Get the proven system, expert coaching, and supportive community that helps you crush 13.1
If you’re like most everyday runners, you’ve probably felt stuck: the nagging injuries, the frustration of slowing down with age, or the constant confusion of piecing together random half marathon plans and advice.
That cycle leaves you second-guessing every step and wondering if running is even sustainable long-term.
But here’s the truth: you’re not broken, and you’re not too old. You just need the right system...one that’s designed for runners like you.
Inside the Team Healthy Runner Half Marathon Coaching, you’ll finally have the structure, expert coaching, and supportive community to take you from frustrated and inconsistent… to confident, strong, and running pain-free at any age.
Imagine waking up excited to train for your half marathon because you trust your plan. Running without the fear that every ache means another setback. Crossing the finish line proud, strong, and knowing you’ve set the example of health and resilience for your family.
That’s what’s possible when you stop guessing and start training smarter.
Frustrated by nagging injuries that seem to come back every training cycle?
Wondering if you’re too old to get faster — or if your body just isn’t built for half marathon running anymore?
Overwhelmed by all the advice online, unsure which exercises or half marathon plans will actually work for you?
Discouraged by the thought that every time you ramp up to 13.1, the same injury might return?
Hey there! I’m Duane — an everyday runner, running physical therapist, and coach with over 23 years of experience.
I created Team Healthy Runner Half Marathon coaching because I saw the same problem over and over again: runners were told to “just run more miles” or “take time off” when they got injured. But nobody was giving them a clear, step-by-step system to stay healthy, build strength, and actually enjoy running for life.
The truth is, most half marathon training plans only tell you how far or how fast to run. They don’t teach you how to prevent injuries, recover smarter, or balance strength, nutrition, and mindset — all the things that actually keep you running strong as you get older. That’s the gap this training program fills.
I know this because I lived it. I didn’t grow up a runner — I became one in my 30s. Like many adult-onset runners, I jumped in with big goals and little guidance. The result? A constant cycle of injuries — hamstring tendinopathy, runner’s knee, achilles pain, plantar fasciitis. I pushed too hard, got discouraged, and wondered if maybe I just wasn’t “built to run.”
But everything changed when I discovered the one truth most runners never hear:
Once I mastered the 6 key elements of smart training — mindset, strength, a structured run plan, proper nutrition, recovery, and race strategy — I finally broke the injury cycle.
Today, I’ve run 37 half marathons and 7 marathons injury-free, and more importantly, I now enjoy my mental clearing miles year-round without fear of setbacks in my mid 40’s!
For nearly two decades, I balanced my faculty role as a Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy with coaching runners and creating resources through the Healthy Runner podcast and YouTube videos. But the more runners I helped, the clearer it became: this is what I was meant to do. So, I made the leap to serve the running community full-time because helping runners thrive is my greatest passion.
That’s why I built the Team Healthy Runner Coaching: to give you the proven roadmap and support system I wish I had when I started. Inside, you’ll learn how to train smarter, avoid the endless injury-rest-repeat cycle, and finally feel confident chasing your half marathon race goals at any age.
If you see yourself in my story, this is your moment to make the shift too.
The challenge with 1:1 coaching is that I can only serve a small number of runners. I knew more everyday runners could benefit from what I was teaching and programming for my athletes. That's why I developed Team Healthy Runner Group Style Coaching specifically for the half marathon and if you join us, I'd love to help you, too.
Train smarter, stay healthy, and finally enjoy consistent, pain-free running (without the overwhelm).
Get the proven system, expert coaching, and supportive community that takes the guesswork out of half marathon training — so you can run consistently, avoid setbacks, and keep getting faster at any age...
Coach & Director of Community Outreach
LaToya Felton is a certified run coach, personal trainer and weight loss specialist through Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) and National Academy Sports Medicine (NASM).
LaToya is a mom of two who knows what it means to be a "busy mom" whether it was coaching cheerleading, working as a sales representative, being an active community volunteer or getting in her fitness.
In 2018, Latoya saw a need for helping those who were intimidated by running and organized local run/ walk sessions to expose the community to the joys of running.
Coach LaToya enjoys helping runners make their half marathon dreams a reality.
Coach- Executive Assistant
Whitney LaCombe is a certified run coach through Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) and USATF as well as a certified personal trainer.
Whitney lives in Southern Arizona and loves running both on the road and on the beautiful dessert trails. She knows what it means to run in the heat and enjoys training for marathons!.
Whitney lives with her husband and three children and understands the challenges of balancing family life with running! She was a stroller runner for many years and knows the challenges that come with running with your littles.
When not helping athletes online, Whitney is coaching her local middle school cross country and track and field teams.
Coach- Health Specialist
Cat Aniballi is a certified road, trail, and triathlon coach through UESCA. She is also a certified personal trainer, and group fitness instructor at the YMCA.
Coach Cat found running later in life but quickly realized it was what she loved. She truly enjoys helping runners of all abilities reach their goals no matter what pace or distance you run.
Cat is the “swiss army knife” of the coaching team specializing in treadmill running workouts, trail running, cross training, and all distances from couch to 5k to ultra marathon training!
She is truly living her passion helping others achieve their personal fitness goals!
Cat lives with her husband in Northford, CT
Coach- Speed Specialist
Lufeng Zou is a certified run coach through VDOT by Jack Daniels, ACE certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist.
Lu truly enjoys all aspects of helping runners get faster and reach their marathon dreams!
Lu is passionate about educating the running community about specific types of runs and when to implement during training to reach peak performance.
When not coaching his athletes Lu can be found pacing various marathons across the country as he pursues running a marathon in all 50 states.
Lu currently lives with his fiance in Wallingford, CT
Registered Dietitian for Runners
Brooke Czarnecki is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist specializing in nutrition for runners and endurance athletes. Brooke graduated with Bachelors of Science in Dietetics & Nutrition in 2019. Brooke has been a lifelong runner - one of the highlights of her running career was the opportunity to run as a Division III athlete in Upstate NY.
Brooke’s passion is to help runners and athletes fuel their body for sport so they can achieve their highest potential all while feeling their best.
Brooke currently lives in Virginia with her husband, son, and golden retriever but has lived in many places across the country as a military family.
(Frequently asked questions)
Team Healthy Runner is a 12-week step-by-step online half marathon training program focused on IMPLEMENTING life-changing structured runs and strength workouts as well as nutrition for runner education for your running and life.
We have a private support group, online training calendar, exercise worksheets & videos to guide you in organizing your training and staying healthy along the way!
The 12 week program starts Monday February 9th!
Registered for a half marathon beyond the 12 weeks? No worries, our program is fully virtual and you can still join our program! Our goal at Team Healthy Runner is to keep you motivated, stay healthy and running hitting your half marathon goals! As long as your race is between April 4th and May 17th, our coaching team can easily customize your program for your goal race!
As long as you can run 4 miles you are ready to start this 12 week journey building up to 13.1 miles! You will be surprised how your body can adapt and what you can accomplish when you have the support of a team behind you! In order to start you must have been running 3x/week for the past month and can do a long run of 4 miles prior to starting the program!
This is what separates this program from all other half marathon training plans! You will have a doctor of physical therapy on call!
You will have running injury expert, Dr. Duane Scotti design your running plan and guide you each step of the way to bridge the gap from your rehab into your half marathon training program.
If you are not sure if you are ready based on your injury and recovery, drop Dr. Duane a message through Facebook messenger, Instagram DM @sparkhealthyrunner, or email (duane@sparkhealthyrunner.com) to find out if this program is right based upon your current situation. If you require more personalized support and direction then you may be more appropriate for our signature 1-on-1 healthy runner coaching program instead of this group based coaching program.
We are 100% focused on helping you get stronger as a runner so you can continue getting in your mental clearing miles.
This program will guide you to implement run specific exercises to adopt a new level of confidence and strength with your running.
Next, We'll help you understand the importance of implementing strength exercises into your training so you can take control over your health as a runner.
Each workout will include a 5 minute dynamic warmup, foam rolling exercises for your top 5 running muscles, 60 (or 30) minute total body strength based workout, and stretching exercises to cool down.
This is a no-judgement, no-excuses program, centered on moving you toward complete control of your health regardless of where you're starting.
You will get ongoing access to the Healthy Runner Strength Program and all content for the remainder of the year.
You will also continue to have access to our community. You will be able to watch all previous in depth exclusive trainings by our coaching team after the 12 week period. However, no new content will be added after the 12 week training period.
If you love your progress so much and you want to continue working on your next running goal with the guidance your Healthy Runner coach, we do offer continuity options with our 1-on-1 signature healthy runner coaching program or membership into the Healthy Runner Academy (pending availability).
I'll give you 2 full weeks (check out your custom run plan built for you and complete 3 strength sessions) to try out the program. If you are not satisfied that this program will get you to your half marathon goals and decide it's not for you, I'll be happy to give you a full refund. Just send an email to duane@sparkhealthyrunner.com and we'll get you taken care of.
I had an incredible experience working with Coach LaToya and the Spark Healthy Runner team! Prior to joining the program, I had been running recreationally for 3 years, but knew little about how to incorporate strength training with my running.
The structure and strength training were invaluable, and I completed my training cycle without injuries! My schedule was personalized, and Coach LaToya was available to answer questions and walk me through any setbacks. For instance, when I got sick halfway through the training cycle, she helped me pivot and adjust my schedule. Her encouragement, support, and accountability were invaluable, and I was able to cut 6 minutes from my last half marathon! I also won a prize for having the fastest time in my group, which was a surprise.
Also, wanted to add - Coach Duane Scotti was very helpful when I was first considering joining the program. He took the time to jump on a free, one-on-one call, and was knowledgeable, thoughtful, and kind.
I highly recommend working with the Spark Healthy Runner team. Working with them, coupled with their resources from the Healthy runner podcast, were invaluable, and instrumental to me growing as a runner.
Founder & Head Coach
Duane Scotti, DPT, PhD, OCS is a running physical therapist, run coach, host of the Healthy Runner podcast, and founder of Spark Healthy Runner and has been a leader in the rehab and running community for 20+ years. He is truly living his passion educating the running community that they don’t need to stop running to get over a running injury. Through his signature 1:1 coaching program, weekly videos, and podcast episodes, he empowers runners to get stronger, run faster, and enjoy lifelong injury free running. Through strength and run specific training you can build your body to have a strong mind, strong body, and just keep running! Duane recently completed his 5th marathon feeling strong and healthy and will be running the Philadelphia marathon in the fall and the Disney Dopey Challenge for the second time in January!
Team Healthy Runner Half Marathon Coaching isn’t just a training schedule — it’s your roadmap to growth as a runner and in life.
If you’re ready to finally run with confidence, strength, and speed — while staying healthy so you can keep running for decades to come — this is your moment.
Say yes to running faster.
Say yes to feeling stronger and more balanced.
Say yes to showing your family what’s possible when you commit to injury-free, lifelong running..
I look forward to being your guide along the way.
Click the button below and register now. I'll see you inside the program.
Last Chance to Join Team Healthy Runner Half Marathon Coaching Before We
Close Enrollment on Friday 2/6/26 at 11:59pm ET!
If you've got questions or you're not sure if the team coaching is right for you,
email me at duane@sparkhealthyrunner.com
2026 Spark Physical Therapy, LLC