EP13: How a State Champion Distance Coach Builds Complete Athletes with Andy Derks

What does it really take to build a championship distance program — and are miles enough? In this episode, I sit down with Andy Dirks , head cross country coach at Plainfield North , fresh off a state championship , to break down how he develops complete athletes , not just distance runners. We explore the parallels between distance training and speed development , including: Why sprinting still matters for distance