals, while others are rebuilding confidence, returning to the sport, or trying to create healthier routines in their lives. No matter the starting point, I enjoy being part of the process and helping athletes build momentum over time.

Outside of coaching, I enjoy kayaking, disc golf, music, coffee shops, and spending time outdoors whenever I can. I’m someone who enjoys challenges, growth, and trying new things, and I believe running has a unique way of teaching discipline, resilience, perspective, and connection.

At the end of the day, I care about helping runners build something meaningful through the sport. Not just faster race times, but confidence, consistency, and a stronger sense of who they are.

One of the biggest influences on my coaching philosophy was my own high school cross country and track coach. He created an environment where athletes felt genuinely supported, challenged, and connected to something bigger than themselves. He believed deeply in the potential of every athlete on the team, regardless of talent level, and built a culture where hard work, consistency, and accountability mattered.

What stood out most to me was the balance he created between high standards and genuine care for his athletes as people. He knew how to push athletes toward growth while also building trust, confidence, and a strong sense of team community. The friendships, memories, and lessons that came from that environment have stayed with me long after my own racing career.

That experience shaped the way I approach coaching today. I want the athletes I work with to feel supported, understood, and motivated to pursue meaningful goals. I believe runners improve the most when they are part of a positive environment that values consistency, communication, discipline, and long-term growth.

Whether coaching high school athletes or adult runners online, I try to create the kind of coaching environment that first made me fall in love with the sport myself.

One of the most meaningful races of my running career came during my senior year of high school cross country. My team’s goal all season was to qualify for the Illinois State Finals, and by the time the sectional meet arrived, everything felt like it was building toward that moment.

The conditions that day were cold, rainy, and difficult, but it remains one of the hardest races I’ve ever run. I raced without fear, pushed myself beyond what I thought I was capable of, and came incredibly close to a personal best on a challenging course. Even so, my team fell short of qualifying for state, and I never achieved that goal as an athlete.

At the time, the disappointment felt overwhelming. Looking back now, though, that experience shaped me far more than many of my successes did. It taught me that growth in running is not always defined by outcomes alone. Sometimes the most meaningful moments come from committing fully to a difficult goal, embracing discomfort, and discovering what you are capable of in the process.

That experience still influences the way I coach today. I want the athletes I work with to approach challenges with confidence, resilience, and a willingness to push beyond their perceived limits. Running has a way of revealing what people are capable of, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

• 8 years of cross country and track coaching experience
• Coached multiple All-State athletes in cross country and track
• Helped athletes continue their running careers at Division I collegiate programs
• Coached an online athlete to a state championship in the 3000m
• Experience coaching marathoners, military/police fitness candidates, and competitive distance runners

• 800m: 2:10 (2015)
• 1600m: 4:45 (2015)
• 3200m: 10:07 (2015)
• 3 Miles: 16:11 (9/20/14)
• 5K: 17:03 (11/16/14)
• Marathon: 3:24:31 (6/6/15)