Athlete Testimonials
"Coach Evan strikes the perfect balance of being tough on you physically — building innovative and challenging workouts that are guaranteed to grow your strength and ability as a runner — and baby soft on you spiritually: answering every question thoughtfully, giving you confidence through praise and always maintaining a calm, “you can do this” attitude. He has true excitement about helping you reach your potential. When he says just showing up on the starting line is a victory, you know he means it, and he has as much pride in the achievement of back of the pack runners as the lightning fast, born-to-do-it racers who dominate on any course. Beginners and advanced runners alike will take to and benefit from his capable instruction.
His holistic approach also makes clear the true asset of working with a pro: you now intuitively know the right things about equipment, fuel, pacing and recovery that you never would have known to ask (and could have easily gone astray researching on your own) but will make a huge difference to your preparedness and performance. He also just has a ton of knowledge and explains it in a way that anyone can understand. I attended nearly every training talk and found them well worth it, and was ultimately able to pass on tips to friends who had been running for years for had never worked with a trainer or certified coach.
But perhaps best of all, Evan invites you into the community of other students/runners he coaches so that you automatically have a squad of people cheering for you no matter where in the world your race is, or how you finish. The support is incredible and it is so genuine — when I finished my first marathon, I already had a flood of messages from Evan and all of his other runners, just like they were all at the finish line with me. I never would have believed that a sport that seems so solitary and concerned with individual records could be so inviting and inclusive, but that’s what he has been able to create. I would say that Evan’s aptitude for teaching is commensurate with his talent for running — and anyone who has ever seen him in the field knows what a feat that is! He’s also just fun, which is what running needs."
–Bonnie, after training for and completing her first marathon at the 2023 Philadelphia Marathon
"What’s your goal for this marathon?” Evan asked me during our initial conversation about the 2023 Chicago marathon, which would be my 11th. “I want to run a marathon that feels good,” I said. “Where I feel strong and confident from start to finish. If I PR that’s icing on the cake but I care more about breaking the cycle of falling apart at mile 20. I want the marathon to feel fun again.”
Never in my wildest dreams did I expect Evan to not only help me fulfill that goal but help me smash my 7 year old PR - a PR I hadn’t come close to in years - by 10 minutes. I spent many years steadfastly resistant to working with a running coach. I had no problem with sticking to random training plans I found on the internet and I thought that’s all a coach would offer: accountability and a training plan. But Evan brings so much more. He’s the two rare qualities you hope all great coaches to have: general love of sport and general love of helping people reach their potential. To say that Evan is generous is an understatement. Working with Evan means a training plan, yes, but it also means group runs, Zoom discussions on various running topics (nutrition, shoes, goal setting, etc.), and your own personal cheerleader with you every step of the way.
–Jess, breaking 3:15 at the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
After training for and running nearly a dozen half marathons and a few marathons on my own, I was ready to take my running to the next level. From my first call with Evan, I knew he was the right coach for me. Evan is not only so positive and uplifting, he's also super knowledgeable about all things running and has a way of breaking things down that are easy to understand and apply to each run. He came up with my training plans for the Brooklyn Half and the Berlin Marathon that really pushed me beyond what I thought were my limits, and for the first time in 8 years, I set new personal bests in several races. I can't wait to keep working with Evan to see how much more I can accomplish, because thanks to him, I know I've got so much more to give to my running journey.
–Nicole, after a 20+ minute PR at the 2023 Berlin Marathon
Evan Wood goes by the moniker Just Another Running Coach, but he is more than that. He is a positive energy source and fountain of knowledge. I am a teacher and have seen many master teachers at work. Evan is incredible!! He started with a shoe fitting and form analysis. Next, he structured runs and training to meet me where I was. Within a few sessions, I felt great, was setting PRs, and completed my first half marathon. This is all good, but the truth is he brings joy and enthusiasm to running!! WOW WOW WOW!!!
–Eric, who has since completed four half marathons with Evan
I ran two NYC Marathons where I battled injuries and felt so beat up during the training. I went to Evan with a simple goal of getting through the Chicago marathon “safely” and not feeling so beaten up. Mission accomplished. Evan is very knowledgeable and has a great passion for running. He’s very responsive to my questions and gave me tips, advice and words of encouragement. No training will be perfect and I did have my fair share of aches and pain but it was more manageable this time around. Having a real person guiding you, to know when to push it and when to ease off, made training less daunting. Evan’s coaching these past months has given me the confidence to go right back into training for my next marathon in Tokyo.
–JC, who has since completed Tokyo with Evan and is chasing his 4th World Marathon Major
What others have said:
Evan has been an amazing coach, pushing me to do things that were harder than I thought I could do! But he also made me rethink my overall workout schedule, and kept me better balanced (running some workouts slower than I was used to!). He has been the person who has kept me on the straight and narrow with my running through the pandemic, getting me to get faster, while also staying injury free. The real benefits of having a coach are having someone with expertise who can step back and see the big picture, while also tailoring your training to who you are and what your goals are--Evan excels at doing all of that, while also being great fun to work with! –Saavik.
Evan is an excellent coach; I can't recommend him enough! He's very affordable especially considering the amount of time and effort he invests into customizing plans for clients. He offers clients a large variety of resources in addition to the training plans, and he accommodates his clients every step of the way. If you're trying to reach the next step in your running ability and you're willing to make a small investment, Evan will get you to that next level and get you excited about running! –Tessa.
Evan coached me to my first ever NYC Marathon – that I had to be doing virtual in the end but with a great success. It’s even harder to find a great Coach during Covid as you are running on your own. I got the perfect training plan that kept me motivated till the end. I was just ready to run it in the end. And I did - and it did go very well. Did not even feel that I just did run a Marathon after – no pain, no sore legs– just happy. Mission accomplished. Evan planned everything very detailed, clear instructions and looked at every single run I did and that really pushed me to keep going even on days I was not 100% motivated. I highly recommend Evan as a Coach – he does an amazing job coaching. Still using the training plan to finally run the big race with others this year! –Ulrike.