About Us

Dr. Duane Scotti, DPT, PhD, OCS, is a running physical therapist, run coach, host of the Healthy Runner Podcast, and founder of Spark Healthy Runner. For more than 20 years, Duane has helped runners and active adults overcome injuries, build stronger bodies, and continue doing what they love.

His mission is simple: to help runners get stronger, run faster, and enjoy lifelong healthy running.

Duane believes that runners dealing with pain or injury do not necessarily need to stop running completely to get better. Instead, they need an individualized approach that combines smart run training, runner-specific strength training, recovery, and evidence-based rehabilitation.

And that philosophy comes from personal experience.

Duane didn’t grow up as a runner. He started running as an adult simply to add some cardio to his gym workouts. After hip surgery, he began running more consistently but soon experienced a hamstring tendon injury along with several other running-related injuries during his early years as a runner.

Those experiences changed the direction of both his personal running journey and his professional career. They fueled his passion for helping runners understand their bodies, become stronger and more resilient, and continue pursuing the running goals that matter to them.

Throughout his career, Duane has helped runners of all ages and abilities recover from injury, return to running, complete their first half marathon or marathon, chase personal bests, and pursue Boston Marathon qualifying times.

Duane spent 19 years in higher education, most recently as a Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy. He ultimately stepped away from academia to pursue his passion for educating and coaching the running community full time.

Today, through Spark Healthy Runner, his signature 1:1 coaching program, the Healthy Runner Academy, educational videos, and the Healthy Runner Podcast, Duane helps runners combine strength training, smart run programming, nutrition, recovery, mindset, and race strategy so they can become stronger, healthier runners for life.

Duane earned his Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Physical Therapy degrees from Quinnipiac University in 2001 and 2003. He later earned his clinical Doctor of Physical Therapy and PhD in Physical Therapy from Nova Southeastern University in 2017. He is a board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, RRCA Certified Running Coach, Certified Mulligan Practitioner, and is certified in dry needling with advanced training in spinal manipulation and rehabilitation for runners.

Duane continues to put the principles he teaches into practice through his own running. More than 15 years after becoming an adult-onset runner, he has completed dozens of half marathons, multiple marathons, the runDisney Dopey Challenge 2x, and continues to pursue new challenges and goals in his own running journey.

A native New Yorker from Long Island, Duane lives in Connecticut with his wife, Deb, and their black Staffy, Carly. He is a proud dad of two college-aged daughters who grew up playing competitive volleyball. When he isn’t running, coaching, or talking about running, Duane and his family enjoy traveling and exploring beaches along the East Coast.

Duane’s message to runners is simple: build a strong mind, build a strong body, and just keep running.