Our Coaches
Stuart Calderwood
founder and head Coach
Stuart has been coaching runners since he was in high school, when he got to prepare a bunch of little kids for a county track meet. It was so fun and rewarding that he’s never been able to stop. He coached the Orange Coast College (CA) men’s cross country team to the 1987 Empire Conference Championship and the Laguna Beach High School boys’ cross country team to the 1989 California State Championship, interrupting the dynasty of a team that Kevin Costner coached in a movie. He’s also coached a few Olympic Trials and World Championships marathoners and a whole lot of age-group award-winners. As a competitor, he won the 2013 London Marathon’s 55+ division, medaled at the 2003 World Masters Games marathon and the 2008 National Masters Championships 3000 meters, and set the current 50–54 American track record for 30,000 meters, largely because so few people want to run 75 laps on a track. His proudest achievement is being the head coach of the Great Hill Track Club.
DAVID ATKINSON
Central Park, Manhattan
Dave started competitive running back in his middle school days in the Midwest. After moving to NYC as an adult, he rediscovered his passion for the sport, learned the benefits of structured training programs, and now, as a masters athlete, has surpassed all his PRs from his youth. In recent years he's taken on longer distances: 20 half-marathons (PR of 1:24:53), 10 marathons (PR of 3:17:12), and even an ultramarathon! He has competed in several triathlons and a few obstacle races just for fun. Dave is dedicated to helping his fellow runners reach their goals; he even paced his sister, who qualified for the Boston Marathon. As an RRCA-certified coach, he hopes to spread the joy of exploring this great city on foot, the satisfaction from working hard and getting stronger, and the exhilaration of racing.
CRAIG ASTREICHER
Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx
Craig started running over 20 years ago to lose weight and develop a healthy lifestyle. He quickly found enjoyment in competition and discovering his untapped potential. He saw significant improvement after a year with a coached running group, and in 2018 he became an RRCA-certified coach so he could help others. Craig uses a holistic approach, including advice on non-running activities, to assess runners’ needs and help them set goals. Craig has completed dozens of races, from one mile to a 60K with 6,500 feet of elevation gain.
Duncan Lonsdale
Central Park, Manhattan
Duncan is an RRCA-certified running coach and has worked with hundreds of NYC-area runners. In his 40-plus years of racing, he has focused on distance running and triathlons; he also competes in stair races and open-water swims—anything with a clock. Duncan has completed 17 marathons and four Ironman triathlons, including two World Championships in Kona. His triathlon highlights include many age-group wins, several USAT All-American rankings, and a USAT Mid-Atlantic #1 age-group ranking in 2012. He has marathon and half-marathon PRs of 2:55:15 and 1:22:15, both run after age 40, and has completed his Abbott World Marathon Majors collection.
Duncan is a big proponent of cross-training, intuitive pacing, and trying to maintain a healthy work/life balance. He has enjoyed coaching, motivating, and inspiring Great Hill Track Club runners to be their best since the club’s inception in 2020.
David Dorsey
Central Park, Manhattan
An RRCA-certified running coach, David started his career with Team in Training, which raises funding for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. He’s been coaching with Great Hill since the group’s inception in 2020.
David’s deep understanding of the sport stems from his decades-long career as an athlete; his remarkable range extends from a 4:40 indoor mile to a 2:46:17 marathon, and his team won the 50+ age group at the 2018 USATF National Cross Country Championships.
David is a Coast Guard veteran who employs a lighthearted version of military discipline in his coaching career. (His strength-training regimen is legendary.) He cites “consistency and patience” as the best advice he could give a runner, and his running mantra is “Expect Nothing, Gain Everything!”
Binu Paulose
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Binu is the head coach of Great Hill's Brooklyn training group. He channels his experience as a USATF- and RRCA-certified coach to help runners of all levels achieve their personal bests.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, Binu transformed his life through running in 2001, shedding 70 pounds and discovering a passion that has led to completing 34 marathons, including a 3:05:29 Boston Marathon finish. He's now pursuing a goal of running a marathon in all 50 states. (26 down!) Known for his unfailingly friendly demeanor and a kangaroo-like skipping ability, Binu keeps every run—fast or slow—fun and purposeful.
Ann Restak
Founding lead and private coach, New York
Ann is an RRCA-certified running coach and a certified Shape Up New York City fitness instructor who has been coaching runners since 2018. She is also a co-founder of the popular running podcast Chill Track Friday. Ann started running in 2011 and was instantly drawn to the self-directed nature of running and the personal growth that results from the required discipline. Her greatest joy is in helping runners set and achieve their goals. As a masters runner, Ann is attuned to the importance of recovery, strength training, and nutrition in achieving peak performance and career longevity. Ann is most proud of running a five-minute PR of 3:09:39 at the 2018 Boston Marathon, in the worst weather in the race's 122-year history, and medaling in the 2019 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Women's Masters Mile.
“Simply an amazing and fun group with the best coaches you can run with. GHTC is by far the best running experience I've had, and it's helped me tremendously to improve on many levels.”
— Ghassan A.