Anthony Calderon Photography
Wildfires Elite Endurance Club
A Smarter Way to Develop Young Distance Runners
Most youth endurance programs focus on workouts and race schedules. We focus on mastery.
Too often, young athletes are placed into canned training plans and frequent all-out races. The naturally gifted runners win simply because they can hold on longer—not because they’ve learned how to race well. The result? Slower overall performances, inconsistent training habits, and athletes who never truly learn how to pace, compete, or unlock their full potential.
At Wildfires Elite, we do things differently.
We Teach Athletes How to Train
Young endurance athletes don’t just need workouts—they need guidance. Our priority is helping athletes develop the skill of consistency. That means:
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Learning how to execute workouts at the correct pace
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Finishing sessions strong instead of fading late
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Building fitness methodically rather than burning out
During practice, our adult coaches rotate among athletes, actively pacing and guiding them through workouts. Instead of going out too hard and surviving the second half, athletes learn to control effort, complete sessions properly, and maximize the physiological benefit of every training day.
Anthony Calderon Photography
We Teach Athletes How to Race
Racing is a skill—and we coach it intentionally.
We use two forms of in-race coaching to help athletes master the art of the negative split. In many races, our coaches run alongside athletes, guiding them in real time and reinforcing sound racing principles. In other events, coaches assign specific pace targets and position themselves strategically on the course to monitor, regulate, and evaluate execution.
Through this process, athletes learn to:
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Feel and control their pace
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Trust the discipline of negative splitting
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Stay composed while others surge early
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Finish aggressively and overtake competitors late
They learn what it means to let others lead the early stages—only to unleash a decisive finishing move when it matters most.
The result? Personal bests earned through patience, intelligence, and discipline—not desperation.
Anthony Calderon Photography
Long-Term Development Over Short-Term Wins
We are not interested in who can hang on the longest.
We are interested in who can develop the furthest.
By emphasizing pacing intelligence, structured progression, and controlled racing efforts, our athletes improve steadily—without the burnout that comes from constant all-out efforts. They gain confidence, durability, and a deep understanding of their own abilities.
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At Wildfires Elite, we’re not just building faster runners.
We’re building smarter competitors.
Club Organizer - Jarod Ebenhack
Anthony Calderon Photography
Coach E, as he is known by his athletes, is a USATF-certified coach, Certified Personal Trainer, and competitive masters-level distance runner who continues to train and race at a high level. At 50 years old, he is still running sub-17 in the 5K and sub-5 in the mile—bringing not only coaching expertise, but firsthand competitive credibility to his athletes.
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He doesn’t just teach training principles. He lives them.
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Coach E holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership, which shapes the structure and culture of the Wildfires Elite program. His approach blends performance science, long-term athlete development, and disciplined leadership. He is deeply committed to ongoing research and the continual refinement of training and racing methods to ensure athletes are developing intelligently—not just working hard.
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Beyond workouts and race strategy, Coach E prioritizes organization and communication. The program is intentionally structured so that athletes and parents are never left guessing about expectations, schedules, or development plans.
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The result is a system built on clarity, consistency, and long-term excellence—designed to develop not just faster runners, but disciplined competitors and confident young leaders.
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Some of his recent accomplishments include:
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2016 Sun Sentinel Coach of the Year
3rd Overall in the 2019 Santa Clarita Half Marathon (1:20:01)
8th Overall in the 2022 Ventura Marathon (2:42:08)
2013 USA Olympic Triathlon Nationals Qualifier
1st Overall in the 2024 Pasadena Triathlon Angel 5.4k (18:40)
5th Overall in the 2024 Santa Clarita Independence Day 5k (16:54)
1st Overall in the 2025 Heritage Valley 5k (17:17)
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TOP ATHLETES WHO TRAINED UNDER COACH E
MIA BARNETT - 2019 FOOTLOCKER WEST CHAMPION
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Mia Barnett has trained with Coach E in 2019. A naturally talented track athlete, Coach E worked with her to increase her aerobic endurance and lactic threshold. Just like in past years, she was able to win the CIF-SS Division 5 Championship in cross country. Added to that honor, Mia was able to run a personal best by over a minute from previous years to win the Footlocker West Region at Mount SAC in 17:02.40. While running for Coach E at Village Christian, Mia posted PR's in the 1600m (4:46.12) and 3200m (10:22.51), as well. Her father attributes this increase in speed to the focused interval work in which Coach E paced Mia at paces she was not accustomed to sustaining in her normal practice routines.
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RYAN SZKLANY - 2018 SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR; 2018-2019 FIRST TEAM ALL-SCC
Coach E began coaching Ryan in the 7th grade. A standout athlete in Florida, Ryan medaled at the state level
in both track and cross country numerous times throughout his middle school and high school careers. He is a graduate of Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he attained a degree in engineering while competing all four years on the Eagles' cross country and track teams.
