Testimonials
“Nichole was born to be a coach. Her expertise and knowledge of training methodology is unmatched in this industry. When I was a 3:17 marathoner, she was the first to plant the seed about pursuing a sub-3 hour marathon—no one had ever believed in me like she did.
We slowly chipped away at this goal through life’s journey, including a couple of babies and some injuries along the way. Finally, I achieved my sub-3 hour marathon at CIM in 2021, which remains one of my proudest running moments.
Over our 10+ year working relationship, there’s no one else I would trust with my training. Nichole knows me better than I know myself, cares deeply, and continuously challenges me to reach levels I never dreamed possible.”
Michele B.
Training with Nichole has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my running career thus far.
She has an amazing sense and intuition on how to get the most out of her athletes and has
made me the runner I am today. In just three short months of working with Nichole, my 5K
personal best went from 20:45 to 19:45 and I owe that to her thoughtfully structured workouts
and belief in my ability to improve. I am very excited to continue to see where Nichole’s training
takes me!
Ella J.
(Photo left is Ella, Right is Nichole)
I have nothing but great things to say about working with Nichole. I initially sought her out as a coach because I was looking for something more in my running. I wanted to hit new PR’s , have a coach structure my training, tell me what to do, and push me out of my comfort zone. Since working with Nichole [5 months ago], I’ve hit a 10 mile PR (1:10:08) and 10K PR (44:45); and I know we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what’s possible! Beyond the PR’s and numbers, Nichole is a knowledgeable coach who truly cares about her athletes. She wants to see us succeed, and will do whatever she can to help us reach our goals. She also sees the potential in each of her runners and pushes us out of our comfort zones to succeed and make progress. She is easy to talk to, and is always available via text, phone call, or e-mail if I have a question about a workout or want to touch base about training. This is something I wasn’t expecting, and I love it. She also came out to my “A” race this year (since it was local), met me at the starting line, and cheered me on along the course. How many coaches take the time to do that!? Nichole does, and she loves it. Beyond her coaching, she has a wonderful team of athletes and great “support system” for team members. She is so positive, fun, and upbeat; and I feel honored to be a member of her team!
**Update** Nichole continued to coached LB through her pregnancy, and at 11 months post-partum, she cruised to a 20:00 5k. That’s over a MINUTE PR, while NURSING! She has worked with Coach Nichole for almost 3 years now, and in those 3 years she has continually re-written PRs, including after pregnancy.
– LB, MinnesotaPhoto: LB and Coach Nichole right before she ran a huge 4:30+ minute PR in the TC 10 mile
Her plan made it easy to grab my shoes after work, and get out the door and not have think about my overall plan. It let me focus on enjoying it (well, sort-of), and getting my 1/2 splits down to 3:05’s, which for me is remarkable. Grab her while you can, she’s a great coach and mentor.– BP, Colorado
In 15 years of running, I’d never won a race. Never, not a one. After a year of working with Nichole, I won not only one race this summer… but also a second! Now I’m not saying that working with Nichole will get you a race victory, but circumstantial evidence might prove contrary to that. In all seriousness, in the first 6 months of working with Coach Nichole and TNC, my marathon PR was down 17 minutes. It’s gone down another 11 minutes below that since then! PRs have been set in every race distance and, best of all, she’s kept me on track to be hungry and ready to race more and get faster.– AH, Texas
Photo: AH, Big Cottonwood Marathon, 9/12/2015. 3:11, a 10 minute PR and 28 minute PR from when he started with Coach Nichole in 2014. When asked for a captain, he provided: “He’ll be running down the mountain when he comes” 🙂 (check out the course’s elevation profile!)
The initial consultation with Nichole is really key to keep you from harming yourself. There are a few different kinds of runners with the goal to: Finish the Race, Run the Race, Race the Race, and Compete in the Race. I’ve ran a few half marathons but never took anything too seriously, so I was a Run the Race but make sure you can Finish the Race, kind of runner. I wanted to take my training to the next level, so one night I signed up for a marathon. Realizing I only had 9 months, and after realizing how much effort I needed to put into it, I decided I needed a personal coach. There are a lot of online coaches, but a lot of them just give out a stock plan, generic ideas for a training week, and don’t seem to have the experience or experimentation with marathon training like Nichole has. Plus, they don’t communicate NEARLY as frequently or respond with training changes like she does.
At the beginning, I was pretty darn slow. Like couch potato slow, 25-27 minutes a 5k slow (I am a 20-something guy who ran XC in high school). Part of the initial consultation was to decide where in my life running fit and how far I wanted to go with this. She took that information, and make a plan that fit my situation and goals. I appreciated that she didn’t force anything on me – rather, she just encouraged me to challenge myself, embrace training, and look at training and racing as an opportunity rather than a chore.
I suffered a set back early because I didn’t communicate with her often enough (I would just email saying “I think I’m hurt, what should I do”) so truly didn’t start training until January for my May marathon. I then realized I needed to communicate with her often, and being the helpful person she is, she would make slight tweaks and provide suggestions that kept me healthy, even through the steep ramp-up of training I needed to get ready. In just 4 short months I went from zero to a 3:45 marathon! Not bad for a first marathon, especially considering how little I had before starting to work with her. Plus, most remarkably, while everyone else was hobbling around after the marathon and the days following, I was just fine. I’m still surprised by what I could do with her along my side, she knows what she’s doing, that’s for sure.
Since I’ve started, I have already seen drastic improvements in my mile time. My previous race PR was 6:11 to 5:38 just in workouts. And I also PRed in my 800 from a 2:43 to a 2:37 in a workout not even going 100%!!!
Working with Nichole has improved my running confidence so much. When I first started working with her, I got nervous just about workouts! Workouts..not races. But now I know that she wouldn’t have given me a workout that I couldn’t do and that’s what I love about working with her! The workouts are really specific to help to get to your goals and you can see your self improving week by week.
Working with Nichole has given me the extra boost I needed to get to reach my goal. If I hadn’t worked with Nichole this winter I don’t think I would have been able to achieve my high expectations for myself this coming track season. I could never repay Nichole for the confidence she has given me in everything. I can’t wait to see what the track season unfolds because of working with her.
Since I’ve started, I have already seen drastic improvements in my mile time. My initial goal was to break 16:00 in a 4k. Within 3 short months of coaching, I notched a 14:58. That’s right. Sub-15!– BN, Minnesota
Nichole has been able to put together a plan for me that challenged me and that worked with the fragile work/kids/training schedule I try to maintain. Her workouts were challenging and helped me achieve numerous PRs. But the most important thing she did for me was saved me from me – she kept me from overtraining and falling off the injury cliff. And her enthusiasm for running is contagious. The same passion she brings to her own training can be felt in the plan she put together for me.
-AK, Minnesota
Since starting with Nichole as my coach in January 2013 I have seen huge improvements in my running ability. Her knowledge of the sport and expertise in the field make her one of the best. I am inspired daily by her enthusiasm for coaching and love for the sport of running. I am excited for my future with my own abilities and with her help I know there isn’t a goal too high or dream too big!
–CH, Minnesota
Photo: C and Coach Nichole after we both raced the Chicago Marathon
I have known Nichole for a number of years and have consulted with her in many different areas related to sport performance enhancement. She and I have worked together in the development of mental preparation strategies and education to both collegiate and high school cross country teams regarding mental training, setting goals and pursuing one’s dreams. Nichole has a clear vision in setting realistic goals for her self and others. Her coaching approach is enthusiastic, positive and encouraging. I know first hand, that her positive, engaging personality has been a definitive role model to a number of high school cross country athletes I have assisted in coaching. Nichole is a sensitive individual who is able to consider other people’s needs. She is also flexible in her approach and because she is a runner she understands other athlete’s needs, strengths and fears.
Most recently, Coach Porath laid out a three month half marathon training program for me in my participation in the Half Ironman World Championship held in Las Vegas. Her plan was clear, direct and realistic considering the time involvement, two other disciplines (swimming & cycling) to train for and my level of physical fitness. Her plan was immensely helpful in conditioning me for the run portion of the triathlon. I would wholeheartedly recommend Coach Nichole Porath to assist an athlete to reach her/his potential and actualize their dream.
-DRA, Minnesota
“Nichole exemplifies everything I want in a coach. As a full-time working mother of three young children, finding time to run is incredibly challenging, but Nichole works with my hectic schedule to make every minute count. Both my husband and I train with her, despite our very different approaches—he’s an intensely dedicated runner, while I prefer limiting my runs to four days weekly.
What truly sets Nichole apart is her ability to support both of us in our different goals. She personalizes every workout to get the most out of each run, whether it’s my limited schedule or my husband’s intensive training. My favorite part of having a coach is being held accountable so that I don’t skip a run – this accountability has been invaluable, motivating me to maintain consistency even with my busy life. When life gets in the way of a scheduled run, Nichole is understanding without making me feel guilty, which only encourages me to miss fewer workouts. For my husband, she knows exactly how to push his limits and help him reach new heights.
We’ve both seen significant improvements—I’ve continued to get faster despite my limited schedule, while my husband has made even more dramatic progress. We both credit Nichole’s personalized coaching approach for our success.”
Rachel E.
“I was intrigued to discover what my running potential could be. What’s amazing about Nichole is her gift in motivating athletes of all ages—from teenagers to someone like me, a 63-year-old grandmother of six! I’m proof positive you’re never too old to see what you’re capable of in terms of fitness and setting personal goals.
With Nichole, I’ve learned the importance of building a solid training base through varied workout assignments, all while getting faster in the process. There’s a science behind how she crafts your training plans, and seeing how it all comes together on race day is truly magical.
After four years under Nichole’s coaching, my last big race was the 2024 Twin Cities Marathon. Throughout my entire training cycle, I had ZERO injuries and lined up at the start line healthy and fit! I ran an 11-minute PR, finishing 2nd in my age group. My finishing time was a solid 31 minutes under the Boston Marathon qualifying time for my age group.
The very best part about working with Nichole is her enthusiasm for helping you find ‘Your Joy’ in running.”
Lisa W., MN
Photos: Ringing the PR Bell at TCM. My daughter (also coached by Nichole) and I with two of my grandchildren.
“Nichole’s coaching plans strike the perfect balance—challenging enough to drive significant growth, both physically and mentally. Her extensive knowledge and experience guided me to not only achieve a personal record but also secure a second place finish in my age group at the Boulder Marathon last year. Thank you for everything, Nichole!”
– Erika S.
What are you waiting for? Start exploring 1:1 personal coaching by sending Nichole an email at nichole.porath (at) gmail.com