Mike is a running-focused endurance athlete of 18 years, competing in cross-country, track, road, and trail running events. In 2017, he began a career coaching the XC/T&F teams at Tennessee Wesleyan University. He has been leading the program there since 2021 and has a USATF Level 1 certification. His experience with coaching and involvement in the trail running community has opened the door for Mike to help his friends train for various events over the years, which has naturally progressed into a training group he calls the “Woodland Creatures.”
Mike’s philosophy is rooted in the innate human desire to move efficiently through time and space and to feel a part of the natural world. He is excited to help anyone dive into their love for running and find satisfaction in their strength when facing any terrain or distance. “Creature: A living organism characterized by voluntary movement.”
Charlie is a Chattanooga native who grew up on Signal Mountain. He has been running trail and ultra-marathon races since 2014. He's run Stump Jump 8 times and has competed in everything from 25k sky races in Scotland to multiple 100k and 100-mile races across the country. Charlie believes in having fun while training hard. "This sport is crazy; playing in the woods should be fun. I'm all about training hard to get the best results, but you should be able to laugh and smile along the way."
Charlie is a UESCA-certified ultra-running coach. A constant student of the sport, he is coached and mentored by a professional ultra runner who has competed and coached in multiple top-level endurance sports. Whether it's your first trail race or you want to set a PR, Charlie would love to help you get to your next finish line.
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