"Sam has been phenomenal to work with! He does such a great job of creating challenging (yet doable) and fun programs for your goals. I’ve tried a variety of online programs in the past, but immediately felt a difference in my running under Sam’s expertise. In addition to the programming, he is able to provide feedback on your workouts to help maximize your potential, while still giving you the flexibility to move things around (since life always tends to happen). I couldn’t be happier to work with him, and highly recommend him to others!"​

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"Working with Sam was one of the better running decisions I ever made. I approached Sam to take me to the next level and hit the goal marathon time that I had been trying to achieve for a few years. I was tired of “good enough” training that kept me just short of my goals and felt the accountability of a coach would push me over the edge. Sam truly tailored a plan around my specific goals, including understanding my personal preferences, weekly schedule, and travel plans throughout the season. He was flexible when I asked about potential changes and was always available to give advice at any point during the training. All runners (experienced or novice) would benefit greatly from working with Sam. Keeping all of the focus on the quality of my workouts while a coach like Sam stayed on top of everything else is a benefit that was hard for me to appreciate (until I had it)! There is so much effort and planning that goes into training – it’s the little things and small details that was best left to an experienced, unbiased coach who had my best interests in mind. In the end, working with Sam not only allowed me to achieve my goal marathon time, but also allowed me to achieve multiple PRs at other distances such as the 5k. I cannot recommend Sam enough."

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"Sam is a fantastic coach who I would recommend to anyone looking to take their running to the next level. After running my first marathon in 2023 without a coach (and not being fully happy with the result), I began training with Sam to prepare for the 2024 New York City Marathon. With Sam’s help, I was able to PR my marathon by nearly 25 minutes! Throughout our training block, Sam consistently created thoughtful (and varied) workouts, provided extremely helpful feedback, and served as a trusted sounding board. He was also extremely flexible, helping to structure my workouts around an often hectic schedule. Above all, Sam makes running fun – his relentless enthusiasm is infectious and helped to motivate and excite me to run. Overall, really can’t say enough positive things about working with Sam. If you are looking for a thoughtful and motivating coach, Sam is exactly who you want on your team!"

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"Can’t recommend Sam enough! He coached me for the 2024 NYC Marathon and helped me achieve a 25 minute PR! Sam is an enthusiastic, detail oriented & knowledgeable running coach. We communicated weekly on workouts and he helped motivate me during injuries or failed workouts. He was always available for questions about running, strength workouts, injuries, diet, etc. His messages and emails about race prep and racing tips were SUPER helpful and I appreciate the detail he goes into. Tracking in the Final Surge app was also really easy and he would update if I was sick, injured or traveling. He came out to see me at my NJ Half and the NYC Marathon as well which meant a lot."

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"Working with Sam has been a fantastic experience. I started training with him as a motivated novice runner looking to run a half marathon to the best of my abilities. With his coaching I was able to run a full marathon faster than I ever thought I could. He gives detailed workout plans and provides great feedback to my workouts. The plans he has developed for me work around my schedule and goals. Even with injuries he has modified my plans so I could continue training. I cannot recommend his coaching enough."

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"I write this review after just coming back from the Berlin Marathon – still high off of the experience of not only finishing the race strong but obliterating my goal time. None of that feeling and success would be possible without Sam. I have been working with Sam for the past six months, and there has not been a single moment where I felt I was not getting what I needed from him – he was there every step of the way, helping me through every doubt and concern I had about my training. Sam worked with my hectic travel/work/school schedule, modified my training based on how I was feeling or how busy things were, and worked with me through every step – his ability to communicate made him a pleasure to work with. I could not recommend Sam more; if you have any doubt about working with him, just know the answer is yes, you should absolutely work with him. Sam is an incredible coach, and I am excited to work with him in the future for other races."

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"First and foremost, Sam has been an amazing coach and a pleasure to work with. We started working together in October 2023. Prior to running with Sam, I’d had limited experience with running aside from a holiday 5k and one half-marathon post college, which I think was my only run with double digits of miles – and resulted in some lingering injuries. Fast forward to now – where I’m currently training for a 10mi and a half-marathon this fall, which will be my 6th and 7th races of this calendar year! We started off with some 5k races, and it was really fun to see my progress and continue to shave time off each race. Now we’ve been building up to some longer distances – all while staying injury free! Sam has been great at helping me find a balance of setting realistic/ambitious goals – and now I’m a couple completed races away from completing the NYRR 9+1 program, with hopes of the NYC Marathon in 2025! Also he has been very helpful/insightful fielding my many questions as a relatively inexperienced runner – even logistics of race day or navigating 9+1. Lastly, I have a pretty unpredictable work schedule that also includes some travel. Sam has been indispensable in helping me move my workout plan around life inevitably gets in the way. Overall, this has been such a positive, fun experience working with Sam, and I’m excited to continue working with him. I cannot recommend Sam highly enough, even for beginners such as myself."

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"It has been a pleasure to have Sam as a coach. I am preparing for a marathon and he has helped me a lot with my training. In summary, Sam has taught me many things. He explains me the rationale for each workout, how to warm-up before runs, teaches me how to control pace, how to maintain form when tired and provides strategy for racing day, among others. He also created an adaptive plan based on my needs and my working schedule, and helped me calibrate the right pace in my workouts to improve every week. In terms of communication, he is always available if I have questions and super responsive at all times. I also enjoy a lot our in-person sessions. He is always providing knowledge throughout the runs and has been very helpful to better understand the running nuances to get better. Sam is also a great guy and awesome to hang out with! It has been super fun to work with him and I look forward to continue improving with him in the future. He was exactly what I was looking on a coach when I signed up for this program!"

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"I really enjoy working with Sam. He is helping me build endurance and speed for my next marathon in March 2024. I feel like Sam is invested in my success. He gives me constructive feedback, asks questions, and builds my confidence. I really appreciate how Sam takes the time to work through obstacles that get in our way. At 46 years old I now feel less like a recreational runner and more like a competitive athlete, and that’s the biggest recommendation I can give Sam as a coach!"

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"Sam was my coach for my third marathon (and my second) and he created a plan to improve from last time. Going from one training cycle to the next in less than a month initially made me nervous I might burnout. However, Sam did such an awesome job mixing up the workout types and adding new fun ways to work hard so I never got burnt out. Sam gave me tons of insight into the marathon (Chicago) from his experience and research which really made me feel prepared mentally and physically. Not only did I finish the marathon, but I finished 1 minute faster than the goal time I was working toward and cut my time from my previous marathon by 9 minutes (and by 25 minutes from my first marathon). With Sam’s help I am so much more confident in my running abilities and am really looking forward to continuing to improve with his help!"

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"I’m very thankful to have Sam as my running coach! An injury took me out of running for about a year and half, and I was apprehensive about starting again. I hired Sam a few months ago, and it was the best decision — he eased me back in to higher mileage (and still is doing so) at a pace that felt comfortable and builds in time for recovery runs, stretching, and strength training. The workouts are challenging and effective, and I appreciate that he rotates them frequently so they don’t feel stagnant. He checks in regularly to see how workouts feel, he is flexible when life gets in the way and will move the plan around, and he even showed up to my first race back (which I was very nervous for, so really appreciated the extra support)! I’ve come a long way since working with Sam, and I know that I’ll be in even better shape than before my injury (in some ways, I already am!) in no time"

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"Sam is an incredible coach! He coached me for the NYC Marathon this past year and helped me shave 16 minutes off of my PR. It is very clear that Sam is passionate about coaching- he’s dedicated, responsive and a true expert in running. The training plan and workouts that he put together for me were challenging, but all together it helped me realize my potential. He also is flexible and adjusted my training plan to fit with life (trips, working late, getting sick, etc). When I had to take a few weeks off of running because of a medical procedure, he was extremely thoughtful in putting together my plan before I was “off” as well as my return to running. I’d no doubt recommend Sam as a coach and look forward to continuing to work with him!"

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

"I have been working with Sam for the last few months. His keen insights and encouragement have been invaluable. He has helped push me to do things I had previously thought to be impossible. Sam has always been quick to respond to any issues and make adjustments to my training plan as necessary. His messages and comments are always encouraging and thoughtful. I cannot recommend him highly enough."

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"Sam is a great coach! He is coaching me for an 800m track race and has helped me build confidence in my running. He is flexible and adjusts workouts as needed. When I’ve had a few great workouts in a row he adjusts to challenge me more, or if it’s a busy week at work he helps me adjust the training schedule according to what is do-able. I also love the training platform, Final Surge. It’s easy to use and helpful to track my progress. I definitely recommend Sam as a coach!"

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️​