CTS Taking Bold Steps To Lead Coaching Profession Into The Future

May 6, 2026

New CEO, Cory Bruno, charting an exciting course for pioneering coaching company.

May 6, 2026 /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Twenty-six years after helping to professionalize endurance coaching, CTS is taking bold steps to leverage emerging opportunities available to athletes and coaches. These pivotal changes start at the top, with the CTS Board of Directors hiring longtime CTS employee Cory Bruno as the company’s new CEO, effective May 1, 2026. Bruno replaces outgoing chief executive Jeff Pierce, who led the company from 2022-2026 and oversaw substantial expansion of the CTS Ultrarunning Coaching Staff and athlete headcount.

To help enact Cory Bruno’s vision for the company’s future, CTS took the following steps over the past several months:

• Hired Esma Taylor as Marketing Manager. Esma previously worked with Skratch Labs and Specialized Bicycles, lives in Boulder, Colorado, and races professionally for Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing.
• Hired Anne Manning as Athlete Services Manager. A long-time coach, personal trainer, and group fitness professional, Anne’s career has centered on sourcing and delivering the services people need to achieve their best.
• Promoted Adam Pulford, longtime CTS Premier Cycling Coach and host of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast”, to CTS Cycling Head Coach. He joins CTS Ultrarunning Head Coach Jason Koop in coaching leadership and mentoring roles.
• Launched the CTS Ultrarunning YouTube Channel with videos hosted by CTS Ultrarunning Coach and Coaching Development Director, Cliff Pittman.
• Modernized the CTS Cycling YouTube Channel with updated video formats and topics, hosted by CTS Cycling Head Coach, Adam Pulford.
• Launched the beta of CTS Performance+, a new platform that pairs adaptive training plans with access to CTS Coaches to scale personalized support to more athletes.

About Cory Bruno

Cory Bruno’s connection to CTS began long before his first day on the job. As an aspiring coach, he applied to the CTS Coaching College, an intensive education and interview process led by the company’s top coaches, and walked away with something more valuable than a job offer: a deep respect for the organization’s professionalism and a clear sense of where his own talents could make the greatest impact.

He spent the next few years sharpening those talents at a San Diego-based technology company and business incubator, building expertise in marketing, content, and user experience. When he joined CTS as Marketing Manager in 2016, he brought that foundation with him.

In the 10 years since, Cory has helped CTS grow by keeping athletes at the center of everything, building the marketing programs, infrastructure, and experiences that have expanded the company’s reach while making every touchpoint better for the athletes it serves. That includes championing the expansion of CTS Ultrarunning into one of the company’s most exciting ventures.

An accomplished cyclist and trail runner, Cory doesn’t just serve the athlete community; he’s part of it. That perspective has shaped everything he’s built at CTS, and it will continue to define his vision as he steps into the role of CEO.

“CTS has always been about helping athletes progress and achieve their goals,” said Bruno. “As the coaching landscape evolves and new technology emerges, we have an opportunity to reach more athletes, support our coaches more effectively, and continue raising the standard for what professional coaching can be. Our focus is on building a sustainable model that delivers real value, both to the athletes we serve and the coaches who make that possible.”

Leading the Coaching Profession Forward

From the beginning, CTS’s core mission has been to inspire, educate, and support athletes in reaching their goals. The recent leadership change and new hires have strengthened the company’s foundation and created opportunities for renewed focus on creating pathways for athlete engagement at all levels. CTS is committed to reaching and serving even more athletes by offering entry points ranging from free educational content, affordable plans for self-directed athletes, adaptive plans with access to CTS Coaches, one-on-one fully personalized coaching, and in-person instruction with CTS Camps.

Human-to-human connection is a defining component of coaching. Although CTS leverages technology to improve efficiency and accessibility, human coaches are the creative force developing and delivering CTS content, products, and services. Amidst changes in leadership and technologies, CTS has steadfastly continued to recruit, educate, and mentor a growing coaching staff. Coaching Development Director, Cliff Pittman, has hired 10 new coaches in the past 18 months to meet athlete demand.

By sticking to the core principles and mission that have defined the company for 25+ years, CTS is well-positioned to shape the future of endurance coaching. Business metrics from Q1 2026 show strong early indications that athletes are responding positively to CTS’s recent changes. Combined impressions across multiple channels increased by 40%. More importantly, reaching more people with high-quality, science-backed content led to a substantial increase in introductory coaching consults, new coaching signups, and CTS Camp reservations in Q1.

About CTS (trainright.com)

For endurance athletes who understand the power of working with a proven coach, CTS provides the specialized experience and expertise to help them succeed in their sport of choice. As trusted guides and motivators, our coaches partner with their athletes — training, educating, and pushing them to achieve more than they could on their own. Offering a spectrum of services ranging from bespoke coaching and tailored training plans to immersive training camps, CTS ensures athletes at every level benefit from working with top-tier professionals. Because behind every great athlete is a great coach.