Coaches

Our coaching philosophy revolves around the individual. We believe individuals at every level can see results if they have a focused program the keeps them motivated. Our coaches have worked with beginners and elite athletes. We are committed to helping runners of all abilities make measurable progress.  Whether you choose an Individualized Training Program or join one of our groups (Running 101, Running 201, etc.), you'll receive personal attention and feedback from your coach.  Our coaches have worked with countless runners and triathletes at all levels.  Check out the Testimonials for some comments!

Sam Burley

A 2003 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Sam was known as a middle distance specialist.  He was a five time All-American, won numerous Heptagonal titles and completed his career by capturing the 2003 NCAA D1 Championship in the 800M run.  Sam went on to spend six seasons as a professional athlete representing ASICS.  He was a member of the 2003 World Championship team in Paris, and an Olympic Trials Finalist in 2004.  He was a member of the US 4x800 team that set(and still holds)the U.S. record in Brussels in 2006.  He has personal bests of 1:45.39 in the 800 and 3:40 in the 1500.
 
Sam retired from competitive racing in 2008 and is currently attending Georgetown Law School and works with runners part-time.  He maintains a strong interest in speed training, running mechanics and his specialty, middle distance training.

 Brian Cunningham

After a collegiate career at the College of William & Mary (where he posted PRs of 1:50 for 800, 4:06 for the mile, and 14:50 for 5K) and some post-collegiate racing representing Fila, Brian moved into the NCAA Division I coaching world at William & Mary and the University of Texas-Pan American. During his collegiate coaching career Brian guided three All-Americans and developed an extensive working knowledge of physiology and biomechanics. Brian is also a former assistant coach at Lake Braddock Secondary School.

Brian currently works with both adults and high school runners.  He leads the Reston-based Running 201 program, in which he maintains a healthy focus on running mechanics and economy, and will direct the High School Summer Training Program, applying his prep and college coaching experience.

Chip Hulbert

A former Army medic, Chip has been coaching adults for over five years.  After completing many marathons and triathlons himself, Chip became a volunteer coach for Team in Training.  He continues to work with that organization each year.  Chip has coached over 750 marathoners, about 75% of them first timers.  He's also had several Boston Qualifiers.  A hands on coach, Chip leads the PR Training Reston-based Marathon/Distance Training Program, and last year finished MCM about 10 times with various program participants....

In addition to marathon coaching, Chip is well-known for his success as a coach for beginning runners.  A USATF-certified Level I coach, Chip has developed an excellent program to introduce new runners to the sport (or help reintroduce those who have been away for a while.)  As a Running 101 coach for the Reston and Ashburn locations of that program, Chip is so popular that many runners choose to repeat his classes multiple times.

Ray Pugsley

Ray Pugsley has informally advised adult runners since 1992. Ray grew up in the New Jersey area and competed in track and cross country at Dartmouth College. He was the US Junior National Cross Country Champion in 1988, and competed in the Olympic Trials in 1992 and 1996, finishing sixth in the finals of the Men's 5000M in 1996.  Despite major spinal surgery in 2003, Ray is back on the roads and is quickly making a name for himself in the Master's world. 

Together with wife, Cathy Pugsley, and Margie Shapiro, Ray co-founded the PR Running Club in 2001, and has been a primary on-site coach on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in Arlington since then.  Ray's background in science has contributed to his coaching approach.  He can often be found explaining with useful analogies how running technique can be improved, what modifications can be useful in attacking hills, etc.  Because of his own injury history, Ray has also developed a detailed knowledge of common running-related injuries and the first line of defense in dealing with them (that is, what to do before you head to to doctor....) 

Cathy Pugsley

Cathy Pugsley has coached over 800 adult athletes with goals ranging from running their first 5K to qualifying for the Boston Marathon, to qualifying for the Olympic Trials. Cathy developed her coaching approach while competing and later volunteering at the College of William and Mary. She has also volunteered at the high school level. Post-collegiately, Cathy trained with the Reebok Enclave from 1994-1998, competing on the track and roads.  During this competitive stage in her running career, she had the opportunity to work with many great coaches and undergo metabolic testing, which began her interest in coaching adults.

Together with Ray Pugsley and Margie Shapiro, Cathy began formally working with adult runners in 2001 through the PR Running Club.  In 2003 she also helped found the Ashburn Area Running Club, an RRCA local club.  Cathy continues to volunteer her time to that organization, focusing on marathon training programs and interval sessions.  After the birth of her first daugher in 2004, Cathy returned to training and revisited metabolic testing and heart-rate based training.  She is a major advocate of zone-based training and designs training plans for her clients with an eye toward working multiple energy and muscular systems but ultimately focusing on specific needs for their particular goal events.  By training with realistic volume and a disciplined approach, at appropriate effort levels, Cathy believes (and validated in her own training) that athletes can maximize their performance. 

Scott Raczko

Scott Raczko has been a fixture in the area coaching scene since the mid 1990s.  Perhaps most well-known for his work with elite athletes, including Alan Webb, Samia Akbar, and other Olympic and World-Championship qualifying runners, Scott has also coached area high school runners for many years, and works with adults of all levels.  He currently is coaching the group-based Winter Marathon/Distance Training Program at the Falls Church location, continues to work with aspiring elite runners, and is available for Individualized consults and coaching. 

Margie Shapiro

Margie Shapiro has been coaching runners since she graduated from Georgetown University (where she ran cross-country and track) in 1998. As assistant and eventually head coach of cross country and track and field at Langley High School (1998 - 2003), she spent time developing middle-distance and distance runners at the high school level. Through her experience coaching new runners of all kinds and all levels of talent, Margie developed a new appreciation for the value of progress measured not just through performance and team success, but especially relative to each athlete's individual goals and expectations. Along the way, she shared in the success of several all-state athletes who went on to college running, but some of her greatest memories were of student-athletes achieving personal bests after weeks, months, or years of discipline and hard work. Margie used that experience (coupled with her own personal experience as a distance runner in high school and college) to join Cathy and Ray Pugsley in coaching adults in 2001 with what is now the Arlington-based PR Running Club (offering In-Person Individualized Training Programs.)

For the past several years, Margie's profound interest in exercise physiology, human anatomy, sports psychology, and nutrition have inspired her to learn and understand the subtle ways by which athletes can improve peformance. She uses that knowledge in her own training (as a professional triathlete), coaching, and conducting seminars and clinics through =PR= Running stores, most particularly to help bring out each athlete's best. Working with scores of runners and triathletes, her coaching resume includes numerous Boston Marathon qualifiers, national and world championship qualifiers in triathlon, age group winners, and highly ranked runners, but her greatest joy comes in helping each person achieve his or her new personal record.