"If it weren’t for Jack Braconnier, I wouldn’t be where I am today.  Jack and I ran track together at Cardinal O’Hara high school. Jack was always one of the best runners on our team and he definitely was the most passionate.

After high school Jack introduced me to the world of marathons and triathlons. I ran my first marathon with him in 2008. We then ran Boston together the following year. After Boston I decided I really loved the marathon scene and I set a life goal of running 1 marathon in every state. I also decided I wanted to complete a full Iron Man. Right now I am training for my 16th marathon and I completed the lake placid full Iron Man in 2014. Again, if it weren’t for Jack I wouldn’t be where I am today.

As for coaching, Jack turned me into a machine. Of the 15 marathons I’ve run, for the most part, I train on my own and build my own schedules. When I had Jack formally coach me for my 3rd marathon (Rehoboth, DE) I had a result that still blows my mind today. I ran Rehoboth in 2:46:49 and then the next day I ran the Philadelphia half marathon in 1:22:53. The schedule he put together was very demanding and he really pushed me to follow it. He made sure I didn’t skip any days or “water down” any of the workouts. He knew what I needed to do to crush this run and thanks to him I did. Jack also coached me for lake placid in 2014. Oh and he surprised me by coming up to support me and other athletes at lake placid. At mile 1 of the run, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a Mohawk running towards me! It was a sight I very much welcomed after a long swim and bike!

​Jack knows his stuff. He is passionate about his athletes and their success but more importantly he cares about them as individuals. He is a great person to have in your corner!"

- Matthew Van Thuyne