Run Free Running Club

As my high school coach, Tina brought out my best performances. Under her guidance, I was in my peak condition and achieved my fastest times. Since her tenure, no other female athlete from Danville High School has placed at the state level. But it was when Tina offered to train me for my first marathon that I fully grasped the depth of her expertise. She guided me through every step – creating a weekly mileage plan, adjusting for challenges, and sending consistent, encouraging reminders. When 26.2 miles felt impossible, she reminded me how far I had come. Her preparation paid off: my first marathon felt almost effortless. Instead of collapsing at the finish line, I crossed it smiling - proud to have achieved what once seemed beyond reach.

That first race sparked something in me, and with Tina's continued support, I have since completed two more marathons. Each brought new obstacles: steep hills and extreme heat in one, where she incorporated elevation and hydration strategies into training; and a personal time goal in another, where her speed workouts helped me cut over ten minutes from my previous best.

Tina's dedication extends far beyond her training plans. She invests personally in her athletes, fostering both skill and self-belief. Even when I doubted myself, I knew she believed in me. Her energy, positivity, and commitment have not only shaped me into a stronger runner but also instilled a confidence I carry into every challenge.

Tina Bartholomew is an exceptional coach - highly knowledgeable, adaptable, and genuinely invested in the success of those she trains. I am fortunate to have benefited from her expertise, but even more grateful to call her a friend.

Before we started, I had never been a long-distance runner. Running one mile felt like a challenge, but she believed in me from day one. We met every single day, rain or shine, and she pushed me in the best way possible.

She created a plan just for me — complete with runs, weight training, sprint drills, and calisthenics to improve my strength and speed. More than just the workouts, she gave me constant encouragement, guidance, and friendship. Every text, every training session, every shared laugh and pep talk made me believe I could do more.

After just 8-10 weeks of her mentorship and our hard work together, I tried out for my college cross country team — and I made it! Becoming part of that team gave me a profound sense of belonging and community. I went from running one mile to running 40 miles per week in training. I competed in meets against other colleges and participated in community-based 5K runs — including the famous Berwick Race for the Diamonds on Thanksgiving Day, which Tina actually won! I was so proud of her and of us for everything we had accomplished together.

Tina wasn't just a coach — she was a role model who showed me the power of consistency, determination, and friendship. Her belief in me helped me discover my own strength, and those lessons have stayed with me far beyond the finish line.

When I first came to her in 2023, I was about 250lbs. My mile time was a little over 16 minutes and I could barely reach my knees when stretching to bend down. I told her my goal though, in 3 and a half months time that I would be running a half marathon. Eyes widened, she said “well okay” and started going over the right plan that would be suitable for me. Going over what I would need to get, general food plans, stretching goals/schedules, daily and even weekly goals. With a month in, I was seeing IMMEDIATE results. Not only was my weight going down but my mile time was down by minutes. By that time, I ran the most amount of miles I have ever ran before in my life. My mental and physical strength was stronger than I have ever felt before and I became obsessed with running. By the time of my half marathon, I was 208-212lbs and was beyond pumped. Not only did she prepare me for this race, she showed up at my race. Not only to cheer for me she joined me by mile 7 and ran the rest of the race with me to keep me on pace. Encouraging every step of the way and working with my family and best places to find me along the way. Looking back, I have no idea how I accomplished something so out of my league so quickly. Running the race in 2 hours and 1 minutes, putting my average pace about 9 minutes and 30 seconds. She since then has been such an amazing blessing to my life, being such a bright light in some of our darkest times. Without her, I know 100%, without a shadow of a doubt that I would have been able to complete that race without her. Let alone, lose all that weight. She is not just simply someone you should consider but someone you need in your life.

She was very friendly and took the time to talk , where she told me she could give me a schedule to follow and I could get faster. From there she also came to the track with me after I started it and timed me and coached me to the best 5 ks . I shaved almost 3 minutes off my time in about 6 or 8 weeks. I went from 23 and change to 21 minutes and a couple under 20. She spent lots of time with calls and cards to encourage me. Later I wanted to race longer distance where she gave me a new schedule to follow. I did my fastest times following Tina’s encouragement and schedules. Fast forward to where I had the confidence to take in some marathons and I even ran Boston Marathon with qualifying times about 4 years after meeting Tina! We have stayed friends over all these years and I am still running and placing in age groups! I was very blessed to have learned from the best! She even won the Steamtown marathon for the women . She is not only an amazing coach but an amazing person who I can call friend!