Lori McGee Koch
Lori McGee Koch is an USATF certified coach and the Head Coach of CES with over 15+ years of distance coaching experience. She has coached athletes from the college cross country level all the way to the adult marathon club coaching level. Her running career started in college after losing over 75 pounds. At her college, the cross country coach found her running on the track one day and asked her to try out for the team. It turned out she was fast enough to compete on the team. She went on to become an NAIA All-American cross country athlete. Since college Coach Lori has completed over 75 half marathons, 34 marathons, 2 ultra marathons and 5 triathlons. She has had two children during her time coaching and trained and ran marathons during both pregnancies. During her time as a coach she has been quoted in several publications including Runner's World , The Chicago Tribune and Chicago Athlete Magazine; Chicago Athlete Magazine.
Her additional experience includes being an official Nike Run Pacer for 10 Chicago Marathons, 6 other marathons across the region, and over 30 half marathons. She also is the pace director for several large Chicago races including the Soldier Field 10 Miler, the North Shore Half Marathon, the Chicago Rock and Roll Half Marathon, and the Chicago Spring and Fall Half Marathons.
By day, Lori is a trained research Occupational Therapist and neuroscientist managing a prosthetics and orthotics robotics lab at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Her own research focuses on wearable sensors, sleep, performance and recovery.
Her passion is to help athletes build consistent running or run/walking routines and feel a love of the sport.
Coach Lori’s specialties:
First time marathoners
Running while pregnant
Run/walk running and run/walking to drive PR’s
Building mileage plans that fit a variety of lifestyles
Personal PR’s and Selected Accomplishments:
I mile: 5:45
5K 20:09
10K 40:36
Half Marathon 1:37
Marathon 3:37:54
50K 6:08:15 (7 weeks post partem)