Coach Andrew Taylor

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About Andrew Taylor

Location: Modesto, California
Education: MA Sports Management and BS Exercise Science Education from The Ohio State University
Credentials: USATF Level 1 Certified, CoachUp Certified

I was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado and grew up in Columbus, Ohio. I grew up running and riding my bike to do almost everything with friends. It was the best and most fun way to get around town. Using my body as a mode of transportation quickly lead to a passion for running during middle school. While I continued to play organized baseball and basketball, running was becoming my best talent. I competed on the Varsity Track & Field and Cross Country teams all four years of high school. Also, to keep in shape during the winters, I competed on the Varsity Swim Team.

I attended The Ohio State University, where I earned both my BS in Exercise Science (2006) and MA in Sports Management (2009).

After finishing my Bachelors degree program, I worked as a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach for four years at fitness clubs and performance training centers in Columbus. My experience working at different facilities lead me to pursue my Masters degree to learn more about facility and business management.

With the additional education, I landed a job with a specialty retail store in Charleston, South Carolina as an Assistant Manager. Over the course of six years, I worked my way up to Store Manager and became a very recognizable figure in the local endurance sport community. It was during this time that I fully realized the power of community and the receptiveness of people to hear about my experiences and knowledge as a fitness coach.

I moved to Modesto, California in June 2016 to have more family support close by as Nicole and I raise our son, Samuel. Here, I am pursuing helping individuals take their training to another level and growing the Sunrise Running Company business.

My own endurance sport career has been long and varied in focus. I competed in middle-distance Track & Field, Cross Country, swimming, and triathlons. In 2011, I shifted my focus to ultra-marathons, where I have now completed six 100-mile endurance runs. Now in 2023, I am focused more on my family and developing other runners talents.

Upcoming Races:

  • Charleston 100 (December 2023)
  • FOURmidable 35k (February 2024)
  • Modesto Half Marathon (March 2024)
  • Canyons 100k Endurance Run (April 2024)
  • Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run (June 2024)
  • Santa Rosa Half Marathon (August 2024)

The Family:

I am the youngest of four children and the only boy. I have been married to Nicole since 2011. I have two sons, Samuel (age 8) and James (age 3). Samuel is heavily invested into becoming a better soccer player and loves to run Track & Field and Cross Country.

Guilty Pleasures:

Eating lots of ice cream. My favorite is Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with Strawberries, Bananas, and Chocolate Syrup for Toppings.

Favorite Musicians:

Red Hot Chili Peppers, For King & Country, and Kenny Chesney…that’s variety, right?

Favorite Events:

I still love to run and watch the 800-meter dash, although my times are much slower now.  My favorite organized events are the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run and Peyton’s Wild & Wacky 5k Ultra.

Why I Enjoy Coaching?

I enjoy watching athletes of all ability levels take on challenges that push them beyond what they ever thought possible. Even if they don’t succeed, it is exciting to hear about all that they learned along the way.

Defining Moment in My Running Career

I would say, breaking 24 hours for the first time in a 100-mile run at the 2014 Pinhoti 100 Mile Endurance Run. Pinhoti was my first 100-mile finish in 2013, taking 28 hours and 15 minutes. I came back one year later armed with the knowledge of the course, a better nutrition plan, and better training. The result was a 4.5-hour PR!

My Running Partners:

Notable Races:

These are just a few of the races I have done in 32 years of running.