A good running coach can offer so much more than effective planning of your plan. Much is made of AI and smart training plans and we agree that they can be very good for providing the framework of a great plan. We use smart management platforms such as Pillar for exactly this.
The major limitation of training plans on their own however, is they do not help you when your life in reality diverges from what is programmed. Training plans don’t teach athletes how to manage a niggle or when to take the foot off the gas if other aspect of their life are crazy. A training plan rarely helps an athlete improve their skills or teach them race pacing strategies. It definitely doesn’t help them put together a fuelling and hydration plan or teach them how to recover after a session.
A running coach however, can do all these things and more! They are in the trenches with you and are probably the only person that cares about your training and performance as much as you do!
We look after a very broad spectrum of athletes. From people doing their first half-marathon up to people pushing to qualify for major championships!
It’s easy to just focus on the more elite athletes and bask in their reflective glory but so often we’ve gotten immense satisfaction out of athletes at the other end of the spectrum as they take on board our advice and really push forwards.
Another way of thinking about having a running coach is that it is much the same as having a personal trainer. We just tend to be much skinnier and be more into our data!
The primary difference between our two tiers of coaching relationship is the level of support and communication. Squad Members benefit from the on-going support of a coach who is there not only to create an awesome training plan, but to help them navigate the hurdles they meet along the way. For example, helping them retain some sort of consistency when work gets busy or steering them through returning from an injury.
No plan is ever executed perfectly. The real value of a coach is their expertise in helping you problem solve when things don’t match up to the nice sparkly plan.
Online Members do however, benefit from a tailored plan and on-going amendments communicated over WhatsApp and at any point, for a small additional fee, they can seek the help of a coach via a coach consultation. The emphasis though, is on the athlete taking responsibility for navigating the aforementioned hurdles.
Typically, we specialise in helping runners prepare for epic events such as marathons and ultramarathons. But the short answer is that with enough time, we would be confident in helping you prepare for any type of running event.
Here are a few examples of what our athletes are up to this year:
– London Cross Country Championships
– The Great South Run
– Berlin Marathon
– Kilimanjaro marathon
– Rat Race’s The Wall
– Montane Cheviot Goat
– The Spine Race
There are a lot of good run coaches out there. The area where we really excel though, is helping busy individuals find balance between their training and the rest of life’s stressors i.e. work, relationships, family life etc.
We also think we provide more than any other coaching outfit when it comes to the extra stuff on top of training plans and great coaching advice.
This includes things like:
There is always a lot to get sorted when onboarding a new athlete and often a lot to teach them if they are relatively inexperienced. This all takes time and we have a lot of experience of looking after athletes in these contexts. The key point is that your coach does not expect you to know everything and they will not judge you if you ask what you perceive might be a silly question.
One of the first things we do though is to set up an online dynamic screening. This is just a few squat movements, mobility tests and conditioning assessments. It is not a tough session, so don’t be anxious. It just allows us to assess an athlete’s strength and mobility needs so we can build them a bespoke strength and conditioning plan.
In terms of their general training, we always seek to build an athlete’s confidence before subjecting them to any testing. So don’t worry, your first few weeks won’t involve any kind of fitness assessments.
We run two weekly online workouts exclusively for our Squad and Online Member athletes that run between November and April. Typically these sessions are live coached, however, for the Winter of 2025/2026 these sessions will be pre-recorded and made available on a weekly basis as Rich is due to become a dad in November!
These sessions consist of:
1) A structured online cycling session that can be performed on a training platform such as Training Peaks Virtual or Zwift with the pre-recorded coaching feed running as they ride. In the coaching feed we discuss a particular topic each time e.g. nutrition, pacing, key metrics, cycling posture and technique etc.
2) A structured ‘tempo’ run session. This operates in the same way as the bike session. Runners can perform the session on a treadmill and watch the coaching feed as they go, or they can run outside and listen to the audio file of the same coaching feed.
Below are links to examples of each of the squad sessions:
Bike Session
Not as such. However, we do require a certain amount of notice if an athlete wants to roll off at any point. The specifics depend on the coaching relationship but it is typically one or two months.
We require a notice period to enable us to manage our coaching resources and ensure athletes are spread appropriately across our coaching team.
As a general rule we only offer discounts in two scenarios:
1) Squad members have the opportunity to benefit from a discount when recommending a friend to one of our triathlon, cycling or run squad memberships. If that friend signs up, both will enjoy a fantastic 20% off their squad member fees for 3-months!
2) Squad members can enjoy discounts for committing to a 6 or 12-month block. Currently, they receive a 15% discount for purchasing a 6-month block and a 20% discount for a 12-month block.
If you are someone who knows strength training is important but perhaps lacks the motivation or knowhow for consistency, our endurance athlete specific personal training service could be the difference.
For more information, check out our dedicated Personal Training page.
Did you know that in the vast majority of cases, running gait is best improved through strength and mobility training rather than through running drills alone?
Our Running Gait Analysis Service includes a full analysis of your running gait, assessment of your inherent strength, mobility and muscular balance, and then provides you with the tools to take matters in hand.
How it works:
£175 for a full analysis and 8-week strength & mobility plan
So often recurring injuries and postural issues find their source elsewhere than the site of discomfort. Typically, a lack of joint mobility or a muscular imbalance are to blame.
Our Strength & Mobility Analysis Service includes not only a full run through of the areas of concern, but also provides you with the tools to take matters in hand.
How it works:
£150 for a full analysis and 8-week strength & mobility training plan
If you have a specific topic or issue you really need guidance with, our coaches are here to help.
Perhaps it relates to how to approach your training/race nutrition, or maybe you need help pacing your upcoming race.
Our coaches are at your disposal.
Simply book yourself in for a coach consultation and we’ll do our level best to steer you in the right direction.
£30 per hour