Long-distance running is a major part of Coach Lucas Roof’s life. He and his family go on runs together on a regular basis in various locations. His wife (Coach Miranda Roof), his daughter Lila, and he enjoy the adventure of running somewhere new!
Coach Lucas graduated from Fannin County High School in 2000. He then obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and mathematics education from the University of Georgia (UGA) and received a master’s degree in educational psychology from UGA. He used his education at UGA to become a mathematics teacher at Forsyth Central High School in
Cumming, GA where he also coached cross country and track & field. As the coach at Forsyth Central High School, he helped lead and mentor multiple runners to personal best times, top-10 state rankings, and college scholarships. However, the most important part of his coaching stint is that he turned many high-school kids onto the sport of running that may have never grown to appreciate this amazing sport!
Although Coach Lucas participated in cross country while in high school, he did not fall in love with the sport of long-distance running until later on in life when he was coaching at Forsyth Central High School. Since that point, Coach Lucas has competed in many races including 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons, and marathons. He ran his best 5K at the age of 40 with a time of 16:57.
Coach Lucas now assists Coach Miranda with coaching the long-distance runners on the Fannin County High School Track & Field team. In the spring of 2022, he helped coach a boy and a girl to medaling performances at the GHSA State Championships. He also trains and mentors middle-school and high-school runners during the off-season. His favorite part about coaching continues to be showing the athletes how exciting and rewarding long-distance running can truly be!
Coach Lucas is extremely honored and excited to begin this journey of coaching with Gotta Run Kids. He cannot wait to help a new group of runners unlock their potential, be better than they were yesterday, and have fun!