PhilipeD. Preston

Philipe Preston started running in high school on the cross country and track teams and loved the feeling of training with a group. He left running for quite a while and picked it back up later in life as part of his recovery from an injury and because a colleague dared him to run a marathon. While training for that marathon Philipe fell back in love with distance running and has been running and motivating others to run ever since. He also coaches middle school athletes in track and cross country and creates training plans for friends whenever they need it.
How would you describe your coaching style?
My coaching style is super positive, pushing hard, and with a smile. I like to push athletes just a bit more than they think they can do, while bringing kind, positive energy. I also like to focus on hearing ourselves run which can give us so much information about how we are running and where to make adjustments.

What is your proudest coaching moment?
My proudest moment coaching is after an athlete just pushed themselves a little bit further than they thought they could or held on to an effort a little bit longer than they believed they could. I love that invigorating moment when they have just pushed through.

What is your favorite workout to coach and why?
My favorite workout to coach is the longer tempo sessions. I enjoy coaching runners to stay at an uncomfortable effort and to hang on to that effort for a longer period of time, and then sometimes even increase that effort one more notch. It's a hard workout to do solo and runners gain huge amount of confidence after nailing it.

Please list any awards, achievements, or certifications below.
RRCA Certification

What is your favorite place to run in New York City?
Randall's Island is one of my favorites. It can be quiet and peaceful there. It's surrounded by water, and it has views of 3 boroughs.

What is your favorite NYRR race?
Percy Sutton Harlem 5K! It's a tough race to run but once you finish it, you get that "I just crushed a 5K" feeling.