Saturday, January 10, 2026 | Sonoma Academy | Santa Rosa, CA
After nearly a decade away, one of the most meaningful traditions in Northern California
distance running is making its long-awaited return.
On Saturday, January 10, 2026, we’re bringing back the NorCal Distance Coaches
Roundtable — hosted at Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa.
It’s been ten years since the last time we gathered around the table to share, question, teach,
and learn together. In that time, the sport has evolved — and so have we. But the spirit that
defined the original Roundtable remains the same: coaches learning from coaches,
conversations over presentations, and wisdom shared without ego.
This isn’t a clinic. It’s a community.
What to Expect
The format will feel familiar to those who remember the early years — honest, open discussions
in both large and small group settings — but with a few new touches designed to make the
experience even more engaging and collaborative.
We’ll gather for two sessions:
•Morning Session: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
•Afternoon Session: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Lunch will be provided — and, in the immortal words of Peter Brewer, it’ll be “the best damn
clinic lunch on the planet.”
When the day wraps up, stick around.
We’ll continue the conversation at an alternate location to be announced at the roundtable.
Your Entry Fee: Your Contribution
As before, there’s no financial fee to attend. Your contribution — your voice and your
experience — is your ticket in.
Each coach attending is asked to submit the following by December 31, 2025:
Topics or Questions
•Specific ideas, topics, or challenges you’d like to explore with fellow coaches in both
large and breakout discussions.
A Detailed Training Plan
•From either cross country or distance track — your choice — that best represents your
program’s rhythm and philosophy. Be transparent. Be specific.
One of the Following
•A “Nugget of Knowledge” (1–3 pages) describing a key element of your program’s
success — perhaps your philosophy, a mental training tool, a unique strength routine,
helpful insights, etc.
• OR a Workout Narrative detailing one of your cornerstone sessions — its structure,
purpose, evolution, timing, and why it works. This should provide full details of the
session, including surrounding context and implementation guidelines.
The collective goal: to create an open-source exchange of ideas that coaches can immediately
take home and apply.
Why This Matters
The Roundtable has always been more than a professional development event. It’s a reminder
of why we coach — to grow, to connect, and to contribute to something larger than ourselves.
Whether you’re a veteran coach looking to refine your craft or a newer coach searching for
mentors and community, this day is designed to sharpen both the mind and the mission.
Enrollment
To keep this event intimate and impactful, enrollment will be initially limited to the first 30
coaches to confirm.
If you’d like to reserve your seat at the table, email Chris Puppione at coachpup@gmail.com to
confirm your spot and receive submission details.
***
The Roundtable is back. The conversations are waiting.
Let’s rise together again — sharpened by each other’s experience, guided by the same love for
the craft that brought us here in the first place.
NorCal Distance Coaches Roundtable
Saturday, January 10, 2026 | Sonoma Academy | Santa Rosa, CA
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Enrollment limited to 30 coaches
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