About Matt Mueller

The Short Version

I’m Matt Mueller. I live in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida. I’ve been running for over ten years, and at some point along the way it stopped being a hobby and became the organizing principle of my life.

The numbers tell part of the story: 1,986 runs, 16,191 miles, 312,545 feet of elevation gain. But the real story is that I fell in love with this island and the way it feels to move through it on foot — the salt air at sunrise, the singletrack tunneling under live oaks at Fort Clinch, the long flat stretches of beach where the only sound is your breathing and the surf.

By the Numbers

Personal Records

Ultra Results

I’ve completed 12 ultramarathons with 4 first-place finishes and 9 trophies. My UltraSignup rank sits at 0.9156 (elite level) with a perfect 1.0000 age rank.

A few highlights:

• 104.01 miles in 24 hours — Azalea 24-Hour Endurance Run
• 68.16 miles in 12 hours — Tick Tock Ultra (1st place)
• 40.48 miles in 6 hours — River to Sea Timed Ultra (1st place)

Amelia Island Course Records

I hold Strava CRs on multiple Amelia Island segments, including:

• Amelia Island Perimeter — 32.47 miles in 4:28:14
• Fort Clinch Trails — 5.71 miles in 32:59

Current Training

Right now I’m running about 32 miles per week across 5 runs. Most weeks include Fort Clinch trail sessions, beach runs, and neighborhood easy miles through Fernandina Beach.

Zero Feet Above & Race Directing

I’m a co-founder of Zero Feet Above, a Florida trail race organization I started with Alex Johnston and Daniel Larkin. We believe Florida has legitimate trail running — it’s just different from mountain running, and that’s a good thing.

I’m also the Race Director of the Florida Roots Trail Series at Fort Clinch State Park. The series includes 5K, 10K, 30K, and 50K distances on the park’s singletrack trails. It’s the race I always wanted to exist here — technical enough to be interesting, beautiful enough to make you forget you’re racing, and local enough to feel like a community event rather than a production.

The Gear I Actually Run In

My current shoe rotation:

• NNormal Kjerag — primary trail shoe for Fort Clinch and off-road
• New Balance Rebel v4 — daily road trainer
• Nike AlphaFly — road race day
• Saucony Endorphin Pro — road race rotation
• Salomon Aero Blaze — versatile all-rounder

I’m also part of several running communities: Zero Feet Above, Chaski Endurance Collective, Southern Made, MDRC, and DFL Running Co.

Coaching

I offer custom training plans built around your goals, your schedule, and — if you’re running here — the specific demands of Amelia Island terrain and Florida heat.

I’ve coached runners preparing for:

• First 5Ks and half marathons
• Boston qualifying marathon cycles
• Ultra distances from 50K to 100 miles
• Florida Roots Trail Series races at Fort Clinch
• Summer heat adaptation protocols

Every plan is individualized. I don’t sell templates. If you want to talk about what you’re training for, email me.

Guided Runs for Visitors

If you’re visiting Amelia Island and want to run with someone who knows every trail, beach access, and sunrise timing, I’d love to show you around.

Morning Beach Runs — We’ll catch sunrise from the hard-packed sand near Peters Point or Seaside Park. Easy pace, good light, usually dolphins.

Fort Clinch Trail Runs — The island’s best-kept running secret. Five-plus miles of singletrack through maritime hammock, with fort walls and river views. I’ll show you the full loop.

Downtown Shakeout Runs — A casual 3-4 mile loop through historic Fernandina Beach, past Centre Street, the marina, and the shrimp boats. Good for the day before or after a race.

Email [email protected] to set something up. No charge for a casual run — just show up ready to go.

Contact

The best way to reach me is [email protected]. I read every message and respond quickly.

You can also find me on Strava, where I log every run, or on the trails at Fort Clinch most mornings before the park gets busy.