Sarah Wassner Flynn

I have a decade of experience coaching cross country and track & field athletes, primarily at the high school level, with a focus on distance running and individualized athlete development. For the past three years, I served as Associate Head Coach for cross country and track at Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, a nationally recognized program. There, I helped build the distance program from the ground up and coached athletes across cross country and track & field, while also contributing to recruiting, admissions, competition logistics, travel, and overall program communication.

I competed as a Division I student-athlete and have continued to train and compete as a lifelong endurance athlete. I have completed five marathons and dozens of half-marathons, qualified for the Boston Marathon, earned All-American status in triathlon, and qualified for the World Championships in both the Olympic-distance and half-Ironman distances. I have also competed in HYROX twice. These experiences have given me firsthand insight into the demands of high-level athletics, including the discipline, preparation, and commitment required to perform at a high level while balancing other responsibilities. My athletic background has strongly shaped my coaching philosophy and allows me to relate directly to athletes navigating the transition from high school to collegiate competition.

As a coach, I have developed athletes competing at the highest levels of high school distance running and track & field. My athletes have earned national titles, national and state records, All-American honors, and regional recognition. Most recently, an athlete I coached won the Freshman National Title in the 800m at the 2026 New Balance Indoor Track National Championships, setting a freshman meet record.

My athletes have also established high school national records in relays, a junior class record in the 800m, a Maryland state record in cross country, and numerous school, meet, and state records in events ranging from the 500m through the 5000m. I have coached more than a dozen high school athletes to All-American honors in track & field, as well as athletes who earned Nike All-Region honors in cross country.

Several athletes I have coached have gone on to compete at NCAA Division I programs, including Stanford, Georgetown, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, the University of Central Florida, Colgate, and St. Bonaventure. These experiences have given me a strong understanding of how to develop athletes from their early high school careers through elite national-level competition and prepare them for collegiate athletics.

While my own competitive background was at the Division I level, one of the most rewarding aspects of my athletic career has been carrying that experience into coaching and helping athletes achieve at the highest levels of the sport.

Clients can expect every session to be tailored to their individual goals, experience, and current fitness level. I believe in meeting athletes where they are and building a plan that is both challenging and appropriate for where they are in their development. Whether the goal is improving race performance, building endurance, developing speed, or preparing for a specific event, I customize each session to meet the athlete’s needs.

A typical one-hour session begins with a conversation about the athlete’s goals and how they are feeling that day, followed by a dynamic warm-up and running drills designed to prepare the body for the workout. Depending on the athlete and their goals, the main session might include track intervals, tempo running, hill repeats, fartlek work, or other race-specific workouts. I adjust the volume, intensity, and recovery based on the athlete’s fitness and experience.

Throughout the workout, I focus on running mechanics, pacing, effort, and technique, while providing real-time feedback and adjustments. My goal is not simply to have athletes complete a workout, but to help them understand why they are doing it and how it connects to their larger goals.

We finish with a cooldown and a brief debrief to review the session, discuss what went well, identify areas for improvement, and determine how the workout fits into the athlete’s overall training plan.