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Meet the Vert.run coaches
Here to keep you inspired every step of the way.
Whether you’re looking to improve your endurance, enjoy new trails, or simply need motivation, a trail running coach from Vert.run is here to help.
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Francesco Puppi
Professional Trail Runner - Nike
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I am from Como (Northern Italy, about 50km north of Milan, very close to the Swiss border) and I currently live with my girlfriend in Appiano Gentile, not far from it. The place where I live is famous for its beautiful lake, Lake Como, which I’m a very big fan of. Besides having stunning landscapes, cozy villages and shores, it is a really good place for trail running, as there are endless possibilities in the mountains and hills by the lake!
As a child growing up in Italy, I used to go hiking and trekking with my family all the time. I grew up right next to the mountains, and even in the early days of my athletic career, my coach used to take me and the rest of my team running in the mountains. I also liked to run around lakes, or up to a peak just for fun when I was on vacation with my family. That was trail running for me.
I started racing on trails much later, though, as I never did a trail race until my twenties. I don’t know why, but for me, mountains have always been a place for tranquillity and peace, and I didn’t associate them with racing. A fun fact is that one of the very first times I came in contact with a real trail race was when I was 15. I was hiking through the Dolomites and I was impressed by some guys running up and down Piz Boè. Later on, I discovered it was the Dolomites Skyrace (now Dolomyths Run), and the young guy leading was Kilian Jornet.
My favorite trail in the whole world is…oh gosh, hard to pick. But I would say Giro del Confinale (a 35km loop in Alta Valtellina, near Bormio and Stelvio.) High altitude, nice, fast trails and breathtaking landscapes with big mountains and glaciers. My favorite home trail is Sentiero dei Faggi, on Lake Como.
I’ll go with a burrito and chinotto!
My philosophy is to do the best with the available means, resources and willingness of an athlete. My job as a coach is to take in the individual characteristics of each person (what you’re training for, where you come from and what your sport history has been.) And your workouts must suit your needs, aspirations and time availability, too.
Coaching choices and decisions are accordingly very different, depending on the athlete’s lifestyle: a professional is very different from a student or a working athlete, and so are the sessions.
Also, I believe that, in order to become a good runner on the trails, you need to work on your running ability also on the flat (road or track). This is the base from which every other quality can be developed. My Vert.run programs naturally incorporate the right mix of speed, strength and endurance on any surface: that’s why I like to define my style as “Any Surface Available,” because a good performance on trails comes from running fast on any kind of terrain. This idea also proves that you don’t need to live in the mountains to be a trail runner: with good work and the right workouts, anyone (even people living in a city) can approach trail running with satisfaction. In fact, you don’t need to train in the mountains all the time to perform well on trails: many qualities can be developed on the flat and also on the road. I work to find the perfect balance that suits each athlete.
Max Keith
VERT.RUN COACH AND CO-FOUNDER
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Iquique…a city in the north of Chile, surrounded by the desert, mountains and in front of the ocean.
I’ve been involved in solo sports like kayaking since I was a child. Running was always a thing, influenced by my dad, but it wasn’t until later when I was finishing my studies that I discovered that running on the trails was an actual sport. Did my first trail run and basically never stopped since then.
Uffff, such a hard question! I’ve been fortunate enough to have run some pretty epic trails in Chile as well as in other countries, so it’s really hard to choose. But If I had to, I would go with the “Sentiero Roma” in the Italian Alps. A very technical trail that pretty much stays above tree line doing mountain pass after mountain pass…if you’re ever in the area and you like technical trails, that’s a must.
It depends a lot on the conditions, but usually, if it was a hot and a long race, anything fresh like a huge, huge salad and some sparkling water like a San Pellegrino. After a few hours of finishing a race or some long effort, I start craving something sweet.
Consistency is king. Really. Thinking mid-term and long-term is always more important if you want to improve as a runner. Try to not get caught up in what others are doing and focus on building up your training day by day, week by week, month by month and year by year. There is no singular workout that will lead to massive change; it’s the cumulation of hours that will bring results in time.
Moisés Jiménez
VERT.RUN COACH AND CO-FOUNDER
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I was born in Venezuela. I lived there, in one of the hottest places in the country, for the first 8 years of my life. Then, my family moved to Coyhaique, in the middle of the Chilean Patagonia. Now, I live in the French Alps.
I started running because I really needed a way to move while studying engineering. My long days in front of the books needed to be balanced with some other activity. Once I discovered that it was possible to run on the trails, there was no looking back.
Home trails are always the best trails for me. My classic favorite trail is the loop to “Cerro Cinchao,” just outside my hometown of Coyhaique. If you happen to be in the area someday, you can check out the route here.
It depends on the season, but after a long run on a hot summer day I can literally eat a whole watermelon.
I believe that less is more. Going harder or longer is not always the answer. Sometimes it’s key to focus on a quality workout instead of too many, too big workouts. I also deeply believe that resting and recovering is just as important as running. It’s better to take one day off to recover than over-do it, and be low in energy for a full week.
Steven Krenn
VERT.RUN COACH
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I’m a certified RRCA running coach & REBT certified mindset coach. I enjoy working with others to help them achieve goals beyond what they thought were possible. I complete, explore, and train with the drive to learn more about what I can push my body to do. As an overweight, out-of-shape child and teenager with low self-esteem, I started running over twenty years ago and have used it to not only get in shape, but to develop pride in everything my body (and mind) can accomplish. I have completed races ranging in distances from 5k to Ultramarathons. Running is a lifelong passion for me, and I enjoy helping others develop a rewarding relationship with the sport.
New York, NY…..But I feel most at home on the trails!
Running changes our concept of self; who we are, what we are capable of, and who we can grow into. You can train your physical body, but if you don’t believe in yourself, if there’s an unhelpful story you are replaying in your head, then you won’t get far. Everyone has a reason to run. For some it’s about physical health, some struggle with mental illnesses/emotional trauma. For others, they want to check “that race” off a bucket list. Whatever it is, know it, own it, and remind yourself of it while training. Believe YOU actually are capable of great things. Because you are…We all are.
I am both a RRCA certified running coach and a REBT certified mindset coach.
Just RUN – Make it fun & integrate it into your life. Consistency is key.
- Mostly “slow” – Slow is relative, but many people don’t appreciate the importance of easy runs. Speed and strength do have their place, but only when targeted for a specific outcome.
- Not too much – Don’t overtrain or burn out. Enjoy the process as much, if not more, than reaching the goal.
- Know Your WHY – Everyone has a reason to run. For some it’s about physical health, some struggle with mental Illnesses/emotional trauma. For others, they want to check “that race” off a bucket list. Whatever it is, know it, own it, and remind yourself of it while training.
Manu RamÍrez
VERT.RUN COACH
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I was born in Venezuela, and then I moved to Panama in 2014, to Suriname in 2018 and to Colombia in 2021. Here in Colombia I live in the beautiful valley of Medellin, in La Cordillera de Los Andes. I live 1500 meters above sea level, and am surrounded by mountains up to 3300 meters above sea level!
I started running seriously in 2008, but ever since I was a kid I was a sports guy. In 2009 I did my first ultra in Venezuela–of course, I didn’t finish it, because I didn’t train at all, haha. Since then, I’ve run more than 35 ultramarathons from 50k to 170 in many countries around the world.
I have plenty of them! In Venezuela, where I’m from, I love El Cerro del Hotel Maracay–it’s an uphill trail, and at the top you can see the whole city. In Panama? The Cocoa Plantation, a 14k jungle trail with lots of monkeys…and in Surinam, the Berlin route!
A pizza with a big glass of iced tea!
During the pandemic, some of my friends who were ultrarunning coaches encouraged me to become a coach. So, I completed a degree to become an ultrarunning coach and personal trainer with a major in running. Actually, my career before coaching is that I am an agricultural engineer.
Working together to build your consistency is the key to reaching your goals! I will be here to keep you motivated, accountable and above all, to get into the habit of consistency so that you can finish your races smiling! I also just completed a degree in sports psychology, which I did so that I can help you prepare for your goals beyond just the physical training part–in an even more holistic way.
Plus, when you’re training for an ultramarathon, there’s way more to think about where you need help from a coach to prepare every aspect. Together, you’ll learn how to manage your race (what to eat, what to drink, what to carry with you) during the race, and most importantly how to up your mental game!
Daniel Rowland
VERT.RUN COACH
Note: Daniel is our Vert.run Premium coach, which is why it costs more to train with him than with Vert.run Pro.
I have been competing in endurance sports for many years starting with cross-country running and triathlon and now in trail multi-stage races and trail ultra-marathons. Over that time I have experienced a lot of training protocols, made many mistakes, made refinements, and slowly figured out the best practices that work well for me as an athlete.
Over time I have improved my qualifications and I have worked informally with some athletes which allowed me to see the impact I could have as a coach. This accumulation of experience and knowledge opened the door for me to start working as a coach. Now I carefully select who I work with based on my belief of who I can help effectively and who will bring the required dedication and focus to their training regime.
My approach is to provide focused, individualized, and specific training plans that meet the athletes’ expectations and allow them to perform their best. Each athlete is unique and has different requirements for the type of training they need and prefer, in the tools and detail they like to explore, and in how the coaching relationship works best. It’s important to me to be flexible and find the right process and approach for each individual. Training can be a complicated process as there are many variables to consider. While there are over-arching concepts that apply to everyone and all types of training, the details and individual nature of each athlete and their goals require careful tailoring and building of the training program.
I use the following principles to help guide each athlete and to prepare training programs:
- Training should be specific
- Training should be consistent
- Training should be progressive
When each of these principles is in place we can arrive at a great plan to help each athlete on their path to becoming their best.
PArker Farabee
VERT.RUN strength COACH
I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, but I’m currently living in Portland, Oregon
A hamstring injury derailed my collegiate hurdling career so I turned to long-distance races. After a couple of road marathons, I discovered that you could do the same races, just on dirt with better scenery!
Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon National Park
Donuts and peanut butter M&Ms
Consistency is key! Avoiding huge changes in your training plan will help you maintain a better endurance base as well as prevent lots of overuse injuries.
Adam Brown
VERT.RUN COACH
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I am from Queenstown, NZ. A magic little town in the Sth Island of New Zealand with lakes, rivers and beautiful mountains all around. It is kind of like the Chamonix of the Southern Hemisphere! Was pretty lucky growing up there and took it for granted. But now I love going back and getting amongst all the surrounding trails. Truly one of the adventure capitals of the world!
My mother was a co founder of a running club in the mid 1980’s. The ‘Remarkable Runners’ named after the iconic mountain range in Queenstown. I got into running through this at the age of 10 or 12? We were actually running on trails around Lake Wakatipu before trail running was even really a thing. My main sport then was rugby so I continued running to keep fit for this, and also took part in athletics and cross country events over the years.
Over time running has become my primary passion and especially now as a trail ultra runner and coach. Being able to immerse yourself in nature while self meditating through running, competing in events and being a part of the awesome community is just brilliant!
Soo many! But my fav is actually a bit different. The Frankton Track around Lake Wakatipu from Frankton through to the Queenstown waterfront is pretty flat and non-technical but just beautiful. Reminds me of home with stunning views and birdlife, is easy terrain and only about 10km but worth every minute!
I love to carbo load on a good Margherita Pizza before a long run or event! But as a reward afterwards I’m a sucker for a good burger with hot chips washed down with a nice Pale Ale! Then lots of chocolate for dessert.
My style of coaching is a mixture of consistency and conditioning, fun and focus.
– Consistency is all about building that solid base. Not all run fast and run long! Lots of easy stuff and patience is key.
– Conditioning involves your weekly strength, core, and mobility workouts. Getting the body nice and strong to handle the stress of training is soo important, as is the recovery after each session!
– Fun is just getting outdoors and simply moving, breathing and enjoying the process. Taking that break from the stresses of real life!
-Focus concerns your target race or personal goal. We will include specific workouts in your program aiming towards this. And will keep your target in the back of your mind as continual motivation.
Putting this all together is a lot of hard work! But we must remember to also have fun – take it easy, enjoy it, have some jokes, and fit it into your life schedule! With ongoing support and encouragement behind you, it’s time to smash your goals!
Leo Pershall
VERT.RUN COACH
I live in Fairfax, California, which is just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. We are fortunate to have over 300 miles of single-track trails and seemingly countless dirt fire roads that are all watched over by our favorite local mountain, Mt. Tam. Because of this amazing access, we have an incredible local trail running community…come run with us sometime!
Well, that’s a very long story, so I will condense it. I was a competitive road cyclist, turned competitive 24 hour solo mountain bike racer, turned self-supported bikepack racer (Tour Divide) who then quit athletics to pursue a circumnavigation of the world on board a small sailboat with my wife and two cats. While en route from Mexico to the Marquesas Islands, my wife found a growth on my chest that turned out to be melanoma. Confronted with my mortality and desperate to process this information, I went for a run in Pago Pago, American Samoa and realized that I needed to be an athlete in order to live my life to the fullest. With this realization, I decided to become a trail racer. I found a race in New Zealand to start training for and ran on all of the islands we sailed to en route to NZ. The race was The Revenant Ultra Endurance Run and the rest is history!
There is no way I could pick just one! I always prefer to run straight from my door, so I would say any trail in my backyard is my favorite. With that said, if I absolutely had to pick just one, Yolanda Trail is pretty darn good.
My coaching philosophy is simple and born from my personal journey in sport spanning more than a decade. I believe that balance, consistency and self-care are at the core of any successful athlete.
Balance, because without it, an athlete will likely burn hot with passion in the beginning and then slowly cool and the drive will fade. By focusing on maintaining work/life balance, an athlete will be sure to distribute their energy evenly and will likely avoid the dreaded burnout and will likely have a better chance to continue running late into life.
Consistency, because this is what creates the foundation of athletic gain and growth. An athlete can chase all the seemingly magic singular workouts and training aids but in the end, it is my belief that showing up, day after day and consistently putting in the smart, honest work is what makes us better. This of course coupled with balance and self-care is what makes it smart and keeps us from pushing too far.
And last but likely most important, self-care. This is a blanket term that pertains to all aspects of self. Of course, things like warming up, yoga, strength work, ice baths, rolling, recovery smoothies, vegetables and good sleep all may immediately come to mind. However, this can also go a bit deeper into such things as community, stewardship, mindfulness, mature and realistic goal setting, patience through injury and grace after a DNF.
Andy
VERT.RUN COACH
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I’m originally from Harmony, Pennsylvania (East coast,USA) but have lived across the US as well as in Spain and Germany. Currently, I’m based in Utah.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time outside hiking, climbing, and biking with my family. However, as a young dancer training to go Pro, most of my running was done on an elliptical or treadmill as a form of cross training. Back in those days, it was thought that running could ruin your dance muscles and I was discouraged from participating in any sports that could hurt my career, so I resorted to cranking out miles in the “safety” of my basement or local gym.
After secretly training for and completing my first marathon, however, it became obvious that running was actually improving my balance, jumping, and stamina. With that, I took to the trails, backed by the conviction that it was making me a better athlete. After hours in a studio striving for perfection, the trails became my escape, a quiet place where I was free to just run til my lungs ached. The honesty and raw human-ness of trail running hooked me immediately; nobody cares if you’re covered in mud, crying, or puking…in that moment, it’s just about you existing in nature and doing the most innately human thing- moving forward.
That’s really tough…I love Umstead’s trails for training because it has a little of everything, but if I could run only one trail for the rest of my life, it’d have to be the Bear Creek Lake Trails over Mt Carbon
It’s not very exciting, but a Pedialyte popsicle first, for sure. (It’s an electrolyte drink made to rehydrate sick babies, but so good after a hard effort!) Either a vanilla milkshake or Athletic Brewing’s non-alcoholic beer and a burger after my stomach has settled, but sometimes a “kitchen sink” salad really hits the spot.
Start where you are with what you have and just keep moving forward. So often we can get stuck in the “when I have more time…”, “when the kids are grown…”, “when I lose 5lbs…”, “when xyz…”, then I’ll do the thing. We’re waiting for this perfect moment to chase a dream, but the reality is, that perfect moment doesn’t exist. If you wait for it, you’ll be waiting your entire life.
My dad always said, “most people spend too much time going ‘aiiiiim’, just take a shot”. There will always be a reason you can’t do something, it’s human nature to avoid work and discomfort. However, if you truly want something, there will also always be a way.
As a coach, it’s my job to meet you where you are right now and help you find that way. Maybe you want to run a marathon but can barely run around the block, great, let’s run around the block! Then, we’ll run around the block and a mailbox…then the block and two mailboxes…then the block and three mailboxes… Maybe you have three kids, work two jobs, and don’t have a gym membership, okay, let’s do a plank while the pasta cooks…let’s do some push-ups while the tub fills up…
Often, we’re only limited by what we don’t know or think we can’t do, which is where having a coach makes all the difference. There are going to be obstacles in the pursuit of any goal, so a huge part of my role is creative problem solving.
If you have a goal, we can find a way to make it happen, and that starts by just showing up. Everyone is starting at a different place, but if you consistently show up and give what you have today, over time, the sum of all those little efforts is what’s going to help you succeed. Just keep moving forward.
Shannon Hogan
VERT.RUN COACH
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I grew up in central Minnesota. There are a lot of beautiful lakes and forests, but it’s mostly flat, without a lot of access to trails. In 2020 I moved to the Duluth/Superior area on the north shore of Lake Superior, which surprisingly features a ton of trails, particularly technical trails with a lot of rocks and roots. I love it here.
I started running in my late 20’s as a way to relieve stress, stay active, and get out into nature. In 2019, when I was visiting Duluth/Superior (my home now), I saw an ad at a sandwich place for a trail half marathon. I had run a few marathons and several halfs by that time, so I signed up. I showed up to the starting line with no idea what I was getting myself into. It was so much harder than I expected, nothing like the road running I was used to. But it was so beautiful, the community was amazing, and I felt a new sense of purpose in the woods, and immediately fell in love. Since then, I’ve switched primarily over to trails and ultras, and haven’t looked back.
My favorite trail is my local trail, the Superior Hiking Trail. It runs from the western border of Wisconsin up the North Shore to the Canadian Border. It’s the best of both worlds; it’s just as scenic as the trails in the western U.S.A. and as technical with as much elevation (even if the hills are a lot smaller) as the trails on the east coast. There are actually quite a few races run on the SHT, with the most renowned being the Superior 100 (the ninth oldest 100 miler in the country).
I don’t really have a favorite post race food. I’m not picky, I’ll eat pretty much anything. So, usually I want my crew to make the post race food decision.
My coaching philosophy centers around these main questions:
- Why? What’s the purpose?
- Why do you want to be an endurance runner (finding your purpose)?
- Why are you interested in working with a coach (determining my purpose)?
- Why are we setting up training this way/doing these workouts/focusing on these adaptations (establishing the purpose of the workout/block/intensity)?
My passion is to help you find the answers to those whys, while remaining true to your purpose. There are so many reasons why people pursue this crazy endurance sport. Your purpose is highly individual and can evolve and change over time, and that’s where flexibility comes in. We’ll work together to balance your training, your career, and your family, no matter what season of life you are currently moving through. The focus will not only be on attaining your endurance goals, but hopefully on falling in love with the process as well; developing, strengthening, and sustaining a lifelong running habit. After all, running should not only add miles to your life, but meaning!
Zeljko Radovic
VERT.RUN COACH
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I live in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Half of my heart belongs to cities, the other half belongs to mountains.
My love for trails comes from spending holidays in the mountain Romanija in Bosnia where I used to go hiking with my grandparents. I was always a sports person, but never dared to think seriously about sports. Until my late twenties, when I discovered running as a great vehicle to overcome my insecurities. I failed my first race due to overtraining and getting inguinal hernia, but next year I came back twice stronger for a full 42k Belgrade Marathon in 2017. Soon enough I registered for a mountain 100k race in my father’s homeland mountains in Bosnia, and that’s how I got myself on this amazing journey.
My favorite trail in the whole world is the ridge of Visocica mountain in Bosnia where my favorite ultramarathon Vucko trail takes place, but as I explore new mountains things are getting complicated…so this answer may change soon!
My favorite guilty pleasure is cevapi – a grilled dish of minced meat found traditionally in the Balkan countries – Southeastern Europe.
Listen to your body to stay consistent.
No heroic workouts, as one workout doesn’t change much for the better or worse.
The mix of various workouts and decisions over the years changed everything. Time to be a hero is in the race when you give your all. Add bits of empathy, belief, and dear people, and there you have a satisfied individual with an amazing lifestyle.
I’ve been a passionate student of trail running for years as I needed the knowledge for my own running. Two years ago my friend invited me to change her as a coach in her gym, and that turned into getting a NASM certificate for a personal coach. I’ve been official since.
Want to be coached by one of these great mentors for just $25 USD/month? Try Vert.run Pro!