IHS recently hired new cross country coach Ian Golden to continue to build our strong team and support our athletes in their endeavors.
Everett Shaw ’25: Ian, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you ended up in Ithaca?
Ian Golden: I grew up in a small town called Honey Brook, Pennsylvania which is about fifty miles northwest of Philly. I grew up, at least competitively speaking, as a swimmer, and then I moved into running when I was sixteen which really changed my outlook. In high school, I was on a couple of successful teams. We were Pennsylvania state champions my sophomore and senior years, and my older brother ahead of me had similarly really good teams, and so they were really good experiences. After high school I decided to go to Ithaca College for occupational therapy for my undergraduate and graduate work. I think I was kind of feeling a little bit done and wasn’t planning on running in college but made the decision to once I got here. I think that that really ended up being a pivotal decision in my life. It created strong friendships and made me a better student, and maybe gave me more confidence and allowed me to get to know Ithaca with all the exploring we did. After college, I started moving around during my graduate work, and I spent time living in Scotland, Hawaii, New Mexico and California. And then for most of the next five to six years, I lived in central Oregon in a mountain town called Bend, which has really grown since I left. I worked as an occupational therapist there, while also working part time in running stores. It was a good way to get to know people and be part of the running community. I also had friends then that owned stores and thought that they had a really nice thing going, [they] were able to be part of their communities, and the store gave them flexibility in their own lives. One trip I was doing a backcountry circuit off the Icefield Parkway up in the northern Rockies in Canada. And somewhere on that hike I just said to my girlfriend at the time, who was one of my college teammates and who’s my wife now, that I think I was going to switch gears and open a running store under the separate company Red Newt Racing. I’ve run the store for seventeen years, directed races for about ten to twelve years. And I also coached briefly with the University of Hawaii Women’s Distance team, followed by a stint as a high school coach near Seattle. In recent years, I resumed coaching at Ithaca College’s Women’s Distance Team. However, balancing coaching with family, including three daughters, became a priority. I also run the Trails Collective media entity, which has taken a backseat due to coaching. Oh, and I ran for Congress for a bit.
ES: Do you have any of your own running or fitness goals?
IG: In terms of fitness goals, at forty-seven, I don’t see myself as competitive anymore. I was a Division Three runner [and] did well but not D1 caliber. After college, I focused on trail, mountain, and ultra running, completing around thirty to forty trail ultramarathons, with the longest being 104 miles. Running has taken me to beautiful places and introduced me to amazing people. I don’t aim to compete now but hope to run a sub-five-minute mile at fifty and do a hut-to-hut multi-day run in the Swiss Alps. I’d also love to try the hut-to-hut hiking in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
ES: What are your goals as a coach for the upcoming season?
IG: As for coaching the Ithaca boys cross country team, my goal is to help you achieve your goals, whether that’s winning a state championship or making it to Nike Nationals. I also value the bonds and friendships you develop in the sport and want you to enjoy the experience while working hard. Long-term, I hope to set the stage for all of you to be lifelong runners and continue improving.
ES: With regards to training and running having a role in almost every sport, what do you believe is the most successful thing athletes can do to benefit their performance?
IG: My coaching philosophy centers on the concept of long-term adaptation. I firmly believe that runners can realize their full potential by maintaining consistency week after week, month after month, and year after year. Often, training programs exhibit drastic peaks and valleys, attempting to bring runners to their peak performance for a specific season or particular workouts. My approach differs significantly. I strive to establish a foundational training program characterized by a sustainable training load and format that can be sustained throughout the year. I recognize that each athlete is unique, possessing distinct needs and preferences. Some may require more rest days, while others benefit from varying levels of volume. The key lies in identifying that optimal balance, creating a structured program that promotes long-term consistency and enables runners to adapt and flourish over time. My ultimate objective is to successfully navigate this path toward sustained achievement.