We are his legacy and we’ll do him proud.
Giuseppe Gueli
Italy
R.I.P.
And thanks for all the great advices that have been given by you on your time in this world!
A true Genious if I ever met one. I wish I could have had more time to pick his brain.
RIP my mentor, You will be sorrily missed.
RIP Charlie
I really miss Charlie. I think the reality is finally starting to hit.
I just found out today. Very shocked. Love, respect and commiserations to the whole Francis family - immediate and Charlie’s greater extended speed family.
About 8-9 years ago I was in a mess physically and mentally, but I came across Speed Trap and CF.com. Following Charlie’s training schedule’s I got some structure back in my life (and got sub 12/24 secs at age 40). I’m doing pretty good now - I structured my studies along CF lines and I’m doing a PhD in Creative Writing.
I haven’t been online here for a while, but I just want to say a Big Thankyou to Charlie. I’ll miss reading his tips, honest opinions and mostly his humour.
Cheers Charlie…
Miss you, Charlie. Especially your dry, smartass sense of humor.
He is greatly missed!
Best memories
I’ve been very disconnected from track the past few years and very far away, in Argentina, so I just found out now of Charlie’s passing. Rest in peace and my sincerest condolences to Angela. A great man and certainly the best mind ever in athletics in my opinion, he will be missed. This is really sad news for me, I deeply appreciate the feedback he gave me years ago when I was active in the forums. I’ve successfully used many of his teachings even off the track, I think many of his training motto’s helped me be successful in my business, since they really apply to life in general, I’m eternally grateful.
Remembering Charlie today.
Come and see me over on Facebook and check out some great family photos.
Thank you for supporting the site and contributing to the forums and others learning.
I still regret the second paragraph, but last bit about Charlie being so active on the forum really reminded me of how lucky we were and are. Growing up in rural Ontario I would have never even dreamed I’d get the opportunity to interact with someone who was the very best in the world at their profession; training athletes who you only see on TV - larger than life heroes that captured a nation’s imagination - let alone be able to do it on a near daily basis.
On a lighter note, whenever I think about this forum and Charlie I still picture that Dr. Evil avatar he used. Anyways - everyone go out and have a good training session today. 
Charlie loved to laugh and he was hilarious and his son is a lot like him which is super cool.
Our job is to live life with out regret and realize what a short amount of time we get. He did that for the most part. Charlie lived on his own terms and that is easier to say than to do.
Thanks for your note and your memory too. I enjoy knowing who’s lives he touched.
I have not been on the site for some time… I was speaking with Fergus Connolly earlier this afternoon who remind me that Charlie had passed 7 years ago today. I am still learning from Charlie today, I read Speed Trap regularly and most of his videos and work.
I also regret missing out on an offer to visit with him in Toronto for two weeks about 9 years ago to learn from him directly. I did get a chance to meet him in Utah at one of the workshops, and he was kind enough to give me some one on one time. He was brilliant!
Thank you Angela for keeping this site and your work going. Best wishes!
You can be sure of that, Angela!
Of course! Always a joy to read anything related to Charlie!
When I came across this article it was interesting to me because of how accurately the editor of the magazine David Stubbs captured the essence of who Charlie was as a person not just a coach.
It has brought be great joy preserving www.charliefrancis.com.
No words can match the feelings I have when receiving praise across the world for Charlie’s passion and work as a former sprinter turned coach.
When I met Charlie he was one of the most accomplished coaches in his sport.
It wasn’t long after meeting him that he was banned for life as a coach.
“It’s not what happens in your life but it’s how you handle what happens that matters”. I believe it was this advice from Charlie that has enabled my family to create and maintain this site for more than 2 decades. I have been especially interested in keeping the site available for free of charge and keeping the site free of advertising.
I am grateful for the kind, intelligent and courageous man he was and for how together we navigated past the events of 1988.
In the coming weeks I am making a complete update of the forums. The interruptions that have occurred over the past while has signaled the need for migrating the vast content to preserve it for the next decades to come.
Charlie would be thrilled that his work and experience continues to be used, admired and discussed as it has become more relevant in the face of so much confusion about how to train effectively.