Head coach
StepheN Finley
One step on the track as a youngster began a life long love affair with going fast and as he began competing at the collegiate and professional level, love developed into a full-fledged obsession.
When you care about getting better as much as Steve does, you don't just hang up the spikes and call it a career. That's why Steve has turned his attention to the goals and dreams of New York City's running community.
After being mentored by some of the best coaches in the world, and injecting his rare breed of enthusiasm at college and professional groups in every corner of the country, Steve has landed in Brooklyn, where he leads Brooklyn Track Club, lighting a fire under veterans and beginners alike.
When you care about getting better as much as Steve does, you don't just hang up the spikes and call it a career. That's why Steve has turned his attention to the goals and dreams of New York City's running community.
After being mentored by some of the best coaches in the world, and injecting his rare breed of enthusiasm at college and professional groups in every corner of the country, Steve has landed in Brooklyn, where he leads Brooklyn Track Club, lighting a fire under veterans and beginners alike.
Running coach
Jes Woods
Jessica's running resume spans the distance between the length of a triple jump runway to the Vermont 100 miler. Her first passion was track and field where she spent 9 years as a triple jumper and has since transitioned to the world of ultrarunning, completing 16 ultra marathons since 2012 (including four 100 mile races).
Jes has coached first time runners, influencers, and high profile athletes like Cynthia Erivo to her first Half Marathon (and everything in between).
Jes has coached first time runners, influencers, and high profile athletes like Cynthia Erivo to her first Half Marathon (and everything in between).
Running coach
James Chu
James has been coaching since 2012 with North Brooklyn Road Runners, recruited and coaching a number of top contributors on NBR to numerous team records and top team finishes and is excited to contribute to Brooklyn Track Club's future success. He now compete as a middle distance masters runner, having formally been an 800 meter runner on a Princeton University program that won 3 consecutive triple crowns for a total of 11 league titles in 12 seasons.
Running coach
Daniel Winn
Daniel was an all-American at the University of Oregon, competing on teams that won the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships. He finished 8th in the 2016 Olympic trials 1500m and has represented the US twice internationally, at the 2017 Edinburgh cross country championships, and 2015 NACAC championships, where he finished runner-up. He currently coaches for Poly Prep Country Day School in Bayridge, and competes for the Brooklyn Track Club. Daniel specialises in coaching athletes training for events from the 800m to the 10k.
strength coach
Lena Placzek
Lena holds a bachelor's degree in Health and Human Physiology, is a certified ACSM Exercise Physiologist, a NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist and is trained in Functional Movement Screening. She has more than 5 years experience training athletes in New York City and takes an individualized approach with each client. Lena competed on the Polish National Track and Field Team between ages 15-20. She was top 3 in the country in 800 and 1500m on the track and qualified to race at the World Cross Country Championships in 2010.
Women's Sub-Elite Running coach
Kate Gustafson
Kate Gustafson is a copywriter, runner, and coach. A former NCAA Division Ice Hockey player (named captain in her senior season), she has completed the Everest Base Camp Trek, spent six weeks training at high altitude in Kenya, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, raced 14 marathons and is a proud Guinness world record holder for distance run on a treadmill by twelve women over twelve hours.
She has completed 85+ races and trained with many inspiring coaches and teammates—with all of this hard work culminating in a spot on the elite women's start line at the 2019 Boston Marathon (where she finished as the top Canadian), a top 25 finish at the 2016 Boston Marathon, a 26th place finish at the 2017 Berlin Marathon, and a 19th place finish at the 2018 Chicago Marathon. Her personal best times include 2:40:06 in the marathon and 1:16:47 in the half marathon.
In 2013, Kate founded an online coaching business and in late 2017 joined the Mile2Marathon coaching team where she has supported hundreds of athletes in their various running pursuits. In 2014, she launched Girls With Gusto, a running program for girls in one of Toronto’s most underserved neighborhoods. She also co-founded Run To Give YVR to bring Vancouver’s running community together to help the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. She has also led several cross-training clinics for professional sports teams youth programs in Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver.
Professionally, Kate began her career in advertising in Atlanta before spending a year traveling around the world. After putting her backpack away, she spent the next few years in non-profit leading a team before making the jump to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in Toronto, and then on to Vancouver to write for lululemon. These days, Kate and her partner, Michael, can be found running around their new home in Brooklyn.
She has completed 85+ races and trained with many inspiring coaches and teammates—with all of this hard work culminating in a spot on the elite women's start line at the 2019 Boston Marathon (where she finished as the top Canadian), a top 25 finish at the 2016 Boston Marathon, a 26th place finish at the 2017 Berlin Marathon, and a 19th place finish at the 2018 Chicago Marathon. Her personal best times include 2:40:06 in the marathon and 1:16:47 in the half marathon.
In 2013, Kate founded an online coaching business and in late 2017 joined the Mile2Marathon coaching team where she has supported hundreds of athletes in their various running pursuits. In 2014, she launched Girls With Gusto, a running program for girls in one of Toronto’s most underserved neighborhoods. She also co-founded Run To Give YVR to bring Vancouver’s running community together to help the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. She has also led several cross-training clinics for professional sports teams youth programs in Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver.
Professionally, Kate began her career in advertising in Atlanta before spending a year traveling around the world. After putting her backpack away, she spent the next few years in non-profit leading a team before making the jump to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in Toronto, and then on to Vancouver to write for lululemon. These days, Kate and her partner, Michael, can be found running around their new home in Brooklyn.