Kristen Junker – St. Louis Running Coach
From: $120.00 / month and a $19.00 sign-up fee
Physical therapist by trade and an avid runner myself, I want to help individuals reach their max potential in a safe, effective way.
Description
St. Louis running coach Kristen Junker is a physical therapist by day, and specializes in any distance from 800 meters to a full marathon on the road. Kristen also offers video gait analysis, where she’ll review a runner’s gait and review everything on a 30-60 minute follow up call, including exercises tailored to any deficiencies she sees. See below for more details!
LEVELS: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
TYPES: Road, Track
DISTANCES: 5k/10k/Half Marathon, Marathon
TRAINING PLATFORM: Final Surge
TRAINING PLAN: Individual, customized training plan
COMMUNICATION: Unlimited email, unlimited text, unlimited phone
RESPONSE TIME: Within 24 hours
LOCATION: Mascoutah, IL
SPECIALTIES
I am a physical therapist, having received my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Bradley University in 2019. I have a very good understanding of the human body as I have worked with a wide variety of runners in the outpatient orthopedic setting. I have expertise in rehabilitation from injuries as well as prevention of them. I specialize in any distance from 800 meters to a full marathon on the road. I also specialize in running gait analyses both in person and virtually.
PHILOSOPHY
I have a strong passion for running and want to share that with others. As anything in life, no major milestone or goal is met overnight. It takes hard work, consistency, and self-discipline. I want to help individuals develop and stick to a plan to achieve their running goals. I am very good at developing relationships and listening and I believe a very hands on program and coaching approach is necessary to achieve goals. Not only do I want to be a coach but also a mentor, supporter, and cheerleader!
As I have learned so far in my physical therapy career, every person is different. I believe in a highly personalized training program based on the individual runner because a “one size fits all” approach is not always appropriate. It is important to me to know my clients on a personal level so we can make and achieve goals together. Whether you are a starting from the bottom or are an elite athlete, I believe we can work together to achieve higher levels of performance.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
I have a few years of experience coaching on the virtual platform and have learned so much from each and every one of my runners. I have worked with a wide array of runners, from 9 years old to 75 years old with varying levels of goals and running backgrounds. As a physical therapist I have treated runners of all ages as well to help them recover from injuries and build their running mileage back up in a safe but effective manner.
ABOUT ME
I am currently a physical therapist at a mobile outpatient physical therapy practice. I work with a wide variety of patients and diagnoses. I have worked with a wide array of runners helping them overcome injuries and optimize their running performance. I specialize in running gait analysis and developing an exercise program tailored to their needs. With my busy work schedule, I have found that online coaching allows me to have the flexibility to help runners the best I can.
I have been a runner since grade school where I continued to run throughout high school and college. I ran 4 years at Bradley University and have continued running every year since. I have competed in a few half marathons and plan to transition to marathon training. I have a twin sister who has been my training partner since we were young. Besides running I enjoy being outdoors including hiking, camping, boating, and fishing.
BIG INFLUENCES
I have been very fortunate to have great coaches during my running career. While I ran at Bradley University I had 3 different coaches with 3 different training systems. Despite the differences in training they all shared similar traits including respect, compassion, and passion for the sport of running. I believe having these traits are very important in being a coach and I plan on treating my future clients as my coaches treated me. I have a good basic knowledge of training and progression of training from these individuals. I also am a bookworm and own multiple books about running where I get many of my training resources from.
RACING HISTORY
Bradley University Division I Cross Country, Outdoor, and Indoor track athlete for 4 years. I got the opportunity to race all over the country and meet a lot of great people. I also raced 3 times at the highest collegiate level, the NCAA Division I Championships.
Illinois half marathon (University of Illinois) 2018
I have been running road races for fun over the course of the last 3 years since completing my running career at Bradley University. I look to start training more seriously now that I have completed physical therapy school.
CERTIFICATIONS
- Doctorate of Physical Therapy
- Bachelor of Health Sciences
PRs
- 1 mile: 4:53
- 5,000 meters 16:11
- 10,000 meters 33:48
- 6k Cross country 20:25
- Half marathon 1:25:07
- Marathon 2:57:16 (Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, 2022)
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
- Honorable Mention NCAA Division I All-American Recognition 2014 and 2016 10,000 meters
- NCAA Cross Country Championship Participant 2015
- Six time Missouri Valley Conference Champion
CONTACT KRISTEN
Finding a coach who is a great fit for you is really important. We encourage you to email your coach prior to signing up so you can connect, communicate, and ensure a good athlete/coach fit.
James Brewer –
Consummate of everything a great coach should exemplify, and I’ve been granted great fortunate to be matched with her as my running coach. Older newbie with several progressive, physical and neurological challenges. Without hesitation embraced my ambition and in only a couple months turned my expectations from hoping, to envisioning transcending my goals. To many superlatives to list them all, however, the ones relative to me are patient, encouraging, supportive, motivational, flexible, and kind. Follow the plan and embrace the grind.
Jacob Cantrell –
Kristen is knowledgeable, responsive, and encouraging. Her service has been everything I need to keep building my running ability. Thanks!
John Shelton –
Kristen is crazy good. She is great to work with being very accessible, encouraging and knowledgeable. We have a seventh grade daughter who loves and has had good success, at the middle school level, at distance running with her favorite being the mile and x-country. However, we felt like she needed more than our middle school coach was offering. We found Kristen and after a single phone call looked no farther. The improvement in Rae is so noticeable it is unbelievable. I think what is maybe the best is the excitement Rae has for running now. After Rae does something special in either time or distance she can’t wait to share with Kristen and then Kristen always responses with true excitement for her. Younger runners need that kind of special touch and Kristen has the IT!!! We can’t wait for the upcoming track season to start. Highly recommended
Erin Heuck –
I’ve been working with Kristen since May 2023. She helped me train for me the Chicago Marathon and helped me PR by over 55 minutes!! She is always available for advice and checks in frequently. She was also able to help adjust my training plan throughout the summer when I was on vacation or sick to keep me on track. I love that she is also a physical therapist and can give great tips on injury prevention and advice on cross training as well. I’m so grateful to have her as a run coach!
Annika –
Amazing! She is always available for questions and advice, and writes flexible plans based on your lifestyle. I’ve trained on my own for several years but with her coaching was able to get my first Boston qualifier. Totally would recommend.
Coty –
Kristen is a great coach! I have a history of ankle injuries and I was very pleased with how one of the first things Kristen addressed was working on improving my ankles. She gave me specific exercises and stretches to do. She also has been able to develop a plan for me that works around my other hobbies so I can do everything I want to do and still squeeze those rest days in without having to significantly cut back on the other hobbies/activities. Has been a great experience thus far and I look forward to further improving my running with Kristen’s help.
Mary Ann –
I am 76 with two titanium hips. Kristen is AMAZING. She tailors her coaching to strengthen my muscles to support my joints. She also gives exercises to improve balance and flexibility to help keep me injury free. Her workouts can be challenging and I sometimes am amazed that I can do the workout. She keeps in contact and gives EXCELLENT feedback. I’m glad I found her and have benefited from her coaching.
Holly Gamroth –
My husband and I decided to pursue a more structured running routine and came across Kristen’s page. She’s been so great to work with and has individualized our plans to fit our lifestyle and goals. Kristen has helped us connect to running in a very fun and motivating way! Kristen makes sure to check in frequently and our weekly plans are always posted ahead of time so we know what to expect. She’s a 10!
Chaz –
Kristen has been an amazing coach. I feel so supported in all of my goals. My wife and I are both coached by Kristen, and she has done an incredible job creating programming for both of us that really helps us feel integrated in our training. Kristen is an excellent communicator, and she is so invested in making sure she is checking in and making changes in real time. Ive been in athletics my entire life, and I have never had the chance to have a coach who truly invested in my development in a really safe and patient way until I got to work with Kristen. Im really excited to continue working with her, and my wife and I both feel like she’s part of our family now!!!!
Caleb Schoeber –
I signed up with Kristen in February as I was getting back into serious running after some time on and off away from the sport and she has been such a great coach to work with. From the very beginning she has been very receptive in helping me reach my goals and also understanding of my busy life schedule. Her background in physical therapy has helped me stay overall injury free for the entirety that I’ve been coached by her. With her I ran a PR in the 10k and won a half marathon after not running one in several years. She is very knowledgable when it comes to running and with her plan my running has definitely changed for the better! Looking forward to future successes with her help! Highly recommended
I. Medina –
I am so lucky to have found a running coach like Kristen. I had the desire to start running but didn’t know how to start and specially how to do it without my knee hurting. Kristen’s background in physical therapy was the cherry on the top! We have now been working together for a little over 3 months and I’m extremely happy to be working with her. She took the time to talk to me and understand my goals. She set me on a PT routine that helped get rid of my knee pain. She is extremely patient, super sweet, always communicates, answers all my questions and her feedback has been so incredibly helpful. I appreciate the fact that she keeps a close eye on my training, and I just ran 4 miles for the 1st time, which was an awesome achievement and all thanks to Kristen’s coaching. I highly recommend her.
Jenn Gheradini –
Kristen provides virtual and in person coaching for my middle school age son. Her training has guided him to a well rounded running plan to include cross country, track and fitness. We enjoy the ease of communication she provides between us, the parents, and our son, the athlete. Highly recommend her services for anyone looking to keep in shape during the off-season and beyond.
William Gust –
I’ve been a running for several years, but this is my first time working with a coach. Kristen has been excellent! When we started coaching several months ago, I had several nagging runner injuries. She put me on a strength program and those nagging injuries has cleared up. Two of these injuries had bothered me off and in for more than a couple years so I’ve been really happy with Kristen’s coaching.
She has also set up a good customized running plan and it has been helpful for me to have all my workouts written down and mapped out.
Also, prior to my being by Kristen, I had never done any speed work. Kristen has explained different speed workouts to me and I’ve been successfully incorporating into my week runs.
Currently, I am training for a big 100 mile mile race in November, but I have a fifty mile race in early June. I feel pretty strong and attribute it to the strength and running program she has developed for me.
IMTODDSWIFE –
Kristen has been very helpful. She has been flexible in making my weekly schedules and I value her input. I’m glad I have her assistance to help me achieve my running goals.
I totally recommend her to any runner!
dafish –
Outstanding!! Without reservation, I’d recommend Kristen to anyone looking for a very personable, accessible, and knowledgeable coach. She’s been fantastic helping me work through some chronic injuries, always adapting the training program to keep me on track of meeting my goals. And with her expertise in the field of physical therapy, I feel confident that she’ll continue to push me forward, while helping me safely build strength and flexibility. Though I’ve run semi-competitively the last several years, I’ve never worked with a coach before – so glad that I reached out to Kristen! Really excited to see how far she can take me!