GET FIT WEST SEATTLE
More than just a store,
your personal running and fitness coach.
This idea was a dream of co-owner, Tim McConnell, back in 2010. The free training program is designed for novice runners who have never run a mile (or for folks who have had a very long hiatus) to get into running shape.
The program starts with runners and walkers completing one mile on the first day, and then progressing from there until their fitness goals are achieved. We meet twice per week for group runs and participants are provided with an individualized custom training schedule to follow on the other days.
We offer Running 101 Clinics, featuring co-owner and RRCA Certified Running Coach, Lori McConnell, on injury prevention, nutrition and shoe and gear selection. Our staff offers guidance and coaching throughout your training and you will have access to all that West Seattle Runner has to offer.
Twice annually, there are half marathon training sessions, usually in January and August. The group dynamic has shown to be a very helpful support system for most participants. It has been a wonderful experience to watch so many people become endurance athletes. Since we started, we have helped hundreds of new runners successfully cross the finish line of a half marathon.
For more information contact the store or look out for info night events in Dec/Jan or July/Aug
North Olympic Discovery Half-Marathon, June 5, 2021
Porsche’s 46th Half Marathon
“Every December, I start to get excited for January. Why? Because it’s the start of Get Fit West Seattle! I meet up with old friends and make new friends at West Seattle Runner as we start with a clean slate and a fresh outlook. We run a mile and celebrate together. Then we run a little more next week, and the week after. Pretty soon, we’re confidently knocking off a half-marathon! I have made lifelong friends and cherish the support I receive and the ability to cheer on others as they realize their dreams.
Friendship. Support. Encouragement. Belief in my abilities. A healthier me. These are a few of the gifts I’ve received from being a part of this program. Oh, and at least a dozen successfully completed half-marathons! Thanks West Seattle Runner for building an inclusive, supportive community for runners of all ages and all abilities. I remain forever grateful for Get Fit West Seattle.”
-Porsche Everson
Orca Half Marathon, Sep. 24th 2017
Ferguson’s 1st Half Marathon
“Get Fit West Seattle was the defining factor that turned me from a running hobbyist, into an endurance athlete. I’ve followed the guidance of this program several times, resulting in my first three successful half marathons. Those successes grew into an active, healthy lifestyle with some pretty hardcore dreams, (I’m coming for you Boston). The community and leadership provided by this program was life changing for me, and for many others I’ve had the honor of running beside as they tackled the training miles leading them to the start line of their very first half marathon.”
-J. Ferguson Mitchell
Berkeley Half Marathon, November 20th, 2016
“I'm a walker and Get Fit West Seattle, and Tim and Lori, changed my life (and may actually have saved it!) No, that's not an exaggeration. In January 2011 I was almost three years out from a very serious brain injury. Because of that healing and recovery, I had barely moved for many months. When Tim and Lori started the inaugural Get Fit West Seattle group, it appealed to me because it was billed as a "couch-to-half-marathon" training program. If anyone was in "couch" condition at that point, it was me! The first Sunday morning group run, I could barely huff and puff through a half mile walk. I also knew that I had a trip to England coming up in the fall of that year, and that if I didn’t do something, I’d be in no shape to enjoy it! Less than six months later, I completed two half marathons within two weeks and became an official Half Fanatic (it's real, look it up!) and several months later, I was fine on my trip. Even though I am and will always be a walker, I always got the same encouragement and support from Tim and Lori – in life as well as in walking – as those who finish faster than I. The community they created and the change they made in my life are among my most treasured memories of the time I lived in West Seattle.”
-Valerie Lawrence
“The beauty of running is its simplicity; the beauty of runners is that we all have a similar drive to improve. We are either trying to run a personal best, or toeing the line for the first time, which will snowball into a future of trying to run personal bests. We road racers are a tight community of mileage-happy, limit-pushing athletes.”
— Deena Kastor