Heather Gutekunst – Raleigh Running Coach

Description

Raleigh running coach Heather Gutekunst has been running anything from 5ks to marathons for over 20 years and she specializes in masters running aiming for a new PR in the half to those running their first marathon. She knows first-hand what it’s like to balance, family, training and avoiding injury! Reach out to Heather below to get started.

Contact Heather

LEVELS: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
TYPES: Road
DISTANCES: 5k/10k/Half Marathon, Marathon
TRAINING PLATFORM: Final Surge
TRAINING PLAN: Individual, customized training plan
COMMUNICATION: Unlimited email, unlimited text
RESPONSE TIME: Within 24 hours
LOCATION: Raleigh, NC
IN-PERSON SESSIONS: No, Online coaching only

SPECIALTIES

I have specific interest in working with and creating individualized training plans for runners of all skill levels and road race distances from beginners to 5k to marathon distances. I have a passion for making running and training a fun experience and helping athletes achieve goals together as a team. From those who are just starting their running journey to those with specific time goals or race goals such as Boston Marathon or 6th Star World Marathon Major completion, I look forward to encouraging you and assisting you chase down your running dreams. I personally love training with the Peloton platform, and if you share that joy, I am your coach!

Athletes typically reach out for these specific reasons, but I’m excited to work with any athlete:

• Athletes interested in how to begin a training program
• Athletes looking to reduce injury risk
• Female athletes, especially those entering the Masters category
• Goal setting athletes who seek a new PR or tackle a new distance
• Plateau runners who are looking to add personalized approach to their current training regimen and change things up a little
• Busy professionals, who want to train, but would love someone to guide them in a way to fit it into their lifestyle
• Athletes who incorporate the Peloton platform into their training

PHILOSOPHY

I want to provide runners with an approachable encouraging resource to help them reach their goals.

COACHING EXPERIENCE

I became a certified run coach after using a coach for the first time myself. For over 20 years, I trained myself from 5K to marathons and hired a coach when I needed a change to my routine. I learned from that experience that having the weekly plan to look forward to, kept training exciting and allowed me to reach my goal which at the time was to obtain a PR in the marathon distance.

I am active in several online running groups via social media and also the Peloton community. I have seen a need for training guidance and encouragement specifically amongst women in the masters age group. Just because we are getting older, does not mean that we cannot still make and reach our goals!

In addition to run coaching, I’m also a board certified practicing physician.

ABOUT ME

I started running in high school on the cross country team mostly because I did not make the cheerleading squad my junior year. To my surprise, I was actually pretty good at this new adventure and continued running mostly to maintain fitness and as a stress reliever during college and medical school. I later decided to challenge myself by running local running events in my community and developed a goal for improving my running and race times starting with 5K distance. Over the years, I worked my way toward longer events and wanted to check the bucket list and completed my first marathon. During my medical training, I continued to run regularly but was unable to attend many racing events due to the grueling work hours. Once I completed my medical training I was back into the local events and then learned how fun it was to travel outside of my home state of North Carolina for race-cations! I truly love running at Disney and after completing the Dopey Challenge 6 years ago and qualifying for Boston during my training for that, set my sights on the 6 World Majors. Along the way, I have found so much joy in making others smile and encouraging other runners on the course and you can often find me cheering and waving in costumed attire! I recently earned my 6th star medal in Tokyo and qualified for the Abbott World Marathon Major Championship marathon which will be in Sydney Australia this fall. In the past 4 years, I have developed a love for training with the Peloton platform and the people in the Peloton community as well.

BIG INFLUENCES

• Becs Gentry, Matt Wilpers, Jess Sims and Robin Arzon at Peloton

RACING HISTORY

I recently earned my 6th Star for completing the 6 World Marathon Majors since 2018 (New York, Boston, London, Boston again, Chicago, Berlin, Tokyo) I’ve achieved qualifying times for Chicago, New York and Boston 5x!

CERTIFICATIONS

• Certified Run Coach
• Board Certified Allergy and Immunology Specialist Medical Physician

PRs

• 5K – 22:01 (Hammer Down 5K Nashville, TN, May 2021)
• 10K – 44:27 (Skinny Turkey 10K, Raleigh, NC, November 2021
• Half Marathon – 1:35:58 (Key West Half, Key West, FL January ’23)
• Marathon – 3:28:40 (Berlin Marathon, Berlin, Germany, September ’23 — BQ, Abbott WMM Championsip Qualifier)

CONTACT HEATHER

Finding a coach who is a great fit for you is really important. We encourage you to email your coach prior to signing up so you can connect, communicate, and ensure a good athlete/coach fit.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Phone (Optional)

Tell Us About Yourself

Give us a brief history of your running, and this can include what distances and/or races you’ve run, how long you’ve been running, any past or present injuries, if you’ve worked with a coach or a specific training program before, etc.

Goals

Any short term or long term goals?

What You're Looking For

Describe your ideal coach/athlete relationship.

Questions

Any questions/comments for Team RunRun or the Coach in general?

Email

Submit