Todd Coffin In junior high, his older brother convinced him to go out for the cross country team. Coffin quickly excelled in the sport, especially enjoying home meets where the course ran through the fields and woods of his family’s farm. As a junior at Morse High School, Coffin was the Maine State Class A runner-up in both cross country and the 2-mile. During his senior year, he was the Mile Champion in the Maine State Class A Track Championships, running 4:20. Coffin was recruited by Colby College as a miler and ran the mile as a college freshman, with a best of 4:12. As a sophomore (1981), he tried the 3000 meter steeplechase and that same year went on to become the New England champion. Coffin later became a three-time NCAA Division III All American in the steeplechase, placing 6th in 1981, placing 2nd in 1982, and winning the National Championship in 1983, running 8:55. He describes his national championship as a “dream race.” Supported by family and friends he ran relaxed in light rain and went on to win by a straightaway. Coffin holds collegiate Maine state records in the 1500 meter run, 3:52.8, and the 3000 meter run, 8:17.6. In cross country, he was the New England Division III Champion in 1982 and a three-time qualifier for the Division III Cross Country Nationals, finishing 27th as a senior. He says he owes much of his success as a collegiate track and cross country standout to the never-ending positive support from his coach, Jim Wescott. Coffin continued running competitively after college. As a graduate student at Purdue University, he competed on the track and then ventured into road racing. He ran his first 15-K while at Purdue, narrowly losing to Canadian marathon champion David Edge. Following graduate school, he married his high school sweetheart, Lorena and moved to Houston, Texas where his brother was living. He enjoyed the camaraderie of a Texan running group who ran long runs on the weekends. With encouragement from his Texan running mates, Coffin ran his first marathon in Houston in 1987. The Houston Marathon took place in January with temperatures around 40 degrees, perfect weather for a transplanted New Englander; he ended up running 2:21 in his first marathon. A second entry at the Houston Marathon in 1989 resulted in a 2:19:36 finish. Had this been an Olympic Trials qualifying year, Coffin would have had the opportunity compete for a spot on the Olympic team. He moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1987 and had a great opportunity to run for Nike Boston with a number of future Olympians including Mark Coogan and Bob Kempainen. While running with the Nike Boston team, he ran the Boston Marathon in 2:27:04, placing 47th overall and as the 9th American. In his last year as a 30-something runner, in 2000, Coffin ran the prestigious Beach to Beacon 10-K and earned the title as the first Maine resident against the best field of runners in the state. Coffin entered the Master’s Division in 2001 with real spring in his step, winning the Patriot’s Day 5-Miler in Portland and then the April Amble. In 2002, he was recruited to run the Master’s National Mile and finished 5th in a speedy 4:29. Todd Coffin continues to run in the master’s division with speed and grace. His fantasy is to once again run the steeplechase. But for now, he is eagerly coaching the Colby College track and cross country teams. He enjoys developing young runners and watching them progress in the sport. He states that no matter how his running is going, he can always enjoy the success of the fine athletes he coaches. He resides in Freeport, at this writing, with his wife Lorena and their two sons, Alex (age 10) and Max (age 5). Todd Coffin’s Personal Records include: 1500m – 3:52.8, Maine State Collegiate Meet, 1983; 3000m – 8:15.9, Boston vs. New York Track Meet, 1989; 5000m – 14:27, Bud Light Track Invitational, 1982; 8-K – 24:07, Riverside Twilight 8-K, 1989;10-K – 29:48, Eagle Straight Shot Road Race, 1987; 10 Miles – 50:49, Worcester 10 Miler, 1988; Marathon – 2:19:36, Houston Marathon, 1989.
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