Joe Newton By the time Joe Newton graduated from Parker High School in 1947, he earned twelve varsity letters in five sports but none in cross country. Newton graduated early from Parker and went on to Northwestern University. That spring, when he still should have been in high school, he ran the 100 yard dash in a swift 9.8 seconds, the 220 in 21.4 and long jumped 22-9. He graduated with distinction from Northwestern in 1951. Newton moved on to serve in the U.S. Army where he discovered his love of coaching and continued coaching for a few years at Waterman High School. Newton came to York High School in 1960 and during his fifty years tenure, his cross country team won 26 state cross country titles and 41 state trophies making York one of the most dominant high school sports programs in Illinois. Before an initial "retirement" in 2000, he compiled a 41 year record of 1,025-159 in dual meets, including more than 72 consecutive victories in cross country. He has sent 130 athletes to colleges on either track or cross country scholarships. Thirteen of them were competing at colleges across the country in the same year. Additionally, athletes from across the Chicago area flock to Newton's annual summer program for the chance to train under the most successful high school cross country coach in the U.S. Newton's teachings have made lasting impressions on his athletes, with 35 former students going on to become coaches themselves. Each year, Coach Newton draws hundreds of runners, dubbed the "Long Green Line" to his program. "The Long Green Line" has been documented in articles, books and even a film. The feature length documentary film follows the York Duke's 2005 Cross Country season as the runners sought their record twenty-fifth title in fifty years. His books, like 1997's "Coaching Cross Country Succcessfully", concentrate on training and motivation. Indeed, Coach Newton is known for his motivational talks that focus on the philosophical and psychological factors that are required for an athlete's success. Coach Newton was influenced by such coaching greats as Bill Bowerman and friend, Dr. Joe Vigil. He also befriended Arthur Lydiard and Peter and Sebastian Coe, from whom he picked up some of their coaching methods. Arguably his best athlete was Don Sage, who was the fifth fastest high school miler in history and won five state titles (four in track) and ran 8:42.9 for 3200 meters at the Illinois State Championship, and then doubled back to win the 1600 meters in 4:07.58. Among his many accomplishments, Coach Newton was the first high school coach named to the United States Olympic track staff for the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea. He was an assistant manager in charge of the Olympic marathon runners. He has been named High School Cross Country Coach of the Year sixteen times by the Northern Illinois Track Coaches Association and fifteen times by the Illinois High School Coaches Association. He received the National Cross Country Coach of the Year Award four times. He is enshrined in no less than twelve halls of fame, including the National High School Hall of Fame. He ran every day, many times running at 4:30 a.m., for 21 years and 24 days before a stress fracture under his knee ended the streak at age 65. The world record is 25 years.

Marcus O'Sullivan enters his 11th year as the director of Villanova track & field and head coach to the men's cross country and track & field programs. O'Sullivan established himself as one of 'Nova's all-time great distance runners during his collegiate career (1980-84) and since taking the helm of the program, has returned the Wildcats to prominence on the conference and national scenes. O'Sullivan has guided his athletes to seven NCAA individual championships, two NCAA relay titles, two BIG EAST titles, and his 2002 indoor track team earned a fifth place finish at the NCAA Championships. He has coached 22 athletes to 50 All-American honors and 19 athletes to 59 All-BIG EAST honors. This past year, Bobby Curtis won the 5,000m outdoor national championships and competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials. The men's DMR team posted the third fastest time in the country in a time of 9:32. Coach O'Sullivan also extends his expertise to athletes outside of the collegiate ranks. He currently coaches three former Villanovans who are competing on the international level. O'Sullivan previously coached former American record-holder Bob Kennedy to a personal best in the 10,000m. O'Sullivan has earned coaching recognition on the national and conference levels. In 1998 the NCAA bestowed the honor of National Cross Country Coach of the Year on him. He is a four-time (1998, '01, '02, and '03) Regional Cross Country Coach of the Year, and O'Sullivan earned BIG EAST Coach of the Year in 2002. As an athlete, O'Sullivan is a four-time Olympian, three-time World Indoor champion in the 1500m, and previously held the world records for the indoor 1500m and the 4x1 mile relay. His professional career, which has spanned 15 years, includes medals at the Goodwill Games, the European Championships, the World Championships and the U.S. Championships. He has the distinction of being one of three men to run more than 100 sub-4:00 minute miles.

Art and Linda Kranick have been coaching Boys and Girls Cross Country and Winter Track, and Girls Spring Track at Saratoga Springs High School in upstate New York since 1985. They have won National Coach-of-the-Year honors in each of these sports. In addition, they have won numerous State, regional and local Coach-of-the-Year honors. In 2007, they were named Honorary High School Referees of the Penn Relays. Under the Kranicks' tutelage, the girl's cross country team garnered the National and New York "Team of the Decade" for the 90's , and for the second decade as well (2000-2009). Indeed, they won the New Yorek State Championships sixteen times, with nine individual champions. They were the number one ranked team in the United States no less than ten times. They won the 2004 Nike Team National Championships, as well as placing second, third and fourth in those same championships. In twenty-three seasons, the girl's team has only lost one dual meet and have won twenty of the last twenty-three sectional titles. The girl's indoor track team won the DMR, 4xmile relays and the 4x800 relays multiple times, with individual champions in the two mile (Nicole Blood).They also made 12 appearances at the Millrose Games by seven different athletes, including three championships (Staci Snider, Nicole Blood). They were DMR champions at the Penn Relays and won the 3000 meters with Lindsey Ferguson. They have had State Championship titles in the following events: Shot Put, Discus, 100m Hurdles, 3000m, 4x800m Relay, Steeplechase (4 times), 4x400m Relay. At Nationals, they won the DMR and the 4xMile Relays several times and won the Steeplechase five times with four different athletes. Their boy's cross country teams have won the New York State Championships four times with two individual champions. In 2005, the Saratoga boy's were were the number one ranked team in the nation. The boy's team has made four appearances at the Millrose Games with three different individuals including champion Dylan Welsh. Overall, seven different athletes have made fifteen Footlocker Championship appearances, including five top ten performances and Erin Davis' 1993 win. Possibly their best known athlete, Cheri Goddard, ran at Villanova on several Penn Relays championship teams, and won the Olympic Development Mile at Penn Relays three times.

Ringo Adamson, former Olympian, enters his third season as the women's head coach for Rowan University's cross country and track and field teams. Coach Adamson was also the assistant coach at Rowan from 1991-1994. During that time, the Profs won their first ever women's Mid-East Region Cross Country Championships and finished 11th at the national Championships. Rowan captured the NJAC Cross Country Championships in 1992, 1993 and 1994. The women's 4x100 meter relay took second place at the 1994 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. During his tenure, 15 student-athletes received All-America honors. Coach Adamson was also a successful high school coach at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, NJ. Coach Adamson's accomplishments earned him the New Jersey Indoor Track Coach of the Year, South Jersey Coach of the Year, Courier Post Outdoor Track Coach of the Year and South Jersey Track Coaches Association Coach of the Year (twice). Adamson graduated from Rowan University in 1983 with a B.S. in physical education. He was a four-time All-Conference runner from 1978-1982. In 1980, he won the steeplechase at the NCAA Division III National Championships. He went on to qualify for the 1980 Olympics in the steeplechase. In 1984 and 1988, he also qualified in the marathon and participated in the Olympic Games for Jamaica. Adamson is a three-time winner of the Philadelphia Marathon and seven-time Jamaican cross country champion. In 1990, Adamson was inducted into the Rowan-Glassboro State Sports Hall of Fame. In addition, he is a member of the 2004 NCAA Division III Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Terrence Mahon, Since 2005, Mahon has been coaching the Olympic Development training group, Team Running USA, located in Mammoth Lakes, California. Mahon currently coaches multiple US National Champions and US World Team members on the track, roads and cross country. In 2008, Mahon coached four of his athletes on to the Olympic Team, including American record holders Ryan Hall (10th place) and Deena Kastor (also an Olympic bronze medalist). He coached the first US woman to break 2:20 in the marathon ( Kastor, 2:19.36) . This October, he coached Meb Keflezhigi to a victory and personal best of 2:09.15 in the New York Marathon. Keflezhigi, (a 2004 silver medalist in the 2004 Summer Olympics), was the first American to win the New York Marathon since 1982. Teammate Ryan Hall finished fourth in 2:10.36. Before taking over the coaching duties for Team Running USA, Mahon ran on the same team under his coach and mentor Dr. Joe Vigil . Aside from Vigil, his coaching influences and mentors have been Bob Larsen, Matt Centrowitz, Marcus O'Sullivan, Frank Gagliano, Lucio Gigliotti, Bill Dellinger, Carter Schelling, Phil & Jim Wharton, Peter Roth and Dennis Kline. In addition, Mahon has been operating an online coaching venture called Spiridon Running Online Coaching for runners of all ages and abilities since 2003. Mahon was an eight time All -American in cross country and indoor & outdoor track while attending Villanova University. He also was a Big East and IC4A Champion for cross country, indoor & outdoor track and graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Arts in both English and Philosophy. Mahon went on to be a United States National Champion at 20k and achieved a marathon personal best of 2:13.02. He was a three-time Olympic Trials Qualifier in the marathon and a two-time Olympic Trials Qualifier in track. His other personal bests are: 4:05.9 (mile), 8:05.9 (3,000 meters), 13:44.2 (5,000 meters), 28.31.1 (10,000 meters), half marathon (1:03:37). Mahon resides in California and is married to Jennifer Rhines, a three-time Olympian in the 5000 meters, 10,000 meters and marathon.

Speakers are subject to change.