Jeff Oliver – Portland, Maine Running Coach
$40 off your 1st month! 20 Years Coaching – Masters Running Specialist – Marathon PRs – First 5ks – Boston Qualifiers – Flex Plans – Frequent Communication
From: $120.00 / month and a $19.00 sign-up fee
Running Coach Description
From 5Ks to marathons, I help runners of all levels train smarter with fully customized plans, frequent communication, and coaching that adapts along the way—so your training fits your life and helps you improve.
Recent athlete results:
- 23-minute half marathon PR in 6 months
- First marathon in 3:00
- Sub-4 breakthrough after multiple failed attempts
- From beginner to consistent 20+ miles/week
I take a high-touch approach to coaching—staying in close communication, adjusting your plan as life happens, and making sure you’re not just improving, but actually enjoying the process.
*** $40 off First Month for month-to-month Coaching – Coupon Code: 40off1stmtholiver ***
Specialties
- 5K, 10K, Half Marathon & Marathon Coaching
- Performance-Focused Endurance Training
- Custom Training Plans for All Experience Levels
- Threshold & Aerobic Development
- Speed Development for Distance Runners
- Sustainable Mileage Building
- Injury-Conscious Training Progression
- Race Strategy & Pacing
- Long-Term Athlete Development
WHAT YOU GET:
- Fully customized training plan delivered through Final Surge
- Unlimited email/text communication
- Feedback on workouts and races
- Pacing and nutritional guidance for both training runs and races
- Strength work with video instruction
- Adjustments for schedule, fatigue, travel, weather, or setbacks
- Race day pace and nutrition that are developed in training and executed on race day
Philosophy
YOU CAN DO MORE THAN YOU THINK! I aim for my coaching to be a GAME CHANGER for each of my runners. So how do I do that?
FREQUENT COMMUNICATION: Training should adapt to the runner – not the other way around. Frequent communication and feedback is important to me because it allows me to setup your training program in a way that best works for you and your needs.
ENCOURAGEMENT – Nothing motivates more than encouragement and you’ll have that from me. I believe in you and hopefully I can get each of my runners to believe in themselves. That’s where the magic happens.
CONFIDENCE: Many runners are capable of WAY more than they realize. Smart progression builds both fitness and self confidence. One of my big goals as a coach is to get you to believe that you CAN run the proper paces, you CAN run 5-6 days a week or more in some cases and you CAN get faster and feel good about it.
CONSISTENCY: The best plan is the one you can actually sustain. I help runners train consistently while avoiding the common mistakes that lead to burnout or injury.
FUNDAMENTALS FIRST: Easy runs at the right place, proper recovery, smart mileage progression, and workout that fit your current level.
RACE DAY PLANNING: You’ll get a full race day plan from me that includes pacing and nutritional strategies to help ensure you have a strong finish on race day.
Coaching Experience
I began coaching in 2006 in high school cross country and track, coaching my teams to multiple championships and helping athletes continue at the collegiate level. Since moving to Maine in 2018, I’ve transitioned to 1 on 1 coaching. Since that time, I’ve coached athletes ranging from first-time runners to experienced marathoners, helping runners to achieve PRs and Boston qualifiers. It’s been a lot of fun helping runners achieve and even go beyond their goals. I’d highly encourage you to check out my recent reviews from my clients, it’s been a blast coaching them and we have had a ton of success.
About Me
I started coaching in 2006 because I was immediately drawn to the science of running and would witness several runners making the same “mistakes.” Since 2006, I have coached several hundred runners and have watched numerous people reach their running goals, whatever those goals may be. In February of 2024 I joined team RunRun, with the goal of working with runners across the country to achieve their goals. In 2024 alone, I’ve helped several runners achieve big personal bests in races from a 1.5 mile military PRT to a full marathon and everything in between. Please see my customer reviews for some of those success stories. While I love coaching individuals for all types of races, my favorite is assisting people in their journey to qualify for and run the Boston Marathon. I fell in love with running the marathon distance immediately after finishing my first marathon in 2015. Since then, I have completed eleven marathons total, including two Boston Marathons. I have a personal best of 2:44:19 and also have completed countless half marathons with a personal best of 1:15:18.
Big Influences
My biggest influences have been the great coaches I have had throughout my running career. I have learned from them how important it is to connect with each runner and really understand who they are and what makes them tick. A coach can understand everything there is to know about running but if they don’t really get to know their runners and if they are not gathering feedback and data to make training decisions, then their runners will fall short of their true potential.
Race History
- 5k – 16:43 at the age of 44 (2026)
Personal Records
- 5k – 16:12 at the 2008 Footlocker South Regional Championship
- 4 Miles – 21:35 at the 4 on the 4th in York Maine 2019
- 8k – 27:05 – FSU Cross Country Invitational 2008
- 10k – 34:20 – Beach to Beacon 10k 2019
- Half Marathon – 1:15:18 Gulf Coast Half 2018
- Half Marathon – MASTERS WINNER 1:16:06 Maine Half Marathon 2022
- Marathon – 2:44:19 Snickers Marathon 2016
Contact Jeffrey
16 reviews for Jeff Oliver – Portland, Maine Running Coach
Jared Jones –
Working with Jeff has been a game changer for my running. When I started, I had goals, but I didn’t have the structure or strategy to consistently improve. Since then, I’ve seen a massive drop in my race times. Including a PR improvement of over 30 minutes on the marathon, which I honestly didn’t think was possible in such a short period.
What’s stood out most is the level of detail and personalization in the program. Every workout has a purpose, and the progression has been both challenging and sustainable. Beyond just mileage and workouts, the race-day planning made a huge difference. The pacing strategy kept me disciplined early and strong late, and the nutrition plan ensured I had the energy to finish hard instead of fading.
Communication has been consistent and constructive, which made it easy to stay accountable and confident throughout the process. I’ve not only become a faster runner, but a smarter one.
If you’re looking for a coach who delivers real results and takes a thoughtful, individualized approach, I can’t recommend working with Jeff enough!
Bradley Wigginton –
I would five Jeff 10 star’s if the review let me!
The progress I’ve made working with Jeff has been incredible—I’ve gone from running a 3:57 marathon to a 3:15, and I’m now within reach of my goal of qualifying for the Boston marathon. What’s made the biggest difference is how personalized and adaptable his coaching has been throughout the entire journey.
This has never felt like a generic training plan. Every aspect has been tailored to me—from adjusting workouts around a challenging winter schedule, to carefully managing training through injury concerns, to building detailed nutrition/ hydration plans and pacing strategies for race day. The flexibility and attention to detail have allowed me to stay consistent and keep improving.
After two years, I can confidently say this coaching experience goes far beyond just workouts—it’s a complete, thoughtful approach to helping athletes reach their full potential. If you’re looking for someone who truly invests in your progress and adapts to your needs, I can’t recommend Jeff enough!!!
michelle tenzyk –
Jeff is my 3rd running coach – I did learn a lot from the other two, but Jeff stands out. Why? Not only does he know how to up level my training – moving me from 4 days a week to 5; upping overall mileage and giving me new types of workouts – he is uber responsive and communicative – he literally texts within minutes of a tough workout and/or race – not sure how he does it! His incredibly deep experience in coaching and being a top tier runner himself further cements for me, he knows what he is going and I’m in the best coaching hands. I got in to the Tokyo Marathon 2026 by lottery and could never have imagined running back to back marathons (Indy 2025). We had a short 14 weeks to get me race ready. Jeff dug in quickly and started to build my confidence that I could do it. We had a tough winter weather wise, yet he adapted the plan so I could fit in what was necessary. Although the race wasn’t exactly my goal – I finished it and seriously upleveled my fitness completing my 3rd WMM. I am in my 60’s and now realize with Jeff’s guidance I have not yet reached my potential. Crazy. We will now dive into halfs, 5ks, 10ks and getting me faster. Can’t wait for the coming months and to see what I can really do. And, to add, he is a super nice guy – truly lovely. Even when there is feedback to course correct, he delivers it in such a positive way. I want to make him proud as well as myself. I am deeply grateful I made the coaching change to Jeff and look forward to him coaching me for the foreseeable future.
[email protected] –
Jeff is absolutely wonderful to work with and has helped me achieve a great deal over the last seven months! I used to stress about planning my workouts and, more often than not, just bought premade templates that didn’t adapt to my training (And also didn’t amount to any PRs). I had hit a wall and really wanted to take things to the next level, which is when I found this site and Jeff.
Jeff took all the stress out of planning and allowed me to focus on just training and being the best I can be. Beyond the planning, what really stands out is how communicative he is — we stay in touch through email and Final Surge, and he responds quickly and always checks in after runs to see how things went and how I’m feeling. Having my workouts sync directly to my Garmin made everything seamless, and it’s clear he genuinely cares about more than just the numbers. When we initially started, I was focusing on 5Ks and had a diverse set of workouts that were both fun and challenging. After a few months, I smashed my 5K PR by over 10 seconds, which was a wall I hadn’t been able to break. Following a string of 5Ks, we then transitioned to training for my first marathon. Jeff once again laid out a fantastic plan that helped me gradually ramp up while preventing injury and keeping the workouts both challenging and fun.
Two weeks ago, I ran my first marathon with a time of 3:00:02 following his guidance, including an awesome race day plan. I’ll get that sub 3 next time! With all these fantastic races behind me, I’m very much looking forward to continuing to work with Jeff. I encourage anyone who wants to improve, or simply come to love running, to give him a try!
Dakota Ward –
I’ve known Jeff (Oliver or Ollie to me) since 2007, when he was my high school running coach—something I didn’t realize at the time was his very first year coaching. Even then, he led our teams to multiple titles and helped many of my teammates earn running scholarships. Over the years, he’s personally coached me in everything from the mile to the full marathon.
What’s always stood out is his character. Even when I self-trained a couple of marathons and wasn’t formally his athlete, he still took time to answer my questions. At one point—after we hadn’t talked in nearly 10 years—he even sent me a pair of new running shoes he couldn’t return. I PR’d in them and went on to buy that model two more times.
After two injury-filled, failed attempts to break four hours on my own, I turned to Jeff’s now-established coaching business. The online format worked flawlessly—fast communication, everything synced to Garmin and Final Surge, and weekly plans that were fully customized. I was coming off nearly two years of barely running, working brutal 24–48 hour shifts, juggling family life, and constantly needing schedule changes. Jeff handled all of it.
The result: a PR half marathon during training, smart pacing, negative splits, and finally a sub-4 marathon—largely injury free and in the worst weather I’ve ever raced in. I can’t thank Jeff enough. This was night and day compared to doing it alone.
Lucas Ferreira –
Been working with Jeff for months now and I couldn’t be happier. In that time we’ve worked to build up to my highest ever weekly mileage of between 30-40 miles which for the first time I was hitting consistently week after week without injuries. He also helped me in crushing a massive 23-minute PR in my half marathon from a 2:12 to 1:49. I honestly never thought such a huge jump was possible in only a 6 month period. He’s also great about being flexible and rearranging training sessions in a way that works with my crazy ER doctor schedule. He also incorporates strength and mobility work and keeps weekly speed sessions fresh with different types of workouts. Very grateful to him and hope to keep him as a coach for years to come. Now working with him on training for my first full marathon in April!
Russ –
Really like the experience so far, constant feedback and he’s very available for any questions I have about the training block. Highly recommend!
rmh61284 –
I first started looking for a private coach for my older son. He was a sophomore at the time, with what seemed like a plateau in his running development. He shared his concerns with me that he was having trouble finding ‘the next gear’ in workouts and races. Time went on and he started seeing peers he would normally pass but had trouble now getting over the ‘hump’ This lasted from end of freshman year through his sophomore year. He runs XC and both winter and spring track seasons. Being the passionate runner that he is, he wanted some private coaching to help him reach that next level. I didn’t know what to expect when searching for a private coach for my son, and how to approach it.
We then found Jeff Oliver. What a game changer so far. Thinking of how best to describe Jeff and his approach, I thought ‘gamechanger’ was the perfect description to what Coach Jeff brings and executes as a running coach. Coach Jeff has great experience. We know because of how he approaches workouts, advice, conversations, expectations, all the way down the list. Everything we experienced so far with Coach Jeff we are more than pleased about. But what makes it even better are the results my son is having in the current XC season with his Varsity team.
This past week they had a major invitational to kick off the XC season. Not only did he PR, but he PR’d with an amazing full minute and a half better than in the same race last year. Not only has this provided such a major morale booster for my son ,and cements him as a key component to his high school varsity team, BUT, it gives credence or proof, that Coach Jeff’s approach, coaching, mentoring, etc etc. are all working.
This is the next level my son has been looking for, and it isn’t with the fine tuning, experience, and adjusting to my sons schedules throughout the year, to give him the TOOLS needed in becoming the best possible runner he can be for himself. This has taught him mental strength, perseverance, and these tools will not only help him in running, but these are life lessons as well.
Jeff, thank you so much for being there for my son, and we look forward to continuing a strong partnership for the remainder of his high school career, and beyond. We absolutely, 100% recommend Coach Jeff Oliver as a running coach, and we will recommend him to local area high school runners as well as those opportunities arise.
Liz Wigginton –
I started working with Jeff in April with two big goals: to complete 13 half marathons this year and to improve my pace. At the time, I was running around an 11:00 min/mile. This past weekend, I just finished my 5th half marathon in Montana with an average pace of 9:29 min/mile—and I couldn’t be happier with the progress.
Jeff has been nothing but supportive, encouraging, and understanding throughout the process. His coaching style keeps me motivated while also meeting me where I’m at. I couldn’t recommend a better coach for anyone looking to push their limits and achieve their running goals.
Dan M –
Coach Jeff has been great! He is attentive to your needs and never pushes too much on you. I’ve been enjoying running again! It’s been a couple of years of injury due to over training and not letting myself heal. Coach Jeff has been helping with a slow and steady increases in my training. I certainly recommend him as a running coach!
George Drexel –
I’ll tell you guys. I’m enlisted Navy, been in 10 years. I struggled with cardio for a long time. Now I’m prepping to attend OCS. Jeff took me from literally couch status to running 20 miles a week in 6 months. I feel amazing and have truly gained an appreciation of long slow steady runs and training for efficiency. I feel lighter, stronger and my cardio is soaring through the roof now. Jeff keeps my schedule flexible and well adjusted to my needs. About month 3-4 I experienced runners knee on a pretty moderate-severe level. Jeff kept up with me, made sure I was rested but on track. We switched to bike for a while then back to running once I felt like I had built enough strength to support my knees. Now I’m coasting and I’m loving and I honestly could not give more appreciation to Jeff for that, he’s an outstanding coach that get you to your goals. He’s gotten me to mine faster than I could’ve imagined. Express your concerns to him and he will make you feel heard and taken care of! I can’t recommend him enough! Can’t wait to get to actually racing!
Bradley Wigginton –
Jeff is the man!! His ability to clearly respond to all my questions/ concerns in a timely manner is Incredible. Maybe one of the most important things to me is knowing that my coach is actually looking/ working with my data, and I know Jeff does by his quick response to my runs and letting me know where I need to improve and the things I did well. Really enjoy working with him and the improvements I have made have been crazy!! Not only would I recommend Jeff, but I hope he knows he’s on the long haul working with me 🙂
sldorse42 –
Jeff has been an amazing coach over the last 5 weeks. I have been using him for my marathon build for a sub 3 and he has been quick to respond to questions or comments and also give feedback and uplifting responses. I would recommend him to anyone looking to improve on their running and do it in a healthy and safe way. I am looking forward to the next 15 weeks of learning from a great guy and coach!
Mina Barać –
I started running maybe two months ago. I struggled to run a mile at the beginning. Yesterday I ran my first 5k and won 3rd place in my age division! Jeff is truly an amazing and highly experienced coach. Every week he develops a running plan I should follow. He is very accommodating and always available when I have questions/concerns. He is very attentive to detail when it comes to my stats and makes sure I am both challenging myself and resting when I need to. He also helps me develop a healthy attitude towards running so that it doesn’t become a chore. Coach like that is hard to find!
I am excited to continue my running journey with coach Jeff!
Ernie Milner –
Jeff is a very experienced and accomplished running coach. In our initial consultation he listened to my goals and my running history. He then dove into my online running data to gain a thorough understanding of my current abilities as a runner. With this knowledge, he developed customized training plans that have quickly helped me improve as a runner both in terms of endurance and speed. Specifically, his coaching helped me to a 7 minute faster finish time at the Boston Marathon. Jeff is great to work with, he’s encouraging and provides thorough and timely feedback. I highly recommend Jeff!
Greg Sinnett –
First of all, working with Jeff is a lot of fun. I got a custom plan with plenty of feedback and encouragement to meet my running goals. I’ve increased my weekly milage, decreased my splits and ran a 10min PR in the half marathon thanks to Jeff’s coaching, nutrition, warmup tips and custom workouts. I’m not an elite runner, but Jeff’s experience coaching top-tier athletes shows, and I’m having a great time becoming the best runner I can be.