I was a competitive figure skater. I started running in my 20s and have belonged to a few different teams, most notably Team Athena. I raised 4 kids and they all ran with the Junior Olympic program; one went on to run in college.

"After college, I competed in a few marathons before needing a break from running. I snowboarded, raced mountain bikes, and ran triathlons before finding my way back to the simplicity of running. Now, I enjoy coaching and watching young athletes discover their love of the sport."

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle

"I was a 400m/800m runner in high school and college (Occidental College in L.A.) way back in the '70's. It was my 8-yr. old granddaughter three years ago who asked me, "Didn't you used to run, Grandpa? Would you run with me?" That invitation got me connected with Nike and the BTCYouth, and I've been running with those 8-yr. olds ever since . . . and loving every minute of it. "

Mike is a librarian, father, and husband who lives in Portland. Besides running, his interests include history, hiking, and English football (soccer). In the last few years, he has been fortunate to compete at a variety of distances and surfaces, including indoor and outdoor miles, marathons, trail runs, and cross country.

"I'm a native of Portland who first started running in February 1983 and I have not stopped since. I ran at Lincoln High School and then continued running on my own while attending the University of Oregon. I began coaching at Gonzaga University from 1991-94, and continued coaching when I returned to Portland as the running coach at the Multnomah Athletic Club. I am currently training to run a sub-3 hour marathon in my 5th decade, a feat accomplished by only 41 other runners."

"I never ran until now, but enjoy running with the kids at practices. And lo and behold, I have found myself running competitively as a masters runner (100m/200m/400m), my best event being the 400m. I am actually in the top ten nationally for my age group (65) in the 400m. Who'd a thunk it! "

“Running, one might say, is basically an absurd past-time upon which to be exhausting ourselves. But if you can find meaning in the kind of running you have to do to stay on this team, chances are you will be able to find meaning another absurd past-time: life.” -Kiefer Sutherland’s Dad

"I first began coaching the youth program in 2012 while running as a professional athlete. Since then, my passion for coaching and the Bowerman Track Club has flourished. Now retired from my own running, I funnel my passion for running into coaching others as a BTC Youth coach, BTC Elite coach and director of the BTC Summer Running Camp."

"As a post collegiate runner that yearns to be in middle school again, I feel that giving back to the youth and developing them into well rounded people & athletes is part of my mission in the running community. I grew up at 9,600’ in the mountains of Colorado and cannot decide whether I love running on the trails or the track more."

A native of Wisconsin, Pete became a “purveyor of all things running” in 2012 after relocating to the Pacific Northwest. Pete has since run 12 marathons (including his first win in 2019)! If he wasn’t working in Finance at Nike, he’d aspire to be an EDM DJ! An avid Wisconsin Badger and Green Bay Packer fan, Pete also is the Distance Coach for the Our Lady of the Lake CYO Track and Field team.

"When I moved to Portland in 2015, I never knew I would have this experience to work with youth runners. It has been one of the best and most surprising things that I've ever been able to be part of. To see their path from introduction to improvement to accomplishment in the sport is really special. Their camaraderie with one another throughout their years within the BTC program and beyond is continually inspiring. I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to be part of and hopefully impact their lives positively through running."