Whitney Foster – Atlanta Running Coach
50% off your first month! As a Level 2 RRCA Certified Coach, I am here as an accountability partner to help you reach for the stars!
From: $99.00 / month and a $19.00 sign-up fee
Running Coach Description
Atlanta running coach Whitney Foster has been reaching for the stars the last several years, all six Abbott World Marathon Major stars, to be exact, with just one to go this coming March. She specializes in new runners or returning runners getting into running, whether aiming for a 5k or their first marathon, and can help create run-walk programs to reach any goal. Reach out to Whitney today!
*** 50% off First Month for month-to-month Coaching – Coupon Code: 50%wfoster***
Specialties
Whether you are a beginner, and want to simply run your first mile, or you are an advanced runner who wants to set a PR for your 100th marathon, I am here to help you reach for the stars! I started my running career with a 5k and gradually worked my way to running marathons so, not only do I have the experience and knowledge in training for all distances, but I also have a passion for helping runners achieve goals they never imagined possible.
Specialty Passion: Programs for those new to running/walking and programs for those returning to running/walking from a prolonged hiatus.
Philosophy
If you believe you can …..you will! No goal is unattainable, as long as you are willing to put in the hard work and determination to achieve it. Our journey to achieve personal greatness will never be perfect or easy, but the hardest part is making the decision to get up every day and try. As a coach, my goal is not only to support, encourage, and inspire, but to help you, as a runner, mentally, emotionally, and physically, reach beyond the stars and achieve your absolute potential.
Coaching Experience
With 10 years of running and racing experience, I understand how difficult it can be to fit workouts and training sessions into a busy schedule. As your run coach, I will make sure to take care of all of the programming for you. Life is already stressful and unpredictable so let me deal with the mechanics so you are able to just show up and perform! Additionally, if speed or pace is a concern for you, don’t fret. I am a believer that everyone has to start somewhere. It’s your race and your pace!
About Me
Greetings sole-mates! My name is Coach Whitney Foster and I’m based in Atlanta, GA (also known as Running City USA)! I am an Abbott World Major Marathon 6 Star Finisher and the Director of Finance for a local non-profit known as The Atlanta BeltLine, which is one of the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment programs in the United States. This network of public parks, multi-use trails, transit, and affordable housing along a historic 22-mile railroad corridor is enhancing mobility, connecting intown neighborhoods, and improving economic opportunity and sustainability within the Atlanta community, while also allowing a place for runners, walkers, bikers etc. to enjoy everything the city has to offer. Additionally, I am also an Ambassador for the Atlanta Track Club, which is the 2nd largest member-based organization centered around running in the US.
As you can imagine, running and fitness has become a true passion, and huge part of every aspect of my personal and professional career, and I hope to bring this same passion and experience to you as your coach!
Big Influences
Some of my biggest influences in running and coaching are :
Wilma Rudolph- After overcoming polio at a young age became the fastest woman in the world during the 1960s and the first American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympics.
Jeff Galloway – an olympian, he opened up the possibility of running any distance for people of all ages with the run walk run method which is a form if interval training that can help combat fatigue during a race as well as help speed up your post run recovery.
Others include Jesse Owens, Allyson Felix, and Eliud Kipchoge.
Race History
My love for running, and more specifically racing, started back in 2013 when I decided to run my first 5k. I signed up for longer distances and completed a few races here and there over the next 4 years but my passion truly reached new heights in 2018 when I decided to run 30 races in one year.
Then on, Nov 4, 2018, I sat and watched as thousands of runners crossed the finish line of one of the most coveted marathons in the world……. The New York Marathon, where the smiles were big and the crowd support was amazing. From that moment on I knew I wanted that experience. At the time I knew nothing about the Abbott World Major Marathons and how difficult it was to enter these races, but I knew that I wanted New York to be my first marathon. I applied for the lottery in 2019 and did not get in so I ended up running my first marathon in Savannah, GA, and used it as a virtual run to earn an entry into the NYC Marathon for 2020, which would be the organizations 50th running of the event. Before I even made it to the start line in Savannah, I began having that runners high, and decided I wanted to run all the top marathons in the world to receive the coveted 6 Star medal and earn my name on their wall of fame by 2024! If there is one thing that a runner loves about racing… it’s getting a medal!
By the end of 2019 I was confirmed to run 4 out of the 6 Abbott World Majors with my journey set to begin at the 2020 Tokyo Marathon. Needless to say, we all know how 2020 ended up, so fast forward to today, and I am proud to say that I am officially an Abbott World Majors 6 Star Finisher and 1 of the first 11,000 people in the world to complete all 6 marathons! I always believe everything happens for a reason, and now that I’ve crushed my goal I’m ready to hopefully inspire and motivate others to reach beyond their goals as well!
Certifications
- Level 2 Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Certified Run Coach
- CPR/ AED/ First- Aid Certified
Awards & Accolades
- Atlanta Track Club Ambassador
- Jeff Galloway Race Ambassador
- Abbott World Major Marathon 6 Star Finisher: Berlin and New York (2021) Boston, London, and Chicago (2022) Tokyo (2023)
- Achieved a PR in every major race distance in 2022
- 1st Age Group – GVI Spring Fling 5k (2018)
- 3rd Age Group – Locomotive 5k (2020)
Personal Records
- [1 Mile] 7:38 (11/13/2024)- Training Run
- [5k] 26:22 – 8:29 min/mile (11/3/2024)- Alpharetta Woman’s 5k
- [10k] 1:03:41 – 10:15 min/mile (12/14/2024) – Monday Night Brewing Westside 10k
- [10 Mile] 1:41:48 – 10:11 min/mile (10/20/2024) PNC Atlanta 10 Miler
- [Half Marathon] 2:14:50- 10:18 min/mile (11/28/2024) Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half
- [Marathon] 5:53:59- 13:30 min/mile (2/25/2024) Publix Atlanta Marathon
Contact Whitney
4 reviews for Whitney Foster – Atlanta Running Coach
Emily McDonald –
It is a little difficult for me to find where to begin with my review for Whitney given how incredibly positive my time with her was.
I had started training for my first marathon with a random plan I had found online. I wasn’t meeting with a coach at the time and was just trying to figure it out on my own. Well, almost halfway through my training block, I started to develop shin splints. I knew that I needed additional support and didn’t want to risk further potential injury. I found Whitney on TeamRunRun through a Google search of nearby running coaches. I reached out and got a quick response from Whitney soon thereafter. Within days, we were able to get a consultation call scheduled (and this was during the thick of holiday season, too!). She listened to how I had been training up until that point and did a thorough evaluation of my wants, needs, ability status, goals, etc. I will never forget during that phone call, being nervous and a little doubtful about my ability to see myself through the rest of my training block and Whitney reassuring me with clear confidence, “You can run a marathon”. I felt so encouraged! She was able to help me correct my training block and give me a new one based on my wants, needs, ability status, goals, etc. She also gave me endless tips on nutrition, fueling, stretching, warming-up, cooling-down, strength training, etc. Whitney was always available to message via the training app she uses, Final Surge, to ask questions, give feedback on how a training run went, and just check-in. If I needed to schedule a consultation call, she was also very available to touch base in that way, too. I also so appreciated how patient, warm, kind, and understanding Whitney was during this process. She was always happy to answer the countless questions I had and explain things to me in a way that I could understand.
I cannot emphasize enough how worth every penny Whitney and her expertise was for training for my first ever marathon. Her belief in me, knowledge, and support truly played a massive role in me crossing that finish line after 26.2 miles. I highly recommend Whitney for your training needs and will be reaching back out to her when I begin to train for my second marathon. Thank you so much, Whitney!!
R. Carr –
Coach Whitney is the best! I have been running for a long time but this was my first time having a coach outside of high school. Her adaptable and encouraging approach has been so helpful throughout the process. And she’s been so great in continually challenging what my body can do and helping my overall confidence. It is so nice to train for my second marathon with her because it takes so much of the mental toll and second guessing out of the equation – especially when it comes to doing speedwork!
Joy Flowers-Ashton –
Coach Whitney is a phenomenal running coach! My speed/race pace and my confidence level are improving. She’s patient and very encouraging.
Jasmine Salazar –
I met Whitney at work a few years ago and have always admired her goal to complete the Six Star Abbott World Marathon Majors. I started working with her as my running coach once I mentioned that I wanted to get back into running after 5+ years off due to knee injuries and did not know where to pick back up again. Whitney happily created a personalized training plan for me, and in just 3 months, I am now running 3x a week and strength training 2x a week with minimal injuries to report. She also encouraged me to sign up for a 10K so I could have a goal to work towards, and I am so happy to say I recently completed the race with a PR. 😊 Whitney has been a great motivator and has made sure I do not overtrain and inflict any injuries on myself by thoroughly going through stretches and emphasizing the importance of recovery periods. She does a great job at checking in and giving feedback after each run. I love working with Whitney as a running coach because she is very knowledgeable, attentive, and incredibly supportive yet can challenge me to push past my self-perceived limitations. I look forward to working with her further as I speed up my pace and increase the distance. I am 100% confident that she can lead anyone all the way to exceed their own running goals!