OUR STORY
The RunBetter App was created to help all runners and triathletes maximize their potential and achieve their race day goals.
MEET THE RUNBETTER FOUNDERS
Nicole Mann
A sub-3:00 marathoner and triathlete. She is a trusts and estates lawyer in Chicago.
“I was a fairly casual runner after college, and certainly never competitive. But one day in the fall of 2007, I ran a half marathon for fun and was pleasantly surprised at my finish time.
I wondered what I might pull off if I took running more seriously, so in December 2007 I started training with coach Chris Wehrman. By the following February, Chris had trained me to shave close to 30 minutes off my best marathon time.
Gaining confidence from running, I tackled my lifelong fear of the water and learned how to swim. After dog-paddling through the swim portion of my first sprint triathlon, I moved on to the half Ironman and the full Ironman.
Running remains my strongest sport, and I attribute that entirely to Chris’ coaching. While I always felt prepared for my races, running in a flat city like Chicago didn’t allow me to fully anticipate the elevation changes of races in places like Tucson, Hawaii, or even Miami. And, given the time constraints of my law career and the sometimes brutal Chicago winter mornings, I often ran indoors on a treadmill.
I recently thought: Why not develop a way to help time-crunched athletes train for a specific race indoors on a treadmill when necessary? Why not use the treadmill incline feature to mimic the course elevation changes? And why not enhance that course-specific training with coaching from someone like Chris? Driven by these goals, I partnered with Chris and Curt to create RunBetter.”
Chris Wehrman
A two-time Olympic Trials qualifier and running coach known as “Coach Worm.” He is a domestic relations attorney in Chicago.
“I was a failure on the hardwood, unable to live my first dream by playing varsity basketball. So I turned to endurance sports — first swimming, then running.
After becoming a conference champion and all-state cross-county runner in high school, I walked on to Michigan State University’s cross country and indoor/outdoor track teams. Under the tutelage of my greatest coach, Jim Stintzi, I developed into a varsity athlete, finishing third in the indoor mile to help my team win the Indoor Big Ten Title.
I went to law school at Michigan State and stayed involved with track as a volunteer assistant coach. And I kept running, qualifying for the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Trials. I also coached two athletes to the 2008 race.
I’ve had three second-place finishes in the marathon (Detroit, Louisville, and Green Bay) as well as victories in various 5Ks and half-marathons. I have coached athletes looking to run their first marathon, break 3- and 4-hour marks, qualify for the Boston Marathon, and reach Olympic Trials.
These days, people often refer to me as “Coach Worm.“ I’m a Nike+ Run Club coach in Chicago, and coach distance runners at EDGE Athlete Lounge. I’ve been a guest speaker on the Runner World Stage at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon expo and a commentator on the CBS radio marathon shows. I’m convinced that RunBetter can help athletes reach their personal bests at endurance sports.”
Curt Mann
A long-time endurance athlete. He practices primary care medicine in the Chicago suburbs.
“Endurance sport has always been a significant and rewarding part of my life. I ran steeplechase and cross country at The College of Wooster in Ohio, went on to road racing 5Ks up to the marathon and subsequently became a top-age-group triathlete.
I have competed around the United States in Olympic, half and full Ironman races, and this has given me an appreciation for how vibrant and competitive endurance sport has become.
As a physician I have always strived for work/life balance, creating efficiencies in my training due to career demands. RunBetter was born out of this concept – efficient and highly effective training that will prepare you well for your next race.
We are excited to offer RunBetter as a fun and effective tool to help athletes of all kinds achieve their full potential.”