Our Team

Although he did not start running until he moved to Atlanta in 1994, Mike Cosentino has since become one of the nation’s leading experts on the sport. From training programs, injury prevention and how to get started successfully, to equipment reviews, endurance racing and the business of Sporting Goods, Mike is known for his candid commentary and all-inclusive approach to helping more persons get on the roads, tracks, trails and treadmills — under their own power — than ever before. He has also helped numerous businesses, independent retailers and entrepreneurs in the ever-important retail disciplines of associative marketing, brand building, procurement and category management, and has been a featured speaker at some of the most notable gatherings and meetings in the industry.

Through hard work and sensible training, Mike Cosentino has realized success at some of the world’s most notable running events, including a personal best at the Boston Marathon, achievement of the coveted Silver Buckle at the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, and a sub-12:00 hour finish at IronMan Florida. As a veteran of over 100 marathons and ultramarathons, he has won races at every distance from 5k (3.1 miles) to 50k (31 miles). He is one of only five (5) persons to ever complete the 100-Mile Pinhoti Trail Challenge in less than 20 hours.

Mike is best known locally as author of The Atlanta Running Guide. He has also written pieces for Competitor magazine, Runner’s World, Wingfoot and Atlanta Sports & Fitness. He has been a pre-race feature for Fox 5 coverage of the Peachtree Road Race, and his knowledge in the sport has landed him on expert panels at Nike, New Balance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Asics America Corporation, and many others.

In 2004, Mike founded Big Peach Running Co. (BPRC). Now, with seven (7) stores throughout the Atlanta area, more than 100 employees, annual revenues of $10MM, and over 200 annual event partnerships, BPRC is currently the largest specialty fitness retailer in Georgia. The organization has been repeatedly recognized on national circuits as a Top 50 Specialty-Run Retailer (Sporting Goods Intelligence) and “Best Place to Shop” (Running Times). It is also a regular in the “Best of Atlanta” awards given by local publications.

In 2009, Mike and his wife, Inge, founded Big Peach Outreach, Inc. (BPO), to more fully connect the unique access they have to sporting goods equipment to those who are less fortunate. To date, BPO has donated more than 250,000 pairs of used running shoes to homeless shelters, domestic and international missions, and natural disaster relief efforts around the world. The program also provides free equipment for student-athletes participating in underprivileged cross-country and track and field programs.

Prior to founding BPRC and BPO, Mike was employed by the Atlanta Braves National League Baseball Club, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Co. Originally from Elkhart, Indiana, Mike earned his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and obtained a Master’s degree in Sports Administration from Ohio University. He lives in Blue Ridge, GA on a farm with his wife and their two children, Campbell and Monica. Mike is also a founding member of the Miles for CF Board of Directors.