ABOUT CHAD WORTHEN
COACH. AUTHOR. DISTANCE RUNNING EDUCATOR.
For more than three decades, I have dedicated myself to helping runners develop, improve, and discover what they are capable of achieving.
My coaching experience spans youth, high school, college, club, and adult distance running. Along the way, I have had the opportunity to work with athletes at virtually every level—from young runners taking their first steps into competitive running to national champions, All-Americans, collegiate athletes, and adults pursuing their own personal goals.
Through XC Level Up Coaching, my goal is simple: help runners train smarter, help coaches build better programs, and share the lessons I have learned through decades in the sport.
MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF COACHING EXPERIENCE
My coaching career has been built around athlete development and a belief that successful programs are about much more than workouts.
Over the years, I have coached at the youth, junior high, high school, collegiate, club, and adult levels. I founded Oak Hill Racing, which later became Sacramento Valley Endurance, creating opportunities for young distance runners to train, compete, and develop their abilities.
Throughout my coaching career, athletes I have worked with have earned more than 100 All-American honors in cross country and track and gone on to compete successfully for their high school and collegiate programs.
But I believe coaching success is measured by more than championships and personal records.
It's also measured by the athletes who discover a love for running, develop confidence, become leaders, learn how to overcome adversity, and carry those lessons with them long after their competitive careers are over.
COACHING HIGHLIGHTS
30+ YEARS
Coaching and athlete development experience
100+ ALL-AMERICANS
Coached in cross country and track
HUNDREDS OF ATHLETES
Helped hundreds of athletes develop and pursue their competitive goals.
ALL LEVELS
Youth, junior high, high school, collegiate, club, and adult runners
AS AN ATHLETE
EXPERIENCE FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE STARTING LINE
My perspective on coaching has also been shaped by my own experiences as a competitive distance runner. As a NCAA Division I cross country and track athlete, I experienced firsthand the demands of training and competing at the collegiate level.
My running journey eventually took me from an average runner to competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials, teaching me invaluable lessons about long-term development, consistency, perseverance, setbacks, and what it takes to pursue ambitious goals.
Those experiences continue to influence the way I coach today. I understand the training process not only from the perspective of a coach, but also as an athlete who has experienced the highs and lows that come with pursuing performance at a high level.
ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS
NCAA DIVISION I ATHLETE
Cross Country & Track
U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS QUALIFIER
Competed at a high level of the sport
COMPETITIVE DISTANCE RUNNER
Decades of firsthand training and racing experience
MY COACHING PHILOSOPHY
GREAT COACHING IS ABOUT MORE THAN WRITING WORKOUTS.
I believe the best coaches develop the whole athlete.
Training needs to be purposeful and progressive, but it also needs to recognize that every athlete is different. The goal isn't simply to make someone run faster today. It's to help athletes develop the consistency, confidence, knowledge, and resilience that allow them to continue improving over time.
My approach to coaching is built around several core principles:
Develop athletes for the long term
Train with purpose, not just volume
Create a positive and competitive team culture
Teach athletes to understand their training
FROM COACHING TO XC LEVEL UP
After decades of coaching, I realized that many of the lessons I had learned could help more than just the athletes standing in front of me at practice.
Over the years, I've seen coaches face many of the same challenges—developing athletes at different ability levels, building team culture, structuring training across an entire season, developing leaders, and creating programs that improve year after year.
I created XC Level Up Coaching to share practical solutions to those challenges.
It brings together my experience as a coach, competitive runner, and author to provide training plans, coaching resources, books, and tools designed for the real-world challenges faced by runners and coaches.
Still Learning. Still Coaching. Still Leveling Up.
WHY XC LEVEL UP COACHING?
✓ 30+ Years of Coaching Experience
✓ 100+ All-Americans Coached
✓ 9 National Champions
✓ Hundreds of Athletes Developed
✓ Coach, Competitive Runner & Author
✓ Practical Resources Built From Experience
AUTHOR
SHARING THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM A LIFETIME IN RUNNING AND COACHING
My experiences in running and coaching have also led me to become an author.
XC LEVEL UP COACHING
A Coaches' Guide to Building a Better High School Cross Country Program
A practical guide for coaches looking to improve athlete development, team culture, training systems, leadership, and long-term program success.
AVERAGE TO ELITE
One Runner's Journey from Average to the U.S. Olympic Trials
My personal story of pursuing ambitious running goals and the lessons learned through years of training, racing, setbacks, breakthroughs, and persistence.
EDUCATION & BACKGROUND
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN KINESIOLOGY
MASTER OF ARTS IN SPORTS LEADERSHIP
Combined with more than three decades of hands-on coaching experience, my education has helped me develop an approach that brings together training principles, leadership, athlete development, and real-world coaching experience.
STILL LEARNING. STILL COACHING. STILL LEVELING UP.
One of the most important lessons I have learned during my coaching career is that great coaches never stop learning.
My coaching philosophy today isn't exactly the same as it was when I started. It has evolved through thousands of practices, races, conversations with athletes, successes, mistakes, and lessons learned along the way.
That's what Level Up means to me.
Whether you're an athlete trying to run your next personal best or a coach trying to build a better program, there is always another level to reach.
The goal is to keep learning.
Keep improving.
And keep moving forward.
READY TO LEVEL UP?
Whether you're looking for personalized coaching, practical training resources, or proven strategies for building a better running program, XC Level Up Coaching is here to help.
Train smarter. Coach better. Reach your next level.