ABOUT PROJECT GOLD
FLAGSTAFF, AZ
MILES OF TRAILS / ELEVATION 7,000 ft
​
DRIVE. GRIT. EXCELLENCE
REQUIRED:
THE LOVE OF RUNNING
Project Gold campers come from all over the country. Project Gold's vision is to bring runners together to help them achieve their personal best and support one another. Our mission is to help every runner realize and understand the steps it takes to reach their own personal 'gold'.
​
All of our counselors and coaches are runners too, and understand what it takes to provide the support each runner needs. Each of our campers get the opportunity to learn from notorious coach and PHD, Tom Schwartz. Our counselors are division one collegiate runners ready and excited to share their own advice and experiences with our campers.
​
Project Gold Running Camp is located at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. Flagstaff is widely regarded as the best place for distance runners to train in the country. Located in the world’s largest contiguous pine forest with over 64 trails and views of the San Fransisco peaks makes it a runner’s paradise. Flagstaff is situated at 7,000 feet above sea level and about 145 miles from Phoenix, AZ.
​
​
YOUR CAMP
EXPERIENCE INCLUDES
​
​
ROOM & BOARD
Shared room + 3 meals a day
​
COOL STUFF
Camp t-shirt
Goodies from sponsors
- Xendurance
- Chicken Legs
DAILY LECTURES
Nutrition, sleep, training, college and recruiting advice,
sports psychology (visualization and empowering techniques)
WORKOUTS
Running, strength, stretching
​
ACTIVITIES
Team competitions throughout the week, sunset on the mountain at
Arizona Snowbowl, free time around the NAU Campus,
track relay night and a sunrise hike to end the week!
​
LAST NIGHT CEREMONIES
Awards night, ice cream, and a celebration!
​
​
​
​
MEET OUR STAFF
CAMP DIRECTOR, FOUNDER
MEGAN
PING
CAMP DIRECTOR, FOUNDER
RYAN
PING
HEAD COACH
TOM
SCHWARTZ
Megan Ping, camp director and lifelong runner, is a chiropractor with a strong emphasis in sports and nutrition. She was a collegiate runner at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Her passion lies in helping others achieve their greatest success. At Project Gold, she helps to organize events and speakers, and teaches on the subjects of nutrition and supplementation, including vitamin D, iron, ferritin, and the female menstrual/hormone cycle. Some of Megan’s recent PRs are marathon time 3:01 and 5K time 17:58.
​
​
​
​
​
​
Ryan Ping, camp director, speaker and lifelong runner. Ryan grew up downhill ski racing and playing club soccer but quickly found his love for running after getting married to Megan in 2002. Ryan is a partner at Edward Jones where he specializes in goal setting, visualization, and planning. He brings his skills and passion for running as a speaker at camp. He motivates runners in goal-setting sessions with an emphasis on keeping the dream alive, even through the struggles. Some of Ryan’s PRs include marathon time 2:39 and 5k 16:01.
​
​
​
​
​
Since 1989, Tom "Tinman" Schwartz has been coaching elite open and high school runners across the USA. He started at the collegiate level as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, while serving as a graduate assistant for the dept. of Exercise Science. In the early 90’s he coached at Concordia University—Chicago, by the mid- 90’s he started coaching independently, and at present he coaches 25 elite runners. Last year Tom coached four national champions and one team champion—winning the USATF Club Cross-Country Championships for the second year in a row.
​
​
