Tom Black

As far as I can remember, sports have always played a defining role in my life. Whether it was skateboarding in my backyard in New Jersey, playing varsity soccer in high school, or Division I lacrosse in college, being active and competing in some capacity has always been a grounding force. When I discovered running shortly after college, the process felt natural to me. I was living in San Francisco at the time, surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscapes. Exploring new routes around the city allowed me to uncover a deeper sense of purpose, freedom and pride. When I moved back to New York City, I carried the love of the sport. I found myself immersed into the running community: inspired by those that have been running long before me and by my peers, who were also starting out on this journey. Over the last seven years, my commitment to the sport and passion for health and wellness has expanded and evolved. I’ve gone from running a 3:15 marathon to a 2:29, training 20 miles per week to 100+, I've raced over 10 marathons, 5 half marathons and invested countless hours in strength training, cross-training, nutrition and recovery. After a career pivot and the launch of my coaching platform, running became more than just a physical and creative outlet to me. I’ve since had the privilege of working with brands that I’ve long admired, as well as new ones pushing culture and carving out their own voice in the industry. Though I still feel like I’m in the early stages of my running journey, I’m deeply motivated to keep pursuing bigger dreams, both on and off the road. ‍ Coaching Philosophy // ‍In 2021, as my running progressed and my roots deepened within the community, I started to coach athletes who were looking to take their running to the next level. A coach can play many roles in an athlete’s life. To me, running has been more than chasing arbitrary times - it’s been a journey of personal growth, building resilience and gaining perspective along the way. A good coach helps you achieve your running goals but a great coach helps you build the mindset to believe in yourself, to enjoy the process and navigate all challenges and victories gracefully. After years of coaching athletes around the world, my motivation is the same: to see an individual’s transformation in real time - athletes that embrace the training, challenge themselves, and apply these lessons that running teaches us into their everyday lives.