Meet Running Coach:

john henwood

Running Coach John Henwood

background

John Henwood is an Olympic athlete and running coach based in New York City. He has guided notable athletes like Mary Cain, the former World junior champion, and Jane Vongvorachoti, who represented Thailand in the Olympics.

While John has worked with high-caliber athletes, he primarily focuses on coaching beginners to sub-elite runners, aiming to help them achieve their best times, excel in their first races, or qualify for specific events.

Coaching Philosophy for Running: Build physical and mental resilience through a strong aerobic base and overall strength. By optimizing your time, energy, and mindset, we create the best conditions for success.

At Henwood’s Hounds Racing Team, whether you’re an Elite runner or a recreational enthusiast looking to enhance performance, our personalized training programs are rooted in the same principles and philosophy:

coaching Philosophy breakdown

primary goal

The primary goal is to boost your aerobic system and build strength as a foundational step toward becoming a faster runner. This involves focusing on improving your body’s capacity to absorb and deliver oxygen to your lungs and muscles.

smart training techniques

We empower runners with smart training techniques and provide the necessary tools for both physical and mental preparation, essential for achieving peak performance. Coach John’s key approach is to optimize your time and energy to give you the best chance of success.

holistic approach

You’ll receive a custom training plan encompassing running and strength exercises, tailored to your individual physical abilities and training availability, ensuring you achieve your best outcomes. As you progress, increasing knowledge and fitness levels, you’ll experience greater gains with less pain.

Running Coach John’s

Major Sporting Achievements:

Three male runners include running Coach John Henwood competing in a race on a track, wearing athletic uniforms with bib numbers. Running Coach John Henwood is wearing a black uniform that say's "New Zealand".

    • 8-Time New York Road Runner of the Year (Age Group Winner)

    • 2008 – New York City Marathon — 21st Place (2:21:55)

    • 2005 – New York City Marathon — 13th Place (2:15:05)

    • 2004 – Olympic Games, Athens — 10,000m Finals

    • 2004 – Stanford, California — Ran 27:45 to qualify for 10,000m race at the Athens Olympics

    • 2002 – Commonwealth Games, Manchester, England — 10th Place, 10,000m

    • 2001 – World Athletics Championships, Edmonton, Canada — 25th Place, 10,000m

    • 1999–2000 – 10km Road Race, Boulder, Colorado — 13th Place

    • 1996 – Malaysian Half Marathon — 7th Place

    • 1995 – Hong Kong Street Mile — 1st Place

    • 1994 – Oceania Games, New Zealand — Gold Medal, 1,500m

    • 1994–1998 – Chiba International Relay, Japan — Competed 5 times

    • 2004 – New Zealand 5,000m Track Champion

    • 2002 – New Zealand 10,000m Track Champion

    • 2001 – New Zealand 10,000m Track Champion

      • Ran the 4th-fastest time in New Zealand history and the fastest time recorded in the past 30 years

    • 1998 – New Zealand Road Running Champion

    • 1997 – New Zealand 3,000m Track Champion

    • 1994 – New Zealand Half Marathon Champion

    • 2005–Present – Running Coach & Strength Training Coach

      • Notable athletes coached include Mary Cain, the former World junior champion, and Jane Vongvorachoti, who represented Thailand in the Olympics.

    • 2010–Present – Runner, Henwood’s Hounds Racing Team

    • 2016–2022 – Outdoor Coach, Mile High Run Club

    • 2016–2018 – Indoor Coach, Mile High Run Club

    • 2008 – Assistant Track Coach, Trevor Day Private School, New York

    • 2005 – Runner, New York Athletic Club (NYAC)

    • 2003 – Personal Trainer & Coach, Washington, D.C. — Worked at a personal training studio for 3 months before training full-time for the Athens Olympics

    • 2002 – Fitness Instructor, Sea Princess & Star Princess Cruise Ships — Nine-month contract cruising the Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, and Alaska.

      • Taught Spinning 5 days per week

      • Taught Pilates (mat) and provided personal training services

      • Conducted seminars on the Zone Diet, Fitness for the Elderly, and Detox for Weight Loss

      • Maintained peak fitness in preparation for Olympic qualification

    • 1999–2002 – Personal Trainer & Running Coach, The Majestic Club (Sportswide Ltd.) — One of New Zealand’s most exclusive fitness centers

    • 1997 – Manager, The BNZ Fitness Centre (Sportswide Ltd.), New Zealand

    • 1995 – Manager, AMP Fitness Centre (Sportswide Ltd.), New Zealand

    • 1994 – Fitness Consultant, Sportswide Quality Inn Fitness Centre, New Zealand

    • 1994–2002 – Sportswide Ltd. — Company operating 5–6 fitness centers in the Wellington region

FAQs

  • All levels! From beginners to elite athletes.

  • Reach out to schedule a free 15-minute introductory call with Coach John to discuss your goals and running background. From there, he’ll create a personalized monthly training plan tailored to your current fitness and designed to bridge the gap toward your running goals.

  • Beyond a customized training plan, Coach John can advise on:

    • ANY advice about what’s on your training program

    • Recommended pace or effort

    • What to do when you miss training or need your training changed around

    • How to handle any pain before, during or after your run

    • Footwear, clothing, nutrition and surface to run on

  • We will stop your payments and put everything on hold.

Get in touch.

“Drop me a line and we’ll take your running to the next level and you’ll have a lot of fun along the way!”

— Coach John