About Waybound
I’m not here to just get you across the finish line. I’m here to help you understand why you’re running in the first place, and how to run in a way that aligns with who you are. As a UESCA-certified ultrarunning coach and runner who has raced and reflected through 200+ mile events like the Cocodona 250, I’ve learned that the real training happens between the lines: in the decisions you make on cold mornings, the stories you tell yourself at mile 10 and kilometer 100, and the ability to let go when the body says no. I’ve spent years navigating the physical, emotional, and psychological terrain of long-distance running, including the heartbreak of injury and the quiet victories of coming back stronger. That journey shapes everything I offer as a coach.
Waybound is grounded in a simple idea: endurance is not just physical. It’s mental. Emotional. Personal. And no two runners carry the same reasons, histories, or rhythms. My coaching blends lived experience on the trails with data-informed planning, injury-aware strategy, and a mindset-first approach that respects your goals without feeding burnout. You won’t find generic mileage templates here. What you will find is:
Thoughtful structure tailored to your life, terrain, and capacity
Honest, collaborative support that grows with you
Flexibility to train hard and back off when needed
An emphasis on meaning, not just metrics
Whether you’re training for your first 50K, aiming for a 100-mile podium, or trying to rebuild your confidence after time away from running, I’ll meet you where you are. Coaching with me is not about proving yourself—it’s about becoming more grounded in who you already are, and running in ways that reflects that. Waybound is for runners who want more than a result. It’s for those who care about the process, the path, and the person they’re becoming along the way.
A little bit about Jonathan van Geuns
Jon is a trail and ultrarunner with a deep respect for the long, messy, meaningful process of endurance. He has raced events up to 250 miles, and brings firsthand knowledge of what it takes to train, adapt, and persevere; physically and mentally. But Jon’s approach to running goes beyond performance. With a background in research and a lifelong curiosity about how people grow through challenge, his coaching is as much about self-understanding as it is about split times. He works with runners of all levels to build training plans that are intentional, flexible, and aligned with the runner they already are, and the one they’re becoming.
Jon is 41 yrs, lives in Montreal, Canada and grew up in the flat lands of the Netherlands. He is a human rights lawyer and researcher by day, runs year-round through snow and heat, and believes the best training happens in the quiet decisions you make when no one’s watching. Jon coaches athletes in English and Dutch, and is also able to support runners online in French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese.
Jon’s ultra running story, in short
Jon is also an ultrarunner and curious student of endurance in all its forms. What started as a casual habit on the roads in 2014 slowly evolved into a deep relationship with trail and ultrarunning, forged through windstorms, mountain solitude, podium finishes, and everything in between. Yet he didn’t start with any trail running or hiking experience.
Like many, Jonathan’s early running life revolved around collecting finish line medals and pushing limits without much structure. A half-marathon here and there, racing often, training instinctively, and never imagining he’d one day run 100 miles, and more. He found himself running a 45k beach marathon in brutal gale-force winds just outside the podium, and then lining up for the Rotterdam Marathon just two weeks later.
In 2018, living in London, he stumbled upon photos of a new race in some rugged mountains in Wales. Captivated, he convinced a skeptical race director to let him into a brutal ultra despite having no formal trail experience. That winter, he cut his teeth the hard way: running solo up and down snowy peaks with no poles, no vest, and no clue what he was getting into. Except that it felt very right. From there, the pull of the mountains grew strong.
He went back a few months later to scout the course, carrying a map and some food, and managed to cover 60% of the terrain in three days. Twice he came down the wrong side of the mountain, lost in the mist. And loved it. When race day came, it went as expected: he started too fast, developed a brutal shin infection, and had to hike most of the course. He was cold, dehydrated, and nearly cut off at one point. But 45 hours later, he finished in the top 10., where over 75% had DNF’d. He was, without question, a different person at the finish.
Jonathan has now completed over 25 ultramarathons across Europe and the Americas, including seven 100-milers and one 200+ mile race. He’s returned to Snowdonia again and again, and in recent years has embraced his competitive side, finishing most races on the podium, including a 8th place at the prestigious Cocodona 250 in Arizona.
This year hasn’t gone as planned so far, and that’s part of the game. Jon raced a 100K in March as prep for Cocodona; the day didn’t go how I hoped, but he still landed on the podium. An injury kept him from lining up at Cocodona this time, and sidelined a few other plans. But if anything, it’s made his focus sharper in going back to Arizona, and showing up stronger, smarter, and fully ready to race.
Racing is only part of the story. Jonathan’s approach to running, and now to coaching, is shaped as much by failure and reflection as it is by finish lines. He knows the sting of DNF’ing and injuries, the victories of coming back stronger, and the mindset shifts required to go deeper, not just farther.
About Waybound 