Team: President and Coach of Henwoods Hounds Racing Team

John is currently a Running Coach/strength trainer in NYC. On the elite side of things, his coaching has included elite runner and World Junior Champion, Mary Cain, as well as Jane Vongvorachoti to represent Thailand in the 2016 Olympic Games in the Marathon event.

But most of the time, John is coaching either the beginner runner to finish his/her first race or the intermediate or sub elite runner, to run a best time or run a qualifying time for a particular race .

John believes that anyone who wants to prepare for a race without injury, needs a structured plan and does not believe in following a book for a training program. ” The book doesn’t answer back when you have an injury coming on, feel sick, or are stuck at work.” “What do you do if you miss three days training”? – “Where do you start?” ” What if the program is making you sore and is not working for you – who will change things around?” There are so many reasons why you should not follow a book for a training plan. Someone needs to be there to help you though it and learn what you can handle as a runner, while you balance all the other activities in your life.

Work History

  • 1994-2002: Worked for Sportswide Ltd. (Sportswide operates 5-6 fitness centers in the Wellington region.)
  • 1994: Worked in Sportswide Quality Inn Fitness Centre as a fitness consultant.
  • 1995: Manager of the AMP Fitness Centre for Sportswide in New Zealand.
  • 1997: Manager of The BNZ Fitness Centre for Sportswide in New Zealand.
  • 1999-2002: Personal Trainer/Running Coach at the Sportswide-owned Majestic Club, one of the most expensive and exclusive fitness centers in New Zealand.
  • 2002: Worked on a cruise ship (Sea Princess and Star Princess) for a nine-month contract as a Fitness Instructor. We cruised The Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, and Alaska. I taught Spinning which I loved 5 days per week. This kept me fit for my forthcoming Olympic preparation. I also taught Pilates (mat) and provided personal training services to clients. I gave seminars on the Zone Diet, Fitness for the Elderly, and Detox for weight loss.
  • 2003: Worked in Washington DC as a Personal Trainer/Coach at a Personal Training Studio for 3 months before training full-time for the Athens Olympics.
  • 2005: Running for NYAC New York Athletic Club
  • 2008: Assistant Track Coach at Trevor Day Private School in New York.
  • 2010- Present : Runner for Henwoods Hounds Racing Team
  • 2016 – 2018 : Mile High Run Club indoor class Coach .
  • 2005-Present : Running Coach and Strength training coach
  • 2016 – Present : Mile High Run Club Outdoor Coach.

Major Sporting Achievements

New Zealand Representations

  • 1994-1998: (5x) Chiba International Relay in Japan
  • 1994: Oceania Games in NZ 1,500m (Won gold medal)
  • 1995: Hong Kong street mile (1st place)
  • 1996: Malaysian Half marathon (7th place)
  • 1999-2000: 10km road race in Boulder, Colorado (13th place)
  • 2001: World Athletic Championships, Edmonton, Canada (25th in the 10,000m)
  • 2002: Commonwealth Games, Manchester, England (10th in the 10,000m)
  • 2004: Stanford, California. Ran 27mins 45secs to qualify for 10,000m race in the Athens Olympics. This is the 3rd fastest time ever by a kiwi.
  • 2004: OLYMPIC GAMES IN ATHENS, 10,000M FINALS
  • 2005: New York City Marathon 13th place 2.15.05.
  • 2008: New York City Marathon 21st Place 2.21.55
  • 8 times New York Road Runner of the year in age group.
  • Also have been selected for many world cross country championships but did not compete in these events as they were not my focus.

NZ Championship Titles

  • 1994: NZ Half Marathon Champion
  • 1997: NZ 3000m Track Champion
  • 1998: NZ Road Running Champion
  • 2001: NZ 10,000m track Champion (Ran the 4th fastest time in NZ history and the fastest time in NZ for the past 30 years.)
  • 2002: NZ 10,000m Track Champion again
  • 2004: NZ 5,000m Track Champion