Built to Win: Cole Boone’s Breakout Season

Cole Boone didn’t just run fast this winter. He matured as an athlete. It was a season full of highlights, with a national record in the indoor 1000m (2:20.14) and a win at New Balance Nationals in the 800m (1:48.29). But more than the marks, it was how he got there—building a system, learning to race with confidence, and using COROS tools to take control of his training.

Training Alone with the COROS System

At a small school in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, Cole Boone often trains alone. His coach can’t always be at practice, making data even more important.

Cole has trained with COROS throughout his high school career, and joined the COROS NextGen program in 2024. “I got the new PACE 3, the Heart Rate Monitor, and the POD 2—which is probably my favorite.”

Boone often runs in areas with dense tree cover. That’s where the POD 2 has become a key part of his toolkit. “If I don't wear it, the paces can get messed with here and there, but the POD 2 really keeps it accurate.”

That stability mattered as Boone shifted into indoor season. After a short base-building block after cross country, he hit a high volume of high-stakes meets. “This season was probably the busiest I’ve had" he said. With major regular-season invitationals, his high-school team's postseason meets, and New Balance Nationals, it was a heavy load of racing.

One of Boone’s favorite workouts using COROS was a treadmill session: 16x400m at 75 seconds with 35 seconds recovery. Structured directly on the watch, the reps clicked by without distraction, and helped him hit his targets precisely.

For treadmill sessions, Cole builds the workout ahead of time on Training Hub. This gives him precise timing for every rep, without ever needing to touch a button.

Breaking the 1000m National Record

At the Virginia state meet, Boone lined up with confidence, but no expectations of what was about to happen. He had been hovering around the 2:23 mark in the 1000m all season. But this time, everything clicked.

"My coach told me to hit 27 through 200m and just keep going. Not to overthink it."

He came through 800m at 1:49—his personal best for the open 800m just weeks earlier. The bell lap disappeared into adrenaline. Boone crossed the line in 2:20.14, a high school national record.

"I was stoked about that, but I didn't wanna get too in my head about it, because I still had nationals coming up" he said.

New Balance Nationals: Closing the Deal

A few weeks later, Boone returned to the track for the 800m championship at New Balance Nationals. This time, with pressure.

"I was pretty confident, but a little nervous at the same time. It was the first race where I had a lot of expectations."

But Boone returned to the same plan: hit the opening split, stay composed, and finish strong.

"I ran 51 through the 400. I thought, 'Oh my gosh. This is gonna be fast, and I might die.' In the last hundred meters I locked up, but I had enough room to get through the finish line without getting caught."

He clocked 1:48, taking the national title—and proving that he could not only race fast, but race to win.

What Changed?

Cole attributes much of his leap to better balance: working with a coach who’s closer to home, and embracing tools that support his mental game. One of the biggest additions was working with a sports psychologist.

"I never believed in it before, but it's really worked out. It's really nice to be able to look at those pressures from a different perspective and not be so burdened by them, but actually use them."

He’s made technical changes too. “I look for cadence because I tend to overstride,” he says. “That causes shin pain, so I try to make sure I'm not lengthening my stride as I go.”

During this process, he also started implementing small recovery details, like dry needling. It helped address any lingering calf issues from overstriding.

What's Next

The indoor season was full of changes and adjustments. With his new coach, he spent much of the winter refining his training methods to find what works best. For the outdoor season, he's looking to settle into a more consistent training routine and build his fitness even further.

"When I get all of that stuff worked out and put together, then I'm excited for what I've got in store."