Matthew Bigman – Portland Running Coach

5.00 out of 5
(8 customer reviews)

From: $90.00 / month and a $19.00 sign-up fee

50% off your first month! I’m here for you if you’ve looking for a BQ, running your first half or full or 50k, or want to step up your game to the next level!

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Description

Portland Running Coach Matthew Bigman is here for you if you’ve looking for a BQ, or if you’re running your first half or full marathon, or looking to dip your toes into ultras and move up in distance up to the 50k or 50 miler. Reach out to Matthew today to see if you’d be a good fit!

*** 50% off First Month for month-to-month Coaching – Coupon Code: 50%mbigman ***

Contact Matthew

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

SPECIALTIES

  • Boston Qualifying marathon training – Let’s get that BQ!
  • Trail ultras – I have athletes running 50k+, and I’ve run 50 miles myself!
  • First full or half marathon – Never worked up to the distance? No sweat (well, maybe some sweat). We can gradually and consistently get you there.

PHILOSOPHY

  • Consistency paired with gradual progression – this is the bread and butter of training.
    I aim to provide you with high level training by taking professional and elite approaches and distilling them down to make them approachable and sustainable.
  • The only limits are ones you set yourself! There is always room for improvement. You can always run smarter, longer, harder, and faster.
  • I also believe in fostering a passion for the sport of running. My goal is to help you breathe fire into your love of running. Running is a joy, and I can’t wait to share that with you.

COACHING EXPERIENCE

I have been coaching for 8 years now starting out as a college student. My first athlete was a professor training to PR in the 5k – and she did! I was also an intern/volunteer assistant coach with the James Madison University Cross Country and Track teams for 3 years where I learned under a veteran coach – Dave Rinker. During my time at JMU, I received a Masters in Exercise Physiology which helps me in building smart training programs. Additionally, I coached one running class every semester with 30 college students. I now have had athletes win marathons, PR by 15+ minutes, and reach new heights!

ABOUT ME

I’m a Virginian, having previously been based in Pittsburgh and now out of Eugene and loving it here. My day job is medical device sales working in operating rooms with surgeons. I’m a goofy guy that loves spending time with friends at happy hours, cycling/biking around town, drinking local craft beer (IPAs, sours, stouts – I’m not picky if it’s good!), rock climbing, and cooking.

BIG INFLUENCES

  • Coach Dave Rinker at JMU – 30+ years of coaching
  • Coach Juli Benson – former Olympian, elite-level coach, and my personal coach
  • Understanding of energy systems from my studies in Exercise Science
  • Books from Arthur Lydiard, Jack Daniels, Ben Rosario, and Tim Noakes

RACING HISTORY

Cross country and track in high school made me fall in love with running. At first, I hated it. But after realizing I could better spend my time, I dove in and found a passion in running.

In college, I chose to run on my own and raced 1 trail marathon, four 50ks and one 50 miler all on trails. Fun fact: my longest race before my first 50k was a 10k! I placed 10th at Holiday Lake 50k++ 2013. This was an explorative and fun time in my running career. I would head out to the mountains on the weekends and see how many miles I could put in on gorgeous Virginia trail.

  • 2019 – I ran the Pittsburgh Marathon with a big PR of 2:44 followed by winning the Rachel Cason Trail Challenge (36 miles, 6:07:45). I also raced miles and PRd with a 4:36.57 in the one mile.
  • 2021 – Chicago Marathon (2:36) – perhaps one of my proudest races with a very even split despite warm; humid; and windy weather
  • 2022 – My first Boston Marathon (2:40) as well as PRing in the 5k, 10k, and marathon at CIM that December.
  • 2023 – Gorge Waterfalls 30k (2:11, 2nd OA) – this was my introduction to Pacific Northwest trail racing, and it was a blast!; McKenzie River 50k (3:32, 2nd OA), Wyeast Wonder 50 Miler (7:25, 1st OA), and Volcanic 50k (5:16, 1st OA)

CERTIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from James Madison University
  • Master of Science in Exercise Physiology from James Madison University

PRs

  • 1 Mile: 4:36.57 (08/02/2019) Pittsburgh Petite Track Meet, 2nd OA
  • 5k: 15:58.66 (7/08/2022) Petite Track Meet, 4 OA
  • 10k: 33:10.12 (6/04/2022) Night At The Island Track Meet
  • 10 miler: 55:55 (11/07/2021) EQT Pittsburgh 10 miler, 12th OA
  • 20 miles: 1:58:07 (2/22/20) Spring Thaw, 2nd OA
  • Half Marathon: 1:11:05 (10/15/22) Buffalo Creek HM
  • Marathon: 2:33:57 (12/4/22) CIM
  • 50k: 4:12:47 (2/9/2013) Holiday Lake 50k++, 10th OA
  • 50 miler: 9:29 (11/02/2013 ) Mountain Masochist 50 miler

CONTACT MATTHEW

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.

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.
Any short term or long term goals?
Describe your ideal coach/athlete relationship.
Any questions/comments for Team RunRun or the Coach in general?

PUBLICATIONS

SOCIAL

8 reviews for Matthew Bigman – Portland Running Coach

  1. 5 out of 5

    Matt.K

    Coach Bigman is one of the best. He has great knowledge of the sport, and helped me PR from a 3:53 to a 3:17 in the marathon. He also gave me insight on the errors of my weekly structure. Awesome coach.

  2. 5 out of 5

    Matthew Fresco

    Matthew has been absolutely phenomenal when it comes to my sometimes random, overly ambitious goals (my words, not his). As a long time athlete, simply going for a run had taken a backseat so when signing up for a marathon on a whim he was quick to jump in and provide realistic goals along the way. He’s very quick to respond to questions, and provide solutions/ alternative exercises or stretches when dealing with discomfort. Could not have asked for a better coach!

  3. 5 out of 5

    Lauren L.

    As a long-time athlete but a short-term runner, I know for a fact that the added benefits of working with a coach are palpable, and boy, did I luck out choosing Matthew to coach me (and my spouse!) through my first marathon. He has increased my mileage and workload safely over the last couple of months to a point I never thought would be attainable. He uses science-backed training methods and is always happy to respond to questions via email or text. I love that he uses Final Surge to administer his training plan; I don’t have to think about any of it, I just have to go out and run. He is funny, encouraging, and still demanding. It takes a special type of person to be both relatable and relentless. Finally, I just set a PR this weekend on my half marathon in the middle of a marathon build and on a tough course and it’s absolutely due to Matthew’s training plan. Don’t hesitate to work with Matthew, he is awesome! Absolutely recommended.

  4. 5 out of 5

    Kristin Meehan

    Working with Matthew has been the absolute best! Matthew has been coaching me for a few months now in pursuit of a big PR for my upcoming fall marathon and I can feel the difference in this training cycle vs. ones prior. He always checks in after workouts or long runs to get feedback on how it went and adjusts, where necessary, to make sure I’m moving toward my goal in a healthy way. Coming off a stress fracture in my foot a little over a year ago, he’s diligent about keeping me healthy through a slow build program. I’m grateful to have a coach that pushes me to try the things that are a little daunting, but also adapts when I need to pull back just a tad. Week after week I’m consistently thrilled to see the my paces becoming faster, and my body feeling stronger. If you have the chance to work with Matthew, do not hesitate! He is truly a coach that puts everything he has into his athletes and their goals!

  5. 5 out of 5

    Vincent Kwok

    Matthew is great as a coach. I have been working with him for the past couple months training for a marathon. Wasn’t expecting to run the paces I initially started out with and was pleasantly surprised I could do it, thanks to Matthew’s belief in me. Matthew wants feedback on how I’m doing and and adapts if necessary. After my marathon, I’m looking forward to training for a 50 miler with Matthew.

  6. 5 out of 5

    vuharry

    Working with Matthew has been a pleasure. As a former cross country and track runner who was getting back into running, I was looking to get back into running shape. His enthusiasm and knowledge of running has made the process so much more enjoyable. He’s been very receptive to feedback about the training program and active in the dialogue between runner and coach. I’ve made huge strides in speed and fitness over just a few months, I would recommend Matthew without any hesitation.

  7. 5 out of 5

    Emma Pickett

    Matthew is simply the best! He is so knowledgeable about running and fitness and is always available to answer questions and chat about workouts. We connect multiple times a week via text to talk about upcoming runs/workouts and debrief what went well/was challenging from previous sessions. I have seen a huge improvement in my pace and endurance over the past few months and feel so much more confident in my abilities as a runner now that I’m working with Matthew. He empowers me to got the extra mile literally and metaphorically! Cannot recommend him highly enough.

  8. 5 out of 5

    RossDiMarco

    Coach Bigman has been advising me since November. He is absolutely fantastic! He checks in on my progress weekly, and ensures that I’m comfortable with his program. Matthew’s encouragement is by far one of his best attributes. It’s that uplifting spirit that inspires me to be a better athlete. He is currently training me for a half marathon, and I can’t wait for race day. That is saying a lot considering I started from the couch to now running 4 days a week. I have never run this much in my entire life. At 41 years old, I’m easily in the best shape since my early 20’s.

    Finally, I know Coach Bigman can’t teach me how to walk on water, but I know if he was able to coach me to do it…he would.

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