Marty Baker – Running Coach & Founder of East Coast Running, LLC
My name is Marty Baker, and I’ve been a passionate runner since 1985. As a high school senior in 1988, I set school records in the 1600m and 3200m runs at Farmville Central High School (NC), and I’m proud to still hold the 3200m record set at the NC State Track & Field Championships, where I finished 6th in the state.
I continued my running career at East Carolina University (ECU), earning a varsity letter as a walk-on for the Men’s Cross Country Team. In the summers of 1990 and 1991, I competed as the running leg of a local triathlon relay team before fully embracing triathlons in 2010. By 2013, I shifted my focus to half marathons and marathons, building on over 40 years of running experience.
My coaching journey began in 1997 as the Head Cross Country Coach at Farmville Central High School, where I led the boys' team to a dominant 36-0 conference record (1997-1999) and three consecutive championships. The girls’ team also claimed a conference title in 2000-2001. I was honored as the Eastern Plains Conference Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1999.
Since 2014, I’ve been dedicated to coaching individual runners, helping them achieve their personal bests. Most recently, I founded East Coast Running, LLC on February 7, 2024, to provide expert coaching and support to runners of all levels.
Whether working with athletes in person or online, my coaching approach is built on positive relationships, personalized guidance, and open communication. I believe in motivating and supporting each runner while providing prompt, constructive feedback to ensure continuous improvement.
Training plans are not one-size-fits-all. I tailor each program to fit evolving fitness levels and accommodate scheduling conflicts from work, school, and life’s unexpected challenges. Open communication is key—I’m always available to adjust workouts as needed, keeping you on track and moving forward.
Athletes have unlimited access to me via text, email, and scheduled calls, ensuring you always have the support and guidance you need to stay focused, confident, and running strong.
Coach Marty is working diligently with my 17 year old son, who has been running since middle school. He's able to fill in the holes and bridge the gap to help get my son to work towards achieving the goals he set and get to the next level. Coach Marty is flexible and able to ask the right questions to get my boy to reflect on recent races and what actions could help him perform better. I highly recommend him.
Coach Marty is knowledgeable about running and understanding challenges for our grade school runner. He is approachable and available for guidance. We really appreciate how he explains and communicates up front about safety and is open to discussing our concerns. Thank You.
Chance came to us wanting to up his running game. As non-runners, we weren’t sure how to support Chance in this. I searched the internet and found Marty. Marty has had a positive influence on Chance’s running! Want to up your game? Reach out to Marty Baker!
An amazing coach, he gets to know the athlete. In the short time he’s motivated my son. Marty is such a positive impact!
It has not been quite a month that Coach Marty has been working with Landon. We’ve already seen actual improvement in both his time, speed and endurance. I think the best part of this has been an attitude change in Landon . Not that he had a bad attitude .He has a much more confident and relaxed atmosphere , about being able to accomplish his goals . I would recommend coach Marty to anyone , to help improve their performance in their favorite sport, running and endurance being a big part of most sports.
Great coach. He is thorough with what he does and is ready to train and explain all of the training process. Will definitely follow up training in the near future.
We booked an in-person session with coach Marty for my 14 year old granddaughter. She ran and trained but just could not improve her time. After our first session with coach Marty we knew we had made the right decision. He was helpful and flexible to help make our session possible. You can tell by talking with him that he is very knowledgeable and passionate about running and coaching. He took his time to learn what Gracie's goals were before developing a easy to follow weekly training plan. She loves her weekly plans and say they are never dull. I would highly recommend coach Marty. He is a fantastic coach and an amazing encourager.
Many of you may know lots about training and many of you may not. Regardless, most of the time you need guidance and accountability to move “up” to the next level... consider a coach like Marty Baker! Marty was one of my teammates when we ran for ECU. I know firsthand that he has an incredible work ethic and is passionate about people and is loyal to his friends and causes.
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