About Run For Performance
Run For Performance provides 1:1 and small-group coaching for runners and multi-sport athletes from age 10 through college, and personalized run coaching for adults at every level. Based in Lewis Center, Ohio, with online coaching anywhere.
Our Story
Run For Performance began with something Coach Steve kept seeing. On team after team, the fastest few athletes got the coach's attention while everyone else got a workout and little else. And when the season ended, most schools offered little in the way of off-season training, and what they did offer usually came with almost no guidance.
Those are the two gaps he founded Run For Performance to fill in Central Ohio in 2011: 1:1 coaching for athletes who need real individual attention, and small-group programs that give the off-season actual structure. Coaching built around the athlete rather than the depth chart.
Through those same years he served as Club Director and Head Coach of the Run Fit Running Club, working with adult road runners across the region. That is why adult coaching has been part of what we do since the beginning rather than something added on later.
Since then we have coached hundreds of athletes in person and hundreds more online, across the United States and abroad. In practice that has meant middle schoolers in their first season, high school athletes chasing district, regional, and state qualification, collegiate recruits who went on to Akron, Creighton, and Cincinnati, multi-sport athletes building speed for wrestling and football, and adult runners racing everything from a first 5K to 50K ultras.
- 2011
- Coaching Central Ohio since
- Age 10–Adult
- Athletes coached at every level
- Hundreds
- Athletes coached in person and online
- 5K–50K
- Adult race distances coached
Run For Performance is a proud USA Track & Field member club and a member of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
How We Coach
Every Plan Is Built for One Athlete
Every athlete is different, whether you are a complete beginner or a seasoned competitor. We build every plan around your goals, your experience, and where you are in your season. No cookie-cutter workouts.
Plans are periodized and evidence-based, refined over more than a decade of coaching. We train on a real track and measure progress with electronic timing so improvement is proven, not guessed at. Training without focus and planning is just exercise. We make every session count.
Small Group Training
Group sizes are intentionally managed so there are enough athletes to create energy and real camaraderie while every athlete still gets individual coaching and feedback, so every athlete, from beginners to advanced, receives individualized attention. We get to know each athlete and adjust workouts during sessions as needed.
1:1 Training
For 1:1 training, everything is 100% customized to your goals and ability level. We make adjustments based on real data and your feedback, not a generic spreadsheet. This is ideal for athletes who want focused, accelerated development.
We Build Athletes Up, Not Tear Them Down
Our coaches are non-judgmental, supportive, and motivating. Every athlete has down days. Not every workout will be perfect. We are here to encourage growth at every level. No experience required.
We do run practices, and every session is a real coached workout. What we don't do is hand out drills at random. Each session is planned around where an athlete is in their season and what they are working toward, then adjusted as they progress. The goal is always the whole athlete, physically and mentally, developed for the long haul.
Measuring Progress with Timing Gates
When it will help a sprint athlete, we use Brower Timing Systems electronic timing gates. A stopwatch depends on human reaction time, which can swing a quarter-second on every rep, and GPS wearables are built for distance and average pace rather than short sprints. Infrared gates remove that guesswork down to the hundredth of a second — so when we tell an athlete their acceleration improved, we can show it.
Sound like the right fit?
Tell us what you are training for and we will point you to the right program.
Meet the Coaches
Steve Carmichael
Coach Steve founded Run For Performance in 2011, and works with athletes of all levels and abilities. He has coached hundreds of athletes in person and hundreds more online. He coaches Track (mid/long distance and sprints) and Cross Country as well as athletes across all sports when it comes to building speed and endurance. He works with athletes on form/technique improvement, power/acceleration, durability and strength work, nutrition, race strategy, and return-to-running training programs built around the plans of an athlete's physical therapist.
Our coaches provide performance coaching, not medical care. Read our coaching scope and medical disclaimer.
Coaching Career & Credentials
- Founder of Run For Performance (2011 – present)
- Club Director / Head Coach – Run Fit Running Club (2011-2017, 2019-2020)
- NASM-CPT Certified Personal Trainer, USA Track and Field L1 certified coach, RRCA certified coach, Precision Nutrition certified nutrition coach (PN-1), USATF SafeSport certified, CPR/AED/First Aid certified and several others.
Career Highlights as a Coach
- Has coached and currently coaches dozens of district, regional, state, and national All-American athletes in Track and Cross Country.
- Coached multi-sport state champions, including youth and middle school wrestlers (boys and girls) and football players, for agility, speed, and endurance.
- Coached collegiate-recruited athletes (University of Akron, Creighton University, University of Cincinnati).
- Coached hundreds of adult runners at distances up to 50K.
Now hiring
Coach with us
We are looking for an SAQ coach, an adult run coach, and a paid sports performance marketing intern who is a former athlete. Lewis Center based — independent contractor roles with hours you help set.
Certifications & Qualifications
Coaching to us is more than a “weekend certification.” Our coaches are certified through leading agencies and organizations:
Each coach stays current through advanced training, clinics, and continuing education. All coaches are First Aid/CPR/AED certified with nationwide criminal background checks and SafeSport certification.
Press and Media
We have been featured or quoted in several media outlets, including:
Running with confidence and getting started on the right foot
Coach Steve was featured on Good Day Columbus, which airs on Fox 28 Columbus, to discuss safe ways for new runners to get started during the Covid pandemic.
You Can Run a 5k (Yes, you!)
Nov/Dec 2019 – Coach Steve was featured in a WebMD magazine article called, You Can Run a 5k (Yes, you!), sharing running tips for completing your first 5k.
Why You Need Interval Running in Your Fitness Routine
July 26, 2021 – Coach Steve was interviewed for a Beachbody article on interval training for runners.
Should You Join A Running Group?
In August 2021, Coach Steve was interviewed by Active.com about running with running clubs and groups.
Talk to a Coach
Find out if we are right for you. There is never any obligation or pressure to join us.
Contact Us