Now in his third season on the Park Blocks, Jonathan Marcus has revitalized Portland State's distance programs as the Vikings' assistant coach in charge of distances.
Marcus' greatest influence so far has been his work with Viking distance runner Sarah Dean, who became the first Big Sky title-winner to run under Marcus when she won the women's 1,500 meters at the 2014 Big Sky Outdoor Championships. Dean also set the school record in the 1,500 meters earlier in the outdoor season, and qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in the 1,500 and 10,000 meters (Dean chose to only run in the 10,000 meters at the meet). Marcus coached Dean to a seventh-place finish at the Big Sky cross country meet as well, making her the Vikings' first All-Big Sky cross country runner since 1999.
Additionally, Dean set the school record in the women's indoor mile as one of three Viking distance runners to set school records during the 2014 indoor season under Marcus. Besides Dean, Camelia Mayfield shaved more than 40 seconds off her own record in the women's indoor 5,000 meters, while T-Roy Brown broke an eight-year-old record in the men's 3,000 meters with a time of 8:21.04 at the UW Indoor Preview (1/18/14).
More recently, Marcus helped lead the Portland State men's and women's cross country team to historic 2014 seasons. Both the Viking men and women posted their first dual wins in close to 10 seasons in 2014, while the Viking women placed sixth at the Big Sky Championships for the team's best finish at the conference meet since 2007. The Viking women also recorded their lowest point total (172) since 2005 at the meet, while the sixth-place finish out of 12 teams marked the program's highest-ever finish in the Big Sky relative to the size of the conference.
The Viking women then followed their historic showing at the Big Sky meet by tying their second-best finish at the NCAA West Regional, where they placed 17th out of 34 teams for their best finish since 2003.
Meanwhile, during the indoor and outdoor track seasons, Marcus helped lead Camelia Mayfield to the NCAA West Preliminary in the 10,000 meters, the second time Mayfield qualified for the regional 10,000 meters under Marcus. Mayfield's qualification also marked the third straight season the Vikings have had a runner qualify in the 10,000, all of which have come under Marcus.
Amanda Boman also broke the Portland State school record in the indoor 5,000 meters during the 2015 indoor season, while the Viking men's distance medley relay team also broke a 10-year-old school record in the event.
Additionally, Marcus led freshman Jose Macias to the 2015 USATF Junior Outdoor Championships, as Macias qualified in the 10,000 meters after running a personal-best 31:57.31 at the Portland Track Festival.
In his first track season (2013) with the Vikings, Marcus coached a trio of women - Amber Rozcicha, Bianca Martin, and Mayfield - to the 2013 NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in the 1500 meters, 1500 meters, and 10,000 meters, respectively. At the 2013 Big Sky Outdoor Track & Field Championships Martin and Rozcicha placed 2nd and 3rd, respectively, giving the Vikings two spots on the podium for that event, a program first. Rozcicha set the school record for the indoor 3,000 meters that year as well.
Outside of his coaching responsibilities, Marcus also frequently serves as a meet director for the Vikings' home cross country and track and field meets. In 2015, Marcus co-directed the first annual Rose City Preview with University of Portland assistant coach Chad Colwell, giving the Vikings their first home meet since 2000. Marcus also started the Viking XC Classic, which the Vikings have hosted each of the last two years with the inaugural meet in 2013 representing the program’s first regular-season home meet since it became a Division I program in 1996.
Before coming to Portland State, Marcus spent time as a coach in the Division I, NAIA, post-collegiate club and Oregon High School levels at the likes of University of Portland, Warner Pacific College and Franklin High School. He is also currently involved in the local and national running community with the Portland Track Festival, USA Track & Field, NIKE’s Bowerman Track Club as well as the Run Portland and Team Athena running clubs.
From 2010-12, Marcus served as an assistant with the men’s and women’s cross country and track & field programs at the University of Portland. At Portland, Marcus was part of the men’s cross country staff that saw the Pilots finished 8th and 12th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2011 and 2010, respectively. Marcus mentored multiple All-American distance runners during his time with the Pilots, including school record-holders Alfred Kipchumba (13:40 – 5,000m outdoors) and Trevor Dunbar (8:03 – 3,000m indoors).
Additionally, Marcus significantly enhanced the community outreach efforts of the University of Portland cross country and track & field programs. He founded the successful annual Tuesday Night at the Races All-Comers indoor track racing series, which now features over 120 athletes per meet in the series. He also served as meet director for the Pier Park XC Invite, Portland Indoor, Pilot Indoor, and Half Time Mile meets.
From 2008-10, Marcus was an assistant cross country and track & field coach with Warner Pacific College in Portland, Ore. At Warner Pacific, Marcus assisted with the development of three NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National qualifiers: Jonathan Graves (men’s 3,000m steeplechase), Brett Van Ash (men’s decathlon), and Karim Shakalia (men’s 10,000 meters).
Marcus also coached at his alma mater, Franklin High School in Portland, Ore., from 2007-2010. In 2010, he coached Julia Fonk to an OSAA 6A Championship in the girl’s 1,500 meters (4:36), as well as a 12th-place finish in the 1,500 at the USATF Junior National Outdoor National Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Fonk set 6 school records (800m, 1500m, 3,000m, 4x400m, DMR, 4x800M) on the track for the Quakers under Marcus’ tutelage.
Marcus also assisted with the development of Bryce Burgess during his time at Franklin. He helped coach Burgess to two OSAA 6A titles in the 3,000 meters (2007, 2008), as well as the 2007 OSAA 6A State Championship.
When not coaching and recruiting for the Vikings, Marcus is heavily involved with the development of the sport on the local and national level.
Since 2011, Marcus has served as co-meet director for the Portland Track Festival, a local high-performance meet in early June in the Portland area.
Marcus was appointed USA Track & Field High Performance Coordinator for the men’s middle distance in 2011. Marcus’ national role with USATF includes serving as co-meet director for the prestigious USATF High Performance track meet held annual at Occidental College.
In 2010, he received the Scott Hamilton Award from USA Track & Field in recognition of his significant contributions to the Long Distance Running program at the association level in Oregon.
Locally, Marcus has served on the Board of Directors for the USA Track & Field Oregon Association, as well as the Long Distance Running Committee Chairman, since 2009. He is the meet director for the annual USATF Oregon Cross Country Championships and the USATF Oregon Road Mile competitions.
Marcus also works with many post-collegiate athletes in the Portland area. Currently, he is the Head Coach for the Team Athena running club. Additionally, he is the men’s elite coach for the Run Portland running club. He also coaches a handful of national class athletes who compete for the NIKE’s Bowerman Track Club, which include his wife, Kirsten Rohde, as well as Julia Webb, who is married to the current American record holder in the men’s 1 mile & Olympian, Alan Webb (a former volunteer assistant coach for the Vikings).
Rohde has qualified for three USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships in the 3,000 meters (2012-2014) as well as the 2014 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in the 10,000m & 5,000m. She has set PRs of 4:22 (1500m), 9:24 (3,000m), 15:57 (5,000m), 34:16 (10,000m), 77:28 (half marathon), 2:50:20 (marathon) with Marcus as her coach.
Julia Webb has become a one of the US’ top women steeplechasers under Marcus’ tutelage. Since working with Marcus she has qualified to the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships twice (2103, 2014) in the event. At the 2013 Championships in Des Monies, Iowa Webb placed 9th. The same year she set her current lifetime PR of 9:55.
Marcus has worked with several other national and world class athletes. He coached the American Record Holder in Men’s Mile, Alan Webb, as he transitioned from professional running to the triathlon. Marcus oversaw Alan’s training for his final races as a professional track & field athlete which included a USATF Oregon Cross Country individual championship in the fall of 2013. Additionally, Marcus guided Karlee Coffey, the 2013 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Champion in the women’s 5,000m & 10,000m for Eastern Oregon University, to a 33:26 PR in the 10,000m. In 2013, Marcus coached Ethiopian native Dirbia Degefa to PRs of 3:42 (1500m), 7:50 (3K), and 13:50 (5K - road) as well as numerous road race victories.
A life long runner, Marcus still finds time to train and compete on a local level. He finished 5th overall at the 2012 Portland Marathon, running the course in 2:33:19. His name can be found in local race results on weekends when the Portland State Vikings are not competing.
Marcus is a Portland, Oregon native and graduated from Columbia University in the City of New York in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree in religion studies, specializing in philosophy and ethics. Marcus was a four-year varsity letterwinner in cross country and track & field at Columbia. He holds lifetime PRs of 3:52 in the 1,500 meters, 8:19 in the 3,000 meters, 9:15 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, 14:15 in the 5,000 meters, 30:16 in the 10,000 meters and 2:31:48 in the marathon.
Marcus and his wife, Rohde, reside in Portland, near the trails of Forest Park.
