Mark Coogan
Sport
Sporttrack & field
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing the  United States
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 1995 Mar del Plata, Argentina Marathon


Mark J. Coogan (born May 1, 1966, Manhasset, New York, United States) is an American coach and retired American track athlete.

Running career

He attended Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and the University of Maryland, College Park.

Coogan was coached at the University of Maryland by Charles Florence Torpey, who headed the Men's and Women's running teams at La Salle University until his untimely death. While in college, Coogan specialized in the steeplechase. Coogan was the first Massachusetts native to run the mile in under four minutes.[1][failed verification] In March 1995, at the Pan-American Games (Mar del Plata, Argentina), Coogan earned the silver medal in the Marathon, in a time of 2:15:21. He ran the marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, placing 41st with a time of 2:20:27,[2] after placing second in the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon with at time of 2:13:05 (his lifetime best). He also placed third in the U.S. 2000 Olympic Trials Marathon with a time of 2:17:04, but did not compete in the 2000 Sydney Olympics because he did not achieve the Olympic "A" standard qualifying time. He retired from competitive running in 2004.[3]

Coaching career

He has served as head coach of several cross country teams, including at Phillips Exeter Academy and Tufts University, and coached the distance runners at MIT for three years. Coogan served as the Dartmouth College women's cross country head coach after serving as an assistant for one season, and the assistant coach for the track programs as the primary coach of the distance runners.[4]

In 2014, he began working for New Balance in Boston, Massachusetts in sports marketing as well becoming the coach of Team New Balance Boston with athletes such as Abbey D'Agostino whom he coached to 7 NCAA Championships at Dartmouth College.

In June 2021, Mark successfully coached American New Balance sponsored distance runners Elle Purrier St. Pierre of Vermont and Heather MacLean of Massachusetts in the 1,500 meters at the Olympic Trials at Haywood Field in Eugene, Oregon. Both women will represent the USA at the Tokyo Olympics.

Personal life

Coogan has three children, two daughters, Katrina Coogan, a professional runner for New Balance Boston, and Margaret Coogan, who runs at George Washington University, and a son, William Coogan, who runs at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing the  United States
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 41st Marathon
1995 Pan Am Games Mar del Plata, Argentina 2nd Marathon

References

  1. ^ "Mark Coogan". Usatf.org. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Mark Coogan". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008.
  3. ^ "Cool Running :: Mark Coogan Retires". Archived from the original on September 2, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2008.
  4. ^ Mark Coogan. "Mark Coogan Bio - DartmouthSports.com—Official Web Site of Dartmouth Varsity Athletics". Dartmouthsports.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2016.

External links

USA Championship winners in the men's 5K run
1996 USA Olympic track and field team
Authority control databases: People
Categories