Today we’re excited to feature Joan and Marc Hunter, now the head coaches of Tinman Elite and formerly the masterminds behind Loudoun Valley High School’s rise from an average program to a national distance running powerhouse. Under their leadership, Loudoun Valley won back-to-back Nike Cross Nationals team titles (2017–2018), produced 10 individual national champions, and claimed 18 state titles across cross country and track.

Their success wasn’t built on intense or insane training methods. Instead, the Hunters emphasized smart, consistent preparation, while developing leadership and a strong team culture.

We asked Joan and Marc about what it takes to build a championship team - from the preseason training focuses, to developing young leaders and fostering a positive team environment. Don’t miss out on this exclusive expertise as your cross country season begins!

XC Training For High School Teams

Preseason Focuses, Leadership Development & Team Culture

with Coaches Joan and Marc Hunter

Preseason Focuses

For our program, “preseason” really began in late June and stretched into early August. This period set the foundation for the entire season. Practices focused on:

• Routine & Consistency: Athletes grew familiar with a 30-minute dynamic warm-up that included activations, injury-prevention exercises, drills, and strides. For some newcomers, this was already a workout.

• Gradual Progression: Beginners started with run-walk sessions, while returners steadily built mileage. By August, long runs ranged from 50–90 minutes depending on age, training history, and summer participation.

• Workouts: Once per week, we incorporated critical velocity sessions—such as fartlek pickups, 200m hill reps, or 800–1000m repeats paired with hills. Paces were set based on breathing rate and effort, not just numbers on paper, ensuring workouts stayed sustainable.

• Strength Work: Short post-run strength circuits were part of the routine. We had a huge team so we had to be creative with our strength training some years, since 130 kids can't use the weight room at one time. We would often do rotating circuits outdoors or in small groups.

• Strides & Recovery: Most other days were easy runs, sometimes ending with short strides. New athletes were closely monitored and adjusted as needed.

By the time official practices began in mid-August, our athletes had already logged six weeks of structured training and established the habits that would carry them into racing season.

Leadership Development

We did not name captains every year, but when we did, athletes had to embody at least 8 out of these 10 core qualities:

1. Dedicated to the sport; year-round commitment to Track and Cross Country

2.  Respected by the coaches; high character individual

3. Respected and liked by teammates

4. Leads by example

5. Good student

6. Not afraid to challenge teammates to get better

7. Not afraid to approach coaches about issues

8. Takes on responsibility; takes a lead role in organizing events

9. Recommends ways for the team to get better

10. Attends >95% of practices

Leadership wasn’t limited to captains. We also liked to provide small leadership opportunities to returning athletes. Here are some examples:

• Circuit Leaders. We would give an experienced athlete a small group to lead through our strength circuits after runs.

• Workout Leadership: On workout days, we would post the training groups and paces for the workout. We'd then assign someone to be the 'leader' of each workout group and keep everyone on track with the paces and recovery intervals.

• Team-Building Opportunities: Upperclassmen were encouraged to host fun team events like breakfasts or other gatherings.

We didn’t force leadership, we let it happen naturally. More was expected in this area from returners and upperclassmen.

Team Culture

Team culture is a tricky thing. Coaches can set expectations for behavior and try to make it a fun experience, but really, the kids on the team are the ones with the most power to make or break the environment you are hoping to have. Here are some thoughts on building team culture:

• Bonding Events: One fun thing we did that helped kids establish friendships and get to know each other was a 24 hour relay fundraiser in the summer. We put kids on 3-4 teams, depending on how many kids we had, and each kid would run a mile and hand off to the next kid. We kept going for 24 hours, with kids usually covering 8-10 miles each over the 24 hours. We camped out and parents grilled food for us and brought breakfast in the morning. So much fun.

• Modeling & Mentorship: Younger runners emulated the habits and enthusiasm of the upperclassmen. When older athletes encouraged newcomers, it transformed the team dynamic.

• Inclusivity: We emphasized that every athlete mattered—not just the fastest. EVERYONE had workouts tailored to their level, including rep distances and paces. We emphasized that we wanted to be a strong team at invitationals, in ALL the races- 9th/10th grade JV, Varsity A, Varsity B, Upper class JV, etc. We celebrated improvement and PRs (as much as we kinda hate emphasizing 'PRs" in cross country, but that's another topic...). We also would point out to new runners how much progress they made over the first few weeks of beginning running, such as when they worked their way up to an hour long run- something some of them could not even imagine as possible when they began running!

• Accountability: On our national championship teams, athletes spent time together outside of practice and kept one another honest—working hard, staying disciplined, and still finding joy in the process.

A healthy culture meant that athletes weren’t just chasing times, they were part of something bigger. Every role contributed to the team’s success at the championship level.

⚒️ Hire A Coach! ⚒️

We have an awesome team of coaches ready to help you reach your running potential from wherever you’re starting from. Head over to our website to learn more about each coach and find the right fit for you.

Featured Training Plan

12-Week Beginner Half-Marathon Training Plan for Busy Schedules 🗓️🏃

This 12-week training plan is designed for runners with tight schedules who want to effectively train for a half-marathon. The plan balances key workouts, manageable mileage, and essential rest to maximize efficiency and results.

Week 1-2 Focus: Establishing a running routine and building base endurance.

Week 3-4 Focus: Adding intensity and extending long runs.

Week 5-6 Focus: Building speed and stamina.

Week 7-8 Focus: Increasing mileage and maintaining speed work.

Week 9-10 Focus: Peaking in mileage and refining race strategy.

Week 11 Focus: Tapering begins; reducing mileage but maintaining intensity.

Week 12 (Race Week) Focus: Final preparation and rest.

Reach out to us via email ([email protected]) or DM us on Instagram if you’d like us to recommend a plan that’s right for you.

Making Running Fun Again

You asked, we answered! See below for Coach Anthony’s response to a question submitted in last week’s newsletter. If you have a question, you can submit one through the poll at the bottom for a chance to be featured in the next newsletter!

Answer From Coach Anthony: “Trying to keep the motivation to train once you’re no longer running on a team with your friends every day can be difficult. Here are a few tips to keep that same passion for the sport as you had in high school:

If you’re in college, join the college’s run club. If you’re not in college, join a local run club. It’s more enjoyable to run with people and you can make new friends that have a similar interest.

Change up the routes you run and explore new trails and roads. Running the same route(s) every day can get boring and make running less enjoyable.

Run with your friends. Just because you aren’t on your high school team anymore doesn’t mean that you can’t meet up with the same people that made the sport enjoyable in the first place.

Sign up for a race. Getting something on the calendar is a great way to spark that drive to keep training.