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Patrick Wales-Dinan on Why a Runner’s Best Season May Not Be Their Fastest One

Author : Patrick Wales-Dinan | Published On : 07 Oct 2026

Danville, California: Ask most runners about their best season and they will point to a personal record. Patrick Wales-Dinan, head coach of cross country and track at Monte Vista High School, sees it differently. After nearly two decades of coaching distance runners, he believes the best season is the one that builds an athlete for what comes next.

A Coach With Experience at Every Level

Patrick Wales-Dinan has coached at the high school, college and club levels since 2006. He graduated from Bates College in 2005 with a degree in economics and began his career as head coach at Traip Academy in Kittery, Maine. From there, he worked with programs at Williams College, Duke University, Harvard University and Long Beach State.

His athletes have included more than 20 NCAA All Americans and multiple NCAA Champions. Over 10 of them have gone on to qualify for the US National Championships and Olympic Trials. For the past seven years, he has also coached with the Bay Area Track Club, helping athletes compete on national and international stages.

That range matters. It gives him a clear view of how a runner's development unfolds from the early teens through the college years and beyond.

Why Speed Alone Is an Incomplete Measure

Times are easy to read and easy to share. They are also only one part of the picture. Wales-Dinan encourages runners and families to look at the whole season before deciding how it went.

A strong season, in his view, includes personal records but also shows up in other ways:

  • Steady weekly training without long gaps

  • Better race tactics, such as pacing and positioning

  • Growing confidence in tough conditions

  • A stronger bond with teammates

  • Healthy habits around sleep, food and recovery

A runner who improves in these areas may not set a record that year. But that athlete is usually better prepared for the next race, the next season and the next level.

The Value of Building a Foundation

Distance running rewards patience. Aerobic fitness, muscle strength and mental toughness grow over months and years, not weeks. Wales-Dinan treats each season as one chapter in a longer story.

This approach asks coaches to match training to the athlete's stage of growth. A freshman needs a different plan than a senior. A runner returning from a break needs a different plan than one who has trained for years. Good coaching means knowing the difference and planning ahead.

It also means celebrating progress that does not appear on a stopwatch. A runner who learns to stay calm in the middle of a hard race has gained something lasting. So has a team that learns to support one another through a demanding schedule.

Results That Reflect a Steady Approach

The record at Monte Vista shows what steady development can produce. In 2024 and 2025, Wales-Dinan led the Mustang girls to their 11th NCS Cross Country Championship, their second in three years. In 2023, the boys cross country team qualified for the state championships for the third year in a row. In 2022, they earned a top 10 finish at the CIF State Championships.

On the track, the girls team won three straight EBAL Championships from 2022 to 2024. In 2025, they captured their first NCS Tri Valley team title in program history. During his tenure, athletes have set 14 school records and posted more than 70 top 10 all time performances.

These results came from consistent work, clear goals and team culture where athletes feel supported.

What Athletes Can Take From This

For parents and young runners, Patrick offers few simple ideas:

  • Look beyond one result. A single time tells only part of story

  • Track the habits behind the numbers. Consistent training, good recovery and smart racing lead to lasting gains

  • Set goals that stretch over seasons. Big improvements with constant small steps

  • Value the team. Runners who feel they belong tend to work harder and enjoy the sport more.

  • Keep the love of running alive. An athlete who enjoys the process is more likely to keep improving

About Patrick Wales-Dinan

Patrick Wales-Dinan is the Head Coach of Cross Country and Track and Field at Monte Vista High School in Danville, California, and a coach with the Bay Area Track Club. With more than 18 years of experience at the collegiate, high school and club levels, he is known for developing distance runners who perform at a high level and grow as people along the way. His work has helped produce NCAA Champions, All Americans and Olympic Trials qualifiers.