Athlete Success Stories

Sam N. — First BQ, Sub-3:00 Marathon, 30-Minute PR, and 6-Star World Marathon Major Finisher

Result: 30-minute marathon PR and a 2:41-qualifying finish

“Running a marathon is one thing. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is another thing. Running a marathon in under 3-hours and officially qualifying for the Boston Marathon is a whole new ball game!!!! Came to Chicago with two goals: Qualify for The Boston Marathon and Run sub-3hr marathon. Special thanks to friends who came with me and those who followed me from far. Most of all, special thanks to Coach Chris Knighton. Having missed the second cut for Boston Marathon, I reached out to Coach Chris. I told him I need a sub 3hr marathon. All he said was, ‘I need you to trust me’ and the rest was history. Marathon PR by 30 minutes! Thank you, sir! Boston, see you next year.”

Coach’s Highlight: Helping Sam earn his first Boston qualifier, break three hours, and lower his marathon best by 30 minutes. Since then, Sam has gone on to run the fastest time in Knighton Lions team history, and earn his 6-star World Marathon Major medal.

Natalia C. — Marathon PR and Boston Qualifier

Result: 3:28:49 marathon, personal best, and Boston-qualifying time

“Coach Chris’s marathon training plan is thorough and personalized. He monitored my runs, provided consistent feedback, and taught me to run my easy runs easy, listen to my body, trust the process, and feel confident in my training. I arrived at the starting line strong, rested, and ready to race. I finished in 3:28:49—a big PR and BQ!”

Coach’s Highlight: Helping Natalia break 3:30, set a marathon PR, and qualify for Boston while completing her healthiest and most confident marathon training cycle.

Jacqueline B. — First Marathon and First Boston Qualifier

Result: Boston qualifier in her first marathon, with PRs from the 5K through the marathon

“Before working with Chris, I was running without a real plan and beginning to experience injuries. He taught me to run smarter and stronger, listen to my body, and safely increase my mileage. I set new PRs from the 5K through the marathon and qualified for Boston in my first marathon!”

Coach’s Highlight: Helping Jackie return from a hamstring injury, complete her first speed workouts, set PRs across multiple distances, and qualify for Boston in her first marathon.

John C. — 27-Minute Marathon PR and First Sub-4:00

Result: Improved from 4:01 to 3:34 in the marathon and set a half-marathon PR

“In just a few months, Chris helped me set a half-marathon PR and lower my marathon time from 4:01 to 3:34. It was easy to communicate with him about my goals and training strategies. I’m glad we teamed up, and I’m excited to continue taking my running to the next level.”

Coach’s Highlight: Helping John break four hours for the first time, lower his marathon best by 27 minutes, and set a new half-marathon PR.

Heather K. — 12-Minute Chicago Marathon PR

Result: 12-minute marathon PR and improved performances across multiple distances

“I had followed online training plans for years without seeing meaningful improvement. Within a few months of working with Chris, I began setting PRs again and hitting paces I never thought were possible. He works around my schedule, teaches me about the sport, responds quickly to questions, and provides consistent feedback.”

Coach’s Highlight: Helping Heather set a 12-minute PR at the Chicago Marathon and improve across multiple distances while fitting training around her busy schedule.

James H. — Marathon PR in His 15th Marathon

Result: Marathon PR and renewed confidence that a Boston qualifier was attainable

“I had coached myself for six years, but my progress had been minimal. In my 15th marathon, I not only set a PR—it was the first time I felt like I raced the marathon instead of simply surviving it. For the first time, I truly believed that qualifying for Boston was a realistic goal.”

Coach’s Highlight: Helping James set a personal best in his 15th marathon, race the distance with confidence, and take a major step toward his Boston-qualifying goal.

Victor M. — 70-Minute Marathon Improvement

Result: Improved his marathon time by 70 minutes and broke four hours for the first time

“After the Newport Marathon, I knew I needed to make a change and find the right mentor. With Chris’s guidance, I improved my marathon time by 70 minutes and broke four hours for the first time. Chris is knowledgeable, caring, and always puts his athletes and their goals first.”

Coach’s Highlight: Helping Victor improve his marathon time by 70 minutes and break four hours for the first time at the Philadelphia Marathon.

“Have you ever been overwhelmed by the number of ways to improve yourself?

For the past several years, I’ve tried all kinds of programs to get me back into running. Hiring a coach a few months ago was the best decision I’ve made.“

– Bob M, Provincetown, Massachusetts + Barcelona, Spain

Read Bob’s Full Article: Four Ways A Running Coach Has Improved My Outlook

“My goal has always been to BQ. Even before I got into running, I always wanted to run the Boston Marathon. Having grown up in Boston, and been a spectator for many races, I’ve always envisioned myself running that race. I’ve been a very casual runner for years, just for exercise really. But as I started to run more races and get more competitive, I knew I would need a coach to take me to the next level. It wasn’t until I hired Coach Chris that I started to understand how to train to be a smart runner. Coach Chris has taught me so much in our short time together. I hit a PR in every distance along the way.

Hiring the right coach isn’t easy. You need to make sure your mindsets are aligned. I’m a hyper-driven, goal-oriented business owner. Coach Chris is the same way.

Chris has been great to work with. He’s available when needed and is a great listener. He’s never shy to jump on Zoom to discuss this upcoming week’s training plan. Chris even paced me to my half marathon PR this year. If you’re a first-time runner looking to complete a 5k or an experienced runner looking to hit your next PR, I’d highly recommend Coach Chris. You won’t be disappointed.”

– Mike P, Watertown, Massachusetts

Coach’s Highlight: Helping to pace Mike to a big PR at The Black Goose Half Marathon. He then went on to smash his marathon personal best by 21-minutes a couple of months later!

“As a brand-new runner, I knew I needed a coach who would help me meet my goals but would help me progress safely.  Chris has helped me progress from a half walk/half runner to an actual runner.  His training plans are both achievable and challenging. He always incorporates my feedback into training plans and works with me and my physical limitations.  As I have a few artificial joints, there are sometimes I can’t run: he has helped me to develop cross-training plans for those days.  His comments and notes on my training are always thoughtful and hit the right buttons for me.  Since working with Chris, I have had huge PR drops in the 5K and 10K as well as consistent improvement and increased enjoyment in running.  I highly recommend his coaching!”

– Lella B, Marlborough, Massachusetts

Coach’s Highlight: Consistent Improvement as we work towards Lella’s first Marathon!

“I came to Coach Chris looking for a coach whose training philosophy matched my own. I found Coach Chris’s philosophy unique in that he was a strong advocate of not just trusting the process, but enjoying it along the way. All I can say is, I was NOT ready for the incredible experience and progress that would follow. Chris worked with me to build a plan that would allow me to safely rebuild my fitness after a bad collarbone fracture. The training that followed my injury led to some of the best running of my life, with PR’s in the 800m, 1-mile, and 5k. Throughout the entire process, Chris was never more than a phone call or text away to support me in any way I needed, from modifying my plans to just words of encouragement for the tough workouts. My second training block with Coach Chris was difficult, as life just got in the way of training at times. Through the tough days of training, Chris was always there to support, and build a training plan that was manageable and safe for me. During this block, I would go on to run huge PR’s in both the 10k and half marathon. It goes without saying, without Coach Chris I wouldn’t be anywhere near the runner I am today. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!”

– John G, Boston, Massachusetts

Coach’s Highlight: Focusing John’s talent and enthusiasm towards the right training for him, which is letting him set new PR’s in every distance he tries.

“I hired Coach Chris because as a running coach myself, I understand the importance of having someone else put in the effort of creating a training plan as opposed to me over analyzing every run I did. I worked my way up in mileage with few hiccups and really embraced his philosophy of keeping easy runs easy. I was all in for Boston and when that didn’t happen due to COVID-19, I went out and did a ten-mile time trial in 58:04!! It was easily one of the best times of my entire running career and made me realize I’m capable of some times that I didn’t think were possible!”

– Matt G, Boston, Massachusetts

Coach’s Highlight: Helping Matt break 60-minutes in the 10-Mile while training for the Boston Marathon!

“I started working with Chris on my way back from an injury. He put my health first and designed a plan that helped me build strength and speed at a safe rate while also challenging me. I exceeded my expectations in my first race back and I’m excited to continue to work with Chris as I aim to break some long-standing PRs. Chris is thorough, compassionate, encouraging, and realistic and I can’t recommend him enough!”

– Kat O, Malden, Massachusetts

Coach’s Highlight: Helping Kat on her path from injury to her highest weekly mileage ever!

“I’ve been working with Chris since just September and already have PR’d in the 10K and Half Marathon! I came onboard with Knighton Runs with lofty goals and little time to prep. He worked with me to create a personalized plan with short training blocks. The workouts were hard but Chris gave exceptional guidance on how to run them. Chris has been a joy to work with. He gives great tips and always explains why a workout should be done at the given pace, the benefits of being at that pace, and the detriments of exceeding it. Chris has been extremely accommodating with my schedule and provides suggestions if I need to change my workout schedule last minute.”

– Jason Y, Brookline, Massachusetts

Coach’s Highlight: Setting 10K, 10-Mile, and Half Marathon PRs while running his highest mileage ever!

“It’s so helpful to have direction and accountability for my training, especially in the time of COVID-19. It’s clear that Coach Chris has comprehensive knowledge of aerobic training. He explains the importance of each step of the workouts he gives very well. His fun team programming makes me feel a part of a bigger community. If you’re ready to take your running to the next level, the Knighton Lions are your pack!”

– Meg J, Boulder, Colorado

Coach’s Highlight: Consistently running her highest weekly mileage and longest runs ever!

“Being a new-ish runner, I had doubts about my ability, but Chris put all those doubts at ease. Every week he created a tailored plan to my ability that not only gave me some comfort but also pushed me to hit and exceed my goals. I went from only running about 10-12 miles a week to running over 20 a week, each week improving my overall fitness level. He was always prompt in response to my questions and did a great job of telling me the “why” behind my workout plan for the week. I can’t recommend him enough.”

– Brendan O, Malden, Massachusetts

Coach’s Highlight: Huge 5K and 10K PR’s after several months of dedicated and consistent training!