Hello! I’m Coral, a Squamish-based mountain athlete, endurance coach, and climate action professional. I started running as a teenager as a way to stay fit and began racing half marathons in my early 20s. I always ran on trails, so when I discovered trail races about 10 years ago, I was elated. Since then, I’ve raced in distances from 12k to 100 miles and have learned a lot about how to train for and execute races and big events. In addition to running, I spend a lot of time backcountry skiing, mountain biking, bikepacking, and mountaineering. Mountain sports have helped me to discover my strength, potential, and community.
I decided to start coaching for a few reasons. First, I love helping people to discover joy and empowerment through running and mountain sports. I’ve helped many people with big mountain objectives, whether it’s running their first ultra distance, riding a hard mountain bike trail, or brushing up on crevasse rescue skills. I enjoy helping people train, sharing (hard-earned) knowledge, and watching people discover grit and potential they didn’t know they had. Second I love learning about all things mountain sports and endurance. I stay up to date on nutrition, gear, weather, routes, hormones, physiology, and training best practices, and I’ve been applying this knowledge to my own training for years. Third, through my day job, I discovered that I love helping people grow, thrive, and realize their potential. I lead a climate action department focusing on climate change policy and risk management, and I work with employees and colleagues to support their goals and aspirations through creative problem solving, coaching conversations, and strategy.
For more information on coaching, please visit this page.
I have been running for over 20 years and am an experienced mountain biker and backcountry skier. I have planned and executed races, single-day trips, and multi-day trips on my feet, my mountain and gravel bikes, and my skis. Here are some highlights:
- Second place finish at Kodiak 100 mile, California, 2024
- Mount Logan attempt on skis, Yukon, 2024
- Sea to Squirrel route, BC, 2023, 2024
- Circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe, on mountain bike, California, 2023 (combination of Bones to Blue and Tahoe Twirl routes)
- The Fool’s Loop 400k on mountain bike, Arizona, 2022
- Coconino 400k on gravel bike, Arizona, 2021
Education & Qualifications
Certified Ultrarunning Coach, United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy (UESCA), 2025
Master of Public Policy degree in climate policy & resource economics, Simon Fraser University, 2016
Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in Environmental Studies & Psychology, University of Victoria, 2012
Registered Yoga Teacher (200 hour), MokSana Yoga, 2012
Coral Buitenhuis 