Tom Rutkowski – Iowa City Running Coach

5.00 out of 5
(4 customer reviews)

$65.00 / month and a $19.00 sign-up fee

I’m a Masters athlete who found running in middle age. I coach adult runners of all ages, 5K to 50K, beginner to competitive

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Description

Iowa City running coach Tom Rutkowski found running later in life, but that hasn’t stopped him from chasing new PRs, new distance goals, and new challenges like Ironmans. Specializing in road running from distances from 1 mile to the marathon/50K, Tom is excited to meet you where you are at in your running journey and to go from there. In-person sessions available as well, reach out below!

Contact Tom

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: Iowa City, IA
IN-PERSON SESSIONS: Yes, meet within 10 miles of Iowa City, IA. Meet at one of the tracks in the area for a guided interval session or time trial. Contact Tom for more details!

SPECIALTIES

  • Experience levels from beginner to age-group-competitive
  • All adult ages; I particularly enjoy coaching athletes who, like me, found running later in life.
  • Road running of distances from 1 mile to marathon/50K
  • I also can help triathletes who have running goals that they want to achieve

PHILOSOPHY

Every athlete is unique, and every runner, no matter how experienced or advanced, how fast or slow, has goals that are important to them. We run with the bodies we have. What we want is to collaborate to get the most out of those bodies, whatever that means for each athlete. Thus, my philosophy is to meet my athletes where they are in their running journeys, and with the lives that they are living outside of running, and to work with them on fitness, recovery, fueling, pacing, race strategy, and mental fortitude–everything that goes into getting faster, and most of which can’t be found in an off-the-shelf plan. And finding the right “fit” with a coach is extremely important–even if a coach is fantastic, if that coach doesn’t mesh well with the athlete, then the athlete can’t get the most out of themselves–the most speed.

I’m a scientist by trade (the endoplasmic reticulum is my favorite part of the cell!), and so I truly enjoy the analytical aspects of coaching. But coaching is an art as well, and every athlete has their own needs, strengths, challenges, and goals, which data alone cannot account for.

What I find most fulfilling as a coach is seeing athletes improve. An athlete achieving a personal record is rewarding, no matter if it’s at a 6-minute pace or a 15-minute pace; whether it’s qualifying for the Boston Marathon or just crossing the finish line.

COACHING EXPERIENCE

I’ve been coaching individuals since 2018. I’ve coached athletes from high school to Masters (40-and-over), and from those returning to running after many years off to runners competitive in their age group.

ABOUT ME

For most of my life I hated running! I ran one indifferent year of cross country in high school and always finished near last. It wasn’t fun, and it hurt.

Then when I hit middle age, I decided to improve my health, and I took up triathlon. Suddenly, I was motivated to exercise, and that made all the difference. Endurance exercise became a joy as I saw myself steadily improve. And I realized that running was what I was best at–it’s the run portion of a triathlon when I try to track down all the people who passed me on the swim or bike!

Now I’ve been running for over a decade. And even though I’m pushing 50 years old, I’m still getting faster, because I keep getting not just fitter, but better at pacing, better at fueling, and better at recovery.

When I’m not in the lab, or coaching, or swimming/biking/running, then I’m catching up in the house or yard, learning Spanish on a certain language app (así que hablo un poco de español) relaxing with my family, or sleeping (I mean, recovering).

BIG INFLUENCES

My greatest influence has been the diverse group of athletes I’ve coached so far. A woman in her 50s, a high school runner, a first-time marathoner, a military member training for the two mile test, and everyone else–I’ve learned how to be a better, more personalized coach from each of them, and I will keep learning from each new athlete I coach.

My first influence in the practice of coaching is Joe Friel, who wrote _The Triathlete’s Training Bible_, which I have read many times over and dogeared endlessly as I’ve learned what goes into a training plan. And by extension Jack Daniels and Andrew Coggan and Hunter Allen, whose work figures prominently in TTTB.

I also credit the Less-is-More plan from the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training (FIRST), which is how I learned to incorporate high level marathon training into general triathlon fitness. The principles of 80/20 running by Matt Fitzgerald also influence my approach. And I also remember the mantra repeated during RRCA certification: “It depends!”, which underscores that coaching is not one-size-fits all.

On my scientific side, I try to view new training principles critically, to sort out what is worth keeping from what is faddish or poorly supported by evidence.

RACING HISTORY

My most important day of running was December 31, 2010, when I was 35. That’s the day that I went out to run 3 miles and wound up running over 6 because I felt so good. I felt like I was only limited by the time I had in the day. That’s when I first experienced how fun running could be.
Since that day, memorable races include:

  • First marathon: Marion Rotary Marathon for Shoes, Marion, Iowa, 2013. I fought 35 mph headwind gusts over the final 4 miles
  • First Boston Marathon qualifying time: St. Louis Marathon, 2017. But I experienced the agony of missing the famous cut-off by a mere 16 seconds.
  • First Ironman: Ironman Wisconsin, 2017. I was glad to do an Ironman, but learned in the process that I didn’t enjoy the training for races of that length. No shame in that.
  • First Boston Marathon: 2019. The Wellesley Scream Tunnel at the halfway point is something else.
  • First 50 miler: 2020. This was self-supported (because, you know, COVID). It was memorable because going out on a sparsely used rails-to-trail and running 50 miles with no cheering sections, no aid stations, no finish line, and no SWAG bag is epic in its own way.

The distance I most enjoy running is the half marathon. It’s long enough to be well worth getting out of bed for and short enough to not crush you. You can run it hard and leave everything out on the course, but it won’t leave you hobbling up and down stairs for a week like a marathon can.

CERTIFICATIONS

  • RRCA level I, certified since 2019
  • Safesport Trained since 2019

PRs

  • 5K: 18:57, 2018, Age 43
  • 10K: 39:46, 2023, Age 47
  • Half Marathon: 1:25:33, 2023, Age 47
  • Marathon: 3:04:51, 2024, Age 48
  • 50 miles: 7:56:30, 2020, Age 45

I am still getting faster even as I approach 50. This year I hope to shave a chunk of time off my marathon PR. It’s not about how fast you are (and I know that, sooner or later, I’m going to stop getting faster, and will have to start working at getting slower more slowly…), but about finding ways to get more out of what you’ve got that counts.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

  • St. Louis Marathon, 2017, Fifth place Masters male
  • Drake Relays Half Marathon, 2023, Third place Masters male

CONTACT TOM

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

4 reviews for Tom Rutkowski – Iowa City Running Coach

  1. 5 out of 5

    Kendra Elwood

    Excellent to work with. Responsive and flexible scheduling. Qualified and educated coaching, and I’m enjoying both the process and results.

  2. 5 out of 5

    Paul Flanders

    Tom is an incredible coach. His science-based approach to coaching enabled me to go from not being able to run for more then 10 minutes, to running a 31:34 5K in only a few months. Tom is responsive and is great at adapting training plans to an athletes needs and goals. I even find myself looking forward to seeing what fun workouts he plans every week! Excited to continue my running journey with Tom!

  3. 5 out of 5

    abbadox

    I have been working with Tom for over 2 years.
    Choosing the right running coach can profoundly impact an athlete’s performance, and in my experience, Tom has been a perfect blend of science and art in their coaching technique. His approach is deeply rooted in the latest sports science, ensuring that every workout and recovery session is tailored to maximize performance and minimize injury. Yet, it’s his artistic touch that sets him apart—understanding the subtle nuances of motivation, the mental hurdles athletes face, and the intricate balance between pushing limits and ensuring well-being. This unique combination not only enhances physical endurance but also cultivates a love for the sport.

    Adaptability is another hallmark of his coaching style. Life doesn’t always accommodate a rigid training schedule, and Tom excels in adjusting plans to fit the ebbs and flows of daily life. Whether it was a sudden work commitment or an unexpected personal matter, my training was seamlessly modified to keep me on track without adding stress. This flexibility meant that training complemented my life rather than conflicting with it, making it possible to pursue ambitious running goals without sacrificing other priorities.

    The results speak for themselves. Under his guidance, I’ve achieved personal records (PRs) in both the half marathon and marathon distances—milestones I had struggled to reach for years. These achievements are a direct testament to his expertise, patience, and personalized coaching strategy. More than just a coach, he has been a mentor and motivator, showing me what’s possible when you blend the science and art of coaching with a deep understanding of the individual athlete. For anyone looking to elevate their running performance, I cannot recommend them highly enough.

  4. 5 out of 5

    Ashley Yotty

    I’ve been working with Tom going on 4 years. I have had PB in my 5k, 10k, and half marathon. Tom is patient, positive, easy to communicate with, flexible, and understands that I also have a life outside of training. His workouts make sense and give you an idea of what the reason behind the workout is (ex: aerobic, tempo, VO2 intervals, etc). If you are in the Iowa City area, or even if you aren’t, I highly recommend Tom for run coaching, your race results will prove it.

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