Coogan was coached at the University of Maryland by Charles Florence Torpey, who headed the Men's and Women's running teams at La Salle University until his untimely death. While in college, Coogan specialized in the steeplechase. Coogan was the first Massachusetts native to run the mile in under four minutes.[1][failed verification] In March 1995, at the Pan-American Games (Mar del Plata, Argentina), Coogan earned the silver medal in the Marathon, in a time of 2:15:21. He ran the marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, placing 41st with a time of 2:20:27,[2] after placing second in the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon with at time of 2:13:05 (his lifetime best). He also placed third in the U.S. 2000 Olympic Trials Marathon with a time of 2:17:04, but did not compete in the 2000 Sydney Olympics because he did not achieve the Olympic "A" standard qualifying time. He retired from competitive running in 2004.[3]
Coaching career
He has served as head coach of several cross country teams, including at Phillips Exeter Academy and Tufts University, and coached the distance runners at MIT for three years. Coogan served as the Dartmouth College women's cross country head coach after serving as an assistant for one season, and the assistant coach for the track programs as the primary coach of the distance runners.[4]
In June 2021, Mark successfully coached American New Balance sponsored distance runners Elle Purrier St. Pierre of Vermont and Heather MacLean of Massachusetts in the 1,500 meters at the Olympic Trials at Haywood Field in Eugene, Oregon. Both women will represent the USA at the Paris Olympics.
Personal life
Coogan has three children, two daughters, Katrina Coogan, a professional runner for New Balance Boston, and Margaret Coogan, who runs at George Washington University, and a son, William Coogan, who runs at UNC-Chapel Hill.
