Head coach Renee Gunning uses V.O2 to train state champions and first-time runners on the same roster while keeping the team off Strava.
About Penn Charter Girls Cross Country
William Penn Charter School is a small Pre-K through 12 independent school in Philadelphia. Head coach Renee Gunning, a two-time Division I All-American, found her way into coaching almost by accident, when the Penn Charter athletic director offered her a job after spotting her training on the school’s track. She now leads a roster of over 30 athletes that includes some of the country’s top young distance runners as well as newcomers to the sport.
The Challenge
Before V.O2, Renee hand-calculated paces using the VDOT Calculator, then built and updated an individual Google Sheet training log for every athlete, every week. Renee jokes that this essentially constituted a second full-time job. The deeper challenge was meeting the needs of everyone, from state-record holders to novice runners, while carefully managing volume and intensity to prevent injury and burnout.
Why V.O2
- VDOT-Based Personalization at Every Level. Every athlete trains at paces calibrated to their own fitness, loaded and adjusted by group rather than one Google Sheet at a time.
- Individualized Data Without Public Exposure. Full coaching visibility into paces, heart rate, and workout data without any of it being shared publicly.
- Built-In Accountability and Communication. Athletes log how workouts feel, track season goals, and message coaches directly, turning the app into a training journal and private communications platform as much as a workout tool.
Coaching High Schoolers, Not Just Athletes
Renee is deliberate about keeping her team off Strava, and direct about why: public platforms invite comparison, create anxiety among teenagers, and expose route details. For a highly ranked team, public course-record boards can become an additional source of pressure. V.O2 gives Renee’s coaching team everything they need to coach well, with none of it on public display. The gamified accuracy “bullseye” feature of the app encourages the team to hit their prescribed pace and distance. Simple prizes, like a fancy hair tie, incentivize the girls to stick to the plan as closely as they can.
Results
- Team Titles at Every Level. The varsity cross-country squad ended the 2025 season ranked 16th in the nation as well as conference and state champions. JV athletes who were cutting workouts short early in the season became fully accountable once they realized coaches could easily see their run data and went on to sweep the JV conference championship.
- Health Over Time. A deliberately low-mileage, cross-training-supported program applies individualized pacing and strength work to protect athletes who are still physically developing.
- Stronger Coach-Athlete Relationships. The shared training journal and direct messaging build trust between athletes and coaches.
- Confidence Built on Data. VDOT’s equivalent-race predictions have helped athletes trust their training. One runner who doubted she could break 2:20 in the 800m based on her mile and 5K times even shocked herself when she clocked 2:13.
- Season-Over-Season Feedback Loop. After falling a mere three seconds short of qualifying for Nike Cross Nationals, full training data let the coaching staff identify an early-season peak and correct it before the next campaign.
“We tell the girls we’re only as good as our last runner. If our last runner keeps getting better, it bumps everybody up in front of her, and that trickles all the way to the front of the pack.”
— Renee Gunning, Head Coach, Penn Charter Girls Cross Country
Looking Ahead
Penn Charter’s goal this season is to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals. With a full season of V.O2 data behind them and adjustments already made from last year’s near-miss, Renee and her coaching team are building on a program that develops every athlete on the roster, not just its fastest ones. That’s what it takes to punch your ticket to nationals.
Ready to Bring V.O2 to Your Program?
Whether you’re coaching a handful of runners or a large and varied roster like Penn Charter’s, VDOT Coach gives you the tools to individualize training, protect long-term athlete health, and build a culture of communication and unity across every age and ability level.
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