Hi, I’m Emily

“I started working with Emily a little over six months ago, initially focusing on my marathon
training for Philly 2024. Strength wasn’t a priority for me during my first marathon cycle, but I
knew it was an area I needed to improve. I followed KnightFit’s Marathon Training Strength
Program and absolutely loved it. My strength, speed, endurance, and confidence all
skyrocketed. I recovered faster from my workouts and experienced fewer aches and pains along
the way. Even though I wasn’t one of Emily’s one-on-one athletes at the time, she always took
the time to answer my questions and offer guidance over Instagram.
After setting a huge PR in Philly, I realized I wanted to take my running to the next level and
better balance marathon training with my full-time job. It was clear that I needed an educated
coach to help me make that happen, and there was no question in my mind that I would reach
out to Emily. I love everything Emily stands for and her approach to training. Now, eight weeks
into my Boston Marathon training, I’m hitting paces I didn’t think were possible in my speed
workouts.

Beyond running, training with Emily has led to growth in many other areas of my life. As
someone who struggles with knowing when to rest and slow down, Emily has taught me the
immense value of rest and recovery. She’s also helped me shift my perspective on fueling my
body. After years of battling negative body image, I’ve learned that food is fuel and I am
deserving of love and happiness.

Emily is so much more than a coach—she is both a role model and a friend. She inspires me
every day to push toward my goals while embracing joy in the process.”

“I want to take a moment to thank Emily for everything she’s done for me over the past year. When I started training for my first half marathon, I never imagined I could achieve what I did. Your guidance, encouragement, and structured training plan gave me the confidence I needed to not only finish but to enjoy the journey.

Now, as we work toward breaking my 10k record, I continue to feel stronger and more confident, thanks to her support. She’s not only helped me grow as a runner, but also inspired me to push beyond my limits with every workout. Your patience, belief in me, and dedication have made all the difference. You’re always there to make quick changes and switch things up to work with my schedule or how my body is feeling week by week. It has also been a great personal learning journey for me to learn what I need to ask for help with and what I personally want to work on with running and strength training.

I’m so grateful to have you as my coach and look forward to achieving even more with your help.”

“I joined Knight Fitness after finding Emily on Instagram and doing a few of her workouts. After connecting with her I knew that she was the coach for me. She is so kind and easy to talk to, and she made me feel comfortable in my running abilities. I started her coaching after a pretty traumatic event in my life that caused me to put my running on hold. Emily helped me find my passion for running again, and created a program that is tailored to my needs. I have become stronger and faster with Emily as my coach, and I feel like I gained a new friend. Thank you to Knight Fitness for helping me reignite my passion for running and strength training. I am forever grateful to be apart of the program.”

“I’ve been working with Emily since last February… coming up on 1 year! I started working with Emily after running my first marathon and falling in love with racing again. Coming back from collegiate racing, I knew I wanted a whole new mindset around my training. Before my coach had a completely different philosophy and approach to running and what worked for me … it felt like we were working against each other rather than with each other. It couldn’t be more opposite with Emily. Not only do our philosophy and approach to training/racing align but we work as a team. I started with Emily just to build a steady strength routine that would better improve my running & over all health. After seeing amazing progress not only physically in the mirror but also physically by relieve severe neck pain I’ve been struggling with off & on. Earlier this fall I set out to run a marathon with a goal time of sub 3. I had only ran one before at a time of 3:14. Emily got to know me and my busy schedule but also all the things I enjoy and needed to keep implementing while setting after this intense goal! I missed my goal by 2 minutes … BUT I shaved 12.5 minutes off my time in less than one year!! Emily never doubted me and always pushed me in the ways I needed it most … whether that was to believe I could hit certain times or to let my body rest when not 100%. I am so glad I get to continue to work with her during this next cycle focusing on speed & strength for a 5k PR! I haven’t given up on my sub 3 goal and I have no doubt with Emily as my coach I will crush it!! I can honestly say not only did I gain such an encouraging and motivated coach but also a friend that I not only share my passion for growing as an athlete but as a person.”

“I would like to take a few minutes to thank Emily for all her guidance, support and encouragement throughout this marathon training block.  This will be my first ever marathon, taking place in spring so I’m in the heart of training now. Thank you for customizing this plan to fit me and my goals. And always being available to help with any questions I may have! I’m truly enjoying this marathon build. I can’t think of a better coach and person to see me to the finish line!”

“I am so thankful for Emily and the Knight Fit Hybrid Half-Marathon training program! With her help, I just completed my 4th half marathon. In the past, I’ve just trained to complete a half, not really to race it. I also just kind of accepted that I was a slow runner and never tried to improve.

When I came across Knight Fit on Instagram, I decided to give her program a shot. I typically hate strength training, and I’ve never done speed work. But Emily’s plan was easy to follow, and worked with where I was in my personal fitness…and it was also tons of fun!

My initial goal was to run the half at an 11 min/mile pace. But when that became my easy run pace, I decided to try to run faster! I came in at 2:18:26, way ahead of my previous time of 2:49:11!

I’ve got big running goals over the next few years, and I plan on using Knight Fit as a tool to help me reach them!”

“It is close to 10 years since I ran long distances. Emily has been such a vital addition to restarting my running journey. I have done the 5k and 10k work on my own but knew I would need guidance from a professional for my half marathon and that’s when I found Emily. She took time to get to know me and my goals. She adjusted my training plan to suit my busy life as a full time working mom and based on my capabilities. She patiently listened to my worries and happily answered any questions I had related to my training. My goal pace for this half marathon was 13min/mile and to finish before the 3 hour mark. I crossed the line at 2:46:40 with a 12:36min/mile. I FINISHED STRONG!

“I’ve been working with Emily for a few months now and this has been the best training program I’ve ever experienced. When I started, I could barely make a mile, and now I can easily run a 5K and more. That combined with the strength training has completely transformed my body. I feel confident and strong. I’m lifting heavier than I ever thought possible and running faster and longer than I ever dreamed. Emily is such an amazing coach and cheerleader! She’s super flexible and creates workout that are just enough challenge, but not too much challenge. I am so thankful that I sent that DM!”

“I’ve been working with Emily 1:1 for 11 weeks now and with my half marathon rapidly approaching, I’m very excited to see the end result. Emily has been an amazing coach during this training block. She is readily available, supportive, and super helpful. She reaches out to me often to check on my progress, which shows that she genuinely cares about her clients. Emily is also very flexible and listens to any concerns or questions that you have and is willing to adjust your training plan if needed.

Her strength program that comes with the 1:1 training has also been beneficial to my performance. I have already noticed differences in muscle tone and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the results. I also noticed improvements in my running. Prior to training with Emily, my easy runs were about 10-11 minutes/mile and now they are low 9 minutes/mile. I was confident that my easy pace would not improve, but it’s so refreshing to see that they are getting faster. Speed work is starting to click and I’m able to hit my paces. I feel like I am becoming a faster runner and stronger overall, and I have to thank Emily for that. I would recommend her as a coach to anyone and I look forward to working with her in the future.”

“Coach Knight’s program has been great it offers both running and lifting and each have progression in intensity which help lead to results. I ran my first sub 1:30 half marathon after following her plan. And I have gotten much stronger in the gym. The lifting plan has definitely helped in recovery, which I wasn’t expecting! It definitely was helpful having preset times dedicated to recovery.
Coach is consistent in checking and great at making adjustments to the plan based on life. She’s encouraging and consistent in checkins. Love working with her!”

“I started one-on-one training with Emily about 3 months ago.  I had a half marathon I had been training for, but I wanted more guidance.  Not only have I had a TON of support, knowledge, and STRENGTH (her strength program is awesome.  Highly recommend), Em has joined me in the adventure of healing my injury!  An injury I was dealing with before I started here but I didn’t think it was a big deal….I was wrong.  She supported me during my two weeks of not running and increased my strength days.  Now she is giving me NON-RUNNING WORKOUTS (cross training) in addition to strength to help keep my cardio up.  As I learn more from the doctor, we adapt the program together.  When I’m feeling down, she helps bring me back up!  She is super knowledgeable, and is your biggest cheerleader. You would be silly not to have her help you reach your goals!

“Emily’s training program is thoughtful and personalized, focusing on steady, achievable progress over time to help runners achieve their goals. Her in-app fitness program is both challenging and accessible and an excellent asset to the running plans she provides for her clients. As a coach, Emily is a relentless cheerleader who encourages runners to listen to and respond to their bodies as needed. I was nervous about getting back into running while healing from an injury and managing other health issues, but Emily’s positivity and enthusiasm for rest and recovery is inspiring and the running program she devised for me has helped me fall back in love with this sport.”

“Working with Emily has been a transformative experience for my running journey. From the very first session, her passion, expertise, and personalized approach stood out. Emily took the time to understand my goals, whether it was improving my speed, increasing endurance, or preventing injuries, and developed a plan that was perfectly tailored to my needs.

Not only did I see noticeable improvements in my performance, but I also gained a deeper appreciation for the mental and physical aspects of running. Emily provides the perfect balance of motivation and encouragement, pushing me to achieve my best while keeping the sessions fun and engaging. This was my personal first time using a coach and Emily has been super helpful at guiding me as well with what to ask and being supportive when I am sure.

I’m grateful for Emily’s guidance and highly recommend it to anyone looking to take their running to the next level, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned athlete. The planning schedule was not overly complicated and easy to follow and maneuver around.”

“Emily has transformed my relationship with food, movement, and my body in the best possible way. I struggled with an ED for years, and her transparency about her struggle, bringing it to light, and seeing her conquer her own struggles has helped me tremendously with my own. I have never felt stronger, more powerful, confident, or had more endurance than ever before! We are doing a running and strength program which I truly look forward to completing each day! Would highly recommend her as a coach for strength, running, or both!”

“Working with Emily as my running coach has been an incredible experience. When I started, I had only run a half marathon and was eager to improve my speed while training for a full marathon. Emily has been the perfect blend of kindness and encouragement, always holding me accountable while ensuring I stay motivated.

She has been especially invaluable as I’ve juggled various weddings, trips, and backpacking excursions. Emily has skillfully adjusted my marathon training plan to keep me on track while making sure I get the necessary rest for my body.

Thanks to Emily, I’ve never been healthier or more disciplined in my life. My speed has improved dramatically—what used to be an “easy” pace of 10:30-minute miles has now become a comfortable 9:30. I’m so grateful for everything she does!”

“When the burnout started to subside for the second time, I knew I needed to make a change.  If this sport was going to be for me, I needed help to make it enjoyable again.  Enter Emily Knight! I told Emily all about my injuries and the burnout I was continuously feeling after every race.  She told me that I had been running too much. I didn’t even know that was possible! She suggested I start from the ground up, to slowly build mileage for the first few weeks.  At first, I was a little embarrassed.  Surely I could do more than a 5K long run.  But I trusted the process, and low and behold, that 5K was long enough.  By doing low mileage four times a week, a few things started to happen. First, I no longer was feeling the pain in my ankle that I had had for the last year and a half.  Rather than pushing it to its limit like I had done previously, we worked on strengthening the muscles around it, both with repetitive miles and specific exercises in the gym.  I also noticed that my mental health finally started to get better.  If I struggled with the speed run, I could reach out to Em and ask for guidance rather than just beat myself up about it.  Her advice and optimism would play in my head when things got hard. She was right, I was training hard and I had come so far. I could do this.

Fast forward to the last month  before the race.  I had been fairly consistent with my training throughout the holidays and was ready for my last few weeks before the taper…my 11 mile long run was on the horizon, and I couldn’t wait.  Then, Los Angeles caught on fire.  For days, we were surrounded by fires to the North, East and West of us, with smoke and soot filling the air and sneaking through cracks in the windows.  It was devastating.  Time stood still while we watched and waited until the firefighters got the worst of the blazes contained.  All I wanted to do was run to try to clear my head and make sense of what was happening, but I couldn’t.  Finally, after almost a month of dangerous air quality and evacuation orders, our neighborhood was able to resume life as before.  But I was scared.  Despite desperately wanting to be able to run while the fires were raging, I was now terrified that if I ran outside I would damage my lungs.  On the flip side, I was also scared that if I missed another week of running, all my progress would be lost, and I would get hurt in the race again.  I shared my frustrations/fears with Emily and she guaranteed me that the work I had put in wouldn’t disappear overnight.  That missing a few runs at the end of a training block wouldn’t make or break my training.  I wasn’t convinced, so I drove to a clearer area and mapped out a 10 mile run, fully expecting to die at mile 6.  But I didn’t.  If anything, I felt that infamous runner’s high for the first time in years between miles 7 and 8! I couldn’t believe it.  When I closed out the 10 miles, I felt like I could’ve kept going.  I had no pain, my breathing was under control and my brain was quiet for the first time since the fires began.  I was ready for my race.

I started the race slowly, keeping towards the back of my corral and waited for my body to find its rhythm. I picked up the speed a little bit, keeping my form and repeating Emily’s “I can do this,” over and over until my feet flew over the finish line.  I could’ve kept going.  I wanted to keep going.  I had never had that feeling before.  I checked in at the med tent, got the all clear and started back to the car, waiting for the crash that always came post half marathon.  But it never did.

Though this race wasn’t as fast as races past, this one was by far the most successful.  I not only made it through without any new injuries, but I also didn’t suffer the 3 month burnout that usually begins the day after the race.  I took a few days post race off running, but not because I didn’t want to.  I worked on recovering and resting, all while counting down the days to my first shake out 5K.  I am so proud of the strong athlete that I am becoming, both physically and mentally, and I can’t wait to begin planning my next race with Em.”

“3 years postpartum, I decided to take the leap and run a 1/2 marathon: to prove to myself that I can do hard things. Soon after signing up for my 1/2 marathon race, I found Emily.

I have had the pleasure of working with Emily for several months. In that time, I’ve come to know her as a committed, knowledgeable, and attentive coach. Being a novice runner, I truly was interested in finding the ‘joy’ in running.

Emily has been beyond accommodating and understanding of my experience level. She changed up the routine often to make it fun, yet challenging. Having one-on-one meetings with Emily was extremely beneficial because I truly felt her joy when we spoke and it rubbed off on me and my own training path.”

“I’ve been working with Coach Em as I’m training for my second half marathon and can’t speak highly enough of the KnightFit training program and Em as a coach. Two things that have set KnightFit apart for me are: