For athletes from middle-distance track to 100 mile ultramarathons.

Meet the Coaches Behind Magnum Opus

We provide evidence-based running, strength, and health coaching for athletes who want to train smarter and perform longer.

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Meet Our Team

Great performances are not accidental.

They emerge from thoughtful training, patient development, and a deep respect for the body's capacity to adapt.

At Magnum Opus Coaching, our team helps athletes build range, resilience, and longevity so they can pursue excellence without sacrificing health.

 

Our coaches collectively bring:

50+ maraton and ultramarthon finishes

Boston qualifiers and podium finishes

Certifications in running, strength, and integrative health

Decades of coaching and teaching experience

Award winning coaching

<p>Nelle Fox</p>

Nelle Fox

Founder and Head Running Coach

<p>Heather Dougherty</p>

Heather Dougherty

Running Coach

<p>Zach Mathias</p>

Zach Mathias

Sprints, Jumps, and Power Coach

NELLE FOX

Founder / Owner

<p>Founder / Owner</p>
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"Performance built on wellness."

 

Education and Certifications

  • ​Bachelor of Science, Birmingham-Southern College

  • Master of Education, University of Virginia

  • Running Coach (RRCA, USATF, V.02, UESCA)

  • Ultrarunning Coach (UESCA)

  • Integrative Health and Endurance Nutrition Coach (IIN and UESCA)

  • Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor (NASM and TRX)

  • Gait Analyst (Run DNA)

  • Menopause-Specialist Coach

 

I’ve been an athlete for as long as I can remember, competing in cross country and track through middle and high school, earning multiple all-state titles and state championships. But it wasn’t until after the birth of my second child in 2013 that I fully stepped into endurance running.

 

In the postpartum haze, curious about what my body was capable of, I built my own training system, blending science-backed structure with accountability. Within 10 months, I had set personal records across multiple distances, won a trail race championship, and discovered the philosophy that now defines my coaching.

 

Sustainable performance requires the integration of physiology, strength, recovery, and joy working together to prevent burnout.

 

Over the years, I’ve continued evolving as both athlete and coach: repeatedly Boston Qualifying, completing more than 30 marathons and ultramarathons, and earning certifications to support mastery of my craft as a coach.

 

Based in Virginia, I work with runners who want more than a plan, or just mileage. My goal is for every athlete I coach to leave not just faster, but more intentional, resilient, and confident.

HEATHER DOUGHERTY

Running Coach

<p>Running Coach</p>
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Heather journey as a runner began in middle school, where she first discovered the joy of running. What started as a way to clear her mind and challenge herself evolved into a lifelong passion. For Heather, running has always been about mental wellbeing, community, and the thrill of competition — bonds forged on miles of trail and road with friends who became family.

Over the years, Heather has embraced the world of ultrarunning, pushing beyond marathon distance to tackle a wide range of demanding events. She has competed across multiple distances, from rugged 50Ks to grueling 100-mile ultramarathons, consistently testing her limits on challenging terrain.

A hallmark of Heather’s ultrarunning career is her success at some of the sport’s toughest events. She earned podium finishes in four out of five Hardrock 100-mile race qualifiers, highlighting her ability to compete at a high level on technical, mountainous courses that demand both physical strength and mental resilience.

Heather’s approach to running is grounded in balance — she runs for mental clarity, values the friendships built on the trail, and thrives on the challenge of competition. Whether lining up for a local ultra or a premier mountain race, she brings determination, grit, and a deep love for the sport to every start line.

ZACH MATHIAS

Coach

<p>Coach</p>
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Coaching Specialties:

  • Track & Field

  • Cross Country

  • Football

  • Baseball

  • Power Lifting

I was first introduced to the sport of track and field as a freshman at Spotswood High School. While track was in my blood, I had primarily been a baseball player up until then. But in the spring of my 9th grade year, I made the switch to outdoor track and never looked back. After 4 wonderful years of outdoor track, and 3 years of indoor, I made the decision to run at the collegiate level and signed with Concord University in Athens, WV as a dual sport athlete. It was during my freshman year at CU when my athletic career and my future got turned upside down, after sustaining a career ending spine injury in football season. I didn’t know it then, but that injury would lead me down the road to where I am today. With losing my ability to play sports, I lost all motivation in school, and ended up coming home after the fall semester of my third year.

I had no idea what I was going to do, but about 2 months later I received a message from one of my high school coaches, who was now the Head Track Coach at the newly opened East Rockingham High School. They were in need of another assistant coach for their upcoming inaugural season. This was it, this was my chance to reconnect with the sport I once fell in love with. Fast forward 13 years, and the rest is history!

I’m not just a high school coach, my passion has grown into so much more.. enter Excel Rocktown, now Magnum Opus Coaching! Coaching isn’t just my job, it's who I am. And I look forward to sharing this passion of mine through Magnum Opus Coaching.

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