Meet Adam Jones, the 2021 winner of the Charlotte Marathon.

Running started for me in early high school where I was coming from a multi sport background. I quickly learned though that running was a sport where my success depended on how hard I was willing to work. I could still help my team by performing well, but I was also not limited to their level of passion. This work ethic of trying to see how fast I could run allowed me to run competitively for two universities, Samford and the University of Iowa. Within my college career I was fortunate enough to qualify for NCAA’s my last three years and was an All-American once. After college I wanted to venture into the coaching side of the sport, which led me to working with Queens University for two years while I started a personal coaching business on the side.

Fast forward a few years and I am one of the coaches at Forward Motion that works with dozens of athletes, in both individual and small group settings. I’ve been able to work with elite athletes, athletes trying to improve on their previous best times, and also athletes just trying to cross the finish line. One of the great things about the way I coach is that I am not just someone who tells an athlete to do something that I am unwilling to do myself.

This past fall I ventured into the marathon distance and was fortunate enough to win the Charlotte Marathon and set an event record. So all the work I assign athletes has come from a place of experience, and will take into consideration the lives that we all live. Not everyone can run 6 days, do multiple hard workouts, and stretch for 20 minutes after a run. I don’t even have time or energy for all of those things. So taking a person’s life and goals into consideration is what can help someone enjoy the process and achieve their goals.