John Donovan

Athletics has always played a central role in John’s life, but his passion for running has come to define his career. In addition to specializing in physical therapy for runners, he has become an elite ultramarathoner himself.  

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After completing his undergraduate degree at Luther College and earning a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Iowa, John began practicing in outpatient orthopedics. Very quickly however, he began to focus his career on running. At the time, John lived in the San Francisco Bay area and the region’s rich history of endurance athletics and reputation for innovation provided many unique career opportunities. He became a high school coach at Marin Catholic High School, working with track and cross country athletes, and advised a start-up in designing a virtual physical therapy platform for runners. He also began coaching runners on an individual level. 

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Competitively, John’s time on the West coast provided lots of exposure to trail running and he brought his love of off road running back to Iowa. Although he had focused on the middle distances as a collegiate athlete, he found success at ultramarathon distances in 2024. Winning 2 ultramarathon races, including a course record at the Tour de Dodge, he ran the third fastest 100 mile trail in North America at the Tunnel Hill 100. This was an historically fast time at an historic race and earned him a nomination for Ultrarunning Magazine’s Ultra Runner of the Year in 2024.

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Follow John on Instagram and Strava for more on his training and racing as well as advice for your own!

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John has been working with runners and athletes for most of his career, but he recently added a Sports Performance Movement System Certification. This training provides a framework to find the root cause of an athlete’s symptoms and decrease the risk of recurrent injuries in sports. John also offers personalized coaching, specializing in running, and will teach a running foundations exercise class (coming Spring 2025!). 

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John has been a member of the Dubuque community since 2021. When he's not at the clinic or out on a run, John enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, biking and exploring the great outdoors.