Let Me Run Executive Director Paul Martino shares the reasons behind his love of running and Let Me Run.
Running goes beyond the physical for me. I’ve been running for over 35 years, and I’ve found that it also recharges me mentally and socially. I run solo for the peace of mind, the ability to think clearly, and focus my thoughts. And I run with friends for the comradery and positive energy. Charlotte has such a strong running community, and I’m glad The Charlotte Running Club brings us all together.
My appreciation for running led me to Let Me Run in 2009. As a former pediatric physical therapist, another passion of mine is helping children. Let Me Run combines running with the development of boys’ social and emotional health — so from the start, I was all in.
I joined Let Me Run as a volunteer coach for one of the first four official teams. I immediately felt a strong connection to the program’s mission and main objectives for boys to discover the greatness within themselves, to appreciate the qualities of others and to live a healthy lifestyle. The positive impact Let Me Run makes on boys, coaches, parents and everyone who comes in contact with the program blew me away.
That’s why I changed course in 2013 from my physical therapy career to lead the Let Me Run team as Executive Director. The Let Me Run program has now reached over 12,500 boys with teams across 23 states.
We’re always looking for volunteer coaches across the country. Coaching a Let Me Run team is one of the most rewarding things I have done, and I have heard from so many others how their experience coaching Let Me Run has changed their life. Coaching is a great opportunity to share your love of running, but also guide young boys to live into their full potential. The more coaches we have, the more boys we can reach. Our goal is to reach millions of boys, so every one can live an authentic, healthy life. To become a coach, visit LetMeRun.org/coaches.
Paul’s Fast Facts:
- Has run 63 marathons or ultra-marathons
- Has run a marathon in 32 states
- Longest run was 55 miles in a 12-hour event
- Favorite 3 marathons:
- Boston – For what it means and the fan support
- Peak to Creek – For the solitude and beautiful course
- Louisiana – For the great organization, perfect weather, and the post race party
