Who is Your "Typical Client"?
7 athletes who I'm excited to work with in 2026!
As a running coach, a question I get asked frequently is “What kinds of athletes do you work with?”. My answer is usually “All different kinds!”. And that is a very true and honest answer. However, I think when people ask this question they want a more specific or precise understanding of who my typical client is. I can honestly say I don’t really have a “typical” client. Rather, I have a wide variety of clients and I’m excited about all of their unique and different running journeys.
As a way to hopefully give some more clarity, I’m showcasing 7 athletes who I’m really excited to work with in the year 2026 (with names and certain identifying features removed, of course). Oh, and yes, I do LOTS of work with high school athletes as well. But that’s a different category ;)
So, here are the 7, in no particular order:
Billy, age group 45-49. I started working with Billy in July this past year, and the partnership has been a fun and productive one. Billy’s PR in the marathon was 3:09 when we started working together, and this fall he ran 2:54. A 15 min PR and there’s still more to come. We’re working towards a fast half marathon this coming spring, and next fall Billy is planning to tackle a 100 mile race for the first time. This winter we’re working on setting the foundation for a big year of both speed and endurance, and figuring out how to put those puzzle pieces together is something I’m really enjoying.
Susie, age group 45-49. Susie is a lifelong runner, and was competitive in both high school and college cross country and track. In this phase of Susie’s racing career, and because she was so competitive for so many years, many of her PRs are out of reach (biology- it’s real, you know?). However, there’s one PR we think she can still beat: the 10k. So for Susie, 2026 is the year of the 10k, and I am SO looking forward to seeing what we can do together. Who dedicates a year of training and racing to a race as brutal as the 10k?!? Susie does.
Timmy, age group 25-29. Timmy set PRs in the track 5k, the 50k, the 10 mile, and the half marathon in 2025 since we started working together- talk about a stellar year! Most recently he ran 1:14:06 for the half and we’ve just barely scratched the surface of what we think he can do. It’s rest and recovery time now, and then what’s on the docket next? Probably Boston 2026- but maybe with a little ski race called the Birkie mixed in in-between. Timmy’s breadth of capability and talent is wild. I’m excited to see what all we can accomplish in the next year.
Lauren, age 55-60. I met Lauren this year and I wish I’d met her sooner- she’s a fierce for good in all things running and empowering women. In this phase of her life as an athlete, she’s challenging herself to learn and try new things that take her out of her comfort zone- all for the purpose of staying fit and healthy and ready to take on fun adventures. This past year she raced everything from a 1 mile race on the track to the 31k race at the Javalina Jundred. Lauren is committing to things like strides and intervals and strength training, and she already has fun challenges lined up for 2026.
Nora, age group 25-29. I already know Nora is a badass, and I’m just getting started working with her. Additionally, we’ve never met in person, but her energy is contagious. Nora ran 2:55 in the marathon this past fall, and get this- she didn’t run high school or college XC or track. To me this means her ceiling is likely REAL high, and we’re going to work together to find out what it is. The ultimate goal is another fast marathon in the fall of 2026, but we’re going to start with a speed block this coming spring because Nora has never really done any focused 5k or 10k work. With the addition of some speed and a year of aerobic work, I think we’re looking at sub-2:50 as a possibility next year.
Derek, age group 50-55. Derek is not afraid of hard work- he’s a beast. Often logging weeks of 70+ miles with a full-time job and full life. And there’s a **chance** that at times maybe the work ethic got him in trouble. Derek ended up with a couple injuries that sidelined him in 2025. We started working together late this fall, and now the plan is a consistent, healthy build and a long runway towards a fast marathon in 2026. With a shift in focus towards high-quality work and high-quality recovery, the vibes are high headed into the next year.
Natalie, age group 45-50. Natalie is so cool, and also started her own business this year and is *killing it*. She doesn’t identify as a runner (even though I consider her runner- she’s done a triathlon for goodness sake!), but she did something super cool and set a big, scary goal of finishing a marathon in the fall of 2026 even though she hasn’t run in years. I love working with athletes who set big, scary goals- it’s incredibly inspiring. We’re starting with strength training right now, with an eye towards starting to run after the first of the year, and then eventually putting the necessary pieces together to tackle 26.2. We can all do hard things- and Natalie definitely can. I can’t wait for the year ahead.
So there you have it- 7 athletes I’m excited to work with this year, and there are so many others who I could write about.
If you wanted to know who my “typical” client is, now you know that I truly don’t really have one. That’s one thing I love about my job: every athlete is unique and inspires me and challenges me in different ways as a coach. Everyone’s path to race day or to their next goal looks different- and that’s what keeps everyday interesting and fun and new. Or, if you wanted to know if any of my athletes sound like you, or someone who know- they probably do! When I answered your question with “All different kinds of athletes!”, I wasn’t kidding.
That’s what I’m excited about in 2026, and I hope you have things you’re excited about as well. Happy Running to you over the holiday season!
Maggie