CK Running

Charlie Kern began his running career while playing tag in the neighborhood. Who would have dreamed he’d be afforded the opportunity to run in numerous state championships, earn an athletic scholarship to the University of Kentucky, race all over the country and continue to train and race beyond his college days. He’s also achieved a life-long dream of racing in Europe at the age of 40 and winning

the 40-44 World Master’s age group championship in the 1500m. Charlie Kern began coaching in 1991 as an assistant cross-country coach at his former high school. His goal was to help his former coach and run with the current batch of high school athletes. Little did he know that this very short (two months) season would ignite a passion for helping others achieve their dreams. He has applied the positive attributes from his many coaches and mentors to create a philosophy of running that can be instilled into athletes of all ages. Running is a playful activity and it should always remain as such. Play does not have to imply easy; play can be extremely difficult. The chance to move across the ground in efficient ways and at a variety of speeds makes running a fun activity. Charlie Kern can teach you how to run more efficiently and train at a variety of speeds to make running a more enjoyable experience. Charlie has coached boys and girls at the middle school, high school and junior college level. He has worked with adults who have had zero running experience to the athlete who is national class. He has coached the athlete who wants to improve his 40-yard dash time to the athlete who wants to set her personal best in the Boston Marathon. He has worked with the serious track athlete and the national class triathlete. Charlie has worked with athletes in individual as well as group settings. Charlie has spoken at numerous functions addressing coaching methodology, making good choices, achieving your dreams, building a team and pursuing excellence. Charlie has been a certified teacher in Illinois since 1993. He has taught in the Oak Brook school system, St Joseph’s High School in Westchester, Plainfield High School in Plainfield and York High School in Elmhurst. He has taught Sociology, Philosophy, World history, American history, American government, special education and Spanish.

06/09/2025