For the last seven months, RJ Cowan has lived in Oak Creek, but he’s been running his field for much longer. “I have been coaching for fifteen years,” RJ says. “Two years in high school, six years in college, and seven years privately.” In those same fifteen years, RJ has been a Senior Lecturer at UT Tyler, where he teaches Endurance Training Principles and Sport Nutrition.

Before he became a literal professor of running, he fell in love with the sport, running competitively for the last twenty-five years.  “It became a passion a long time ago when I was fourteen years old, and I recruited the neighborhood kids to race each other weekly at various distances,” RJ says. “I have been studying, observing, and learning about endurance sports ever since.” RJ was able to compete in state cross country, state track and field, and the NCAA cross country championships. These early experiences taught RJ both the mechanics of endurance training and sport, both the basic and the advanced. These experiences, along with earning his Master of Science in Kinesiology in 2010, kicked off RJ’s career.

In his fifteen years of coaching, RJ has helped over forty first-time marathoners, most of whom would not have considered themselves runners when they started. With RJ’s expertise and an unfathomable amount of determination, they accomplished the distance. Another runner, who started in the “middle-of-the-pack,” went on to break his school record when he ran a 4:16 mile, which was also a USA Top 25 mark in the 1600-meter run. Over the last four years, RJ's athletes have set over twenty school records across their respective divisions. In his career, he’s worked with over six hundred exercisers and athletes, both young and old. “Each individual was unique and each journey was special,” RJ says.

 

Every race day poses a new opportunity for RJ, who looks forward to seeing how the runners perform. “Several of my adult athletes ran the Fresh 15K, and the younger athletes have started their spring track season,” RJ says. “I expect several to make the State Championship this year.”

 

As both a fan and a proponent of movement and exercise, Oak Creek has become the perfect home for RJ to refine his wisdom and ability. RJ says, “safe streets and recreation are very important to me.” If he could share some wise words with those looking to dive into endurance training and sport, it would be this: “Enjoyment of movement and exercise that fosters consistency is the thing that will help you not only improve your health but accomplish any goals that you have. Taking the time to figure out how you can make exercise enjoyable or meaningful is worth the effort.” If you’re interested in pursuing running, as a hobby or in competition, RJ Cowan can guide your steps. Of course, you’ll have to catch him first.