Opinion on paying for jogging/running/fitness coaching

[ukathleticscoach]

Hi, just wanting to gauge feedback on this

I am an athletics coach focusing on running - endurance, qualified through UKA and have over 10 years coaching within athletics and running clubs.

Coaching is largely on a voluntary basis through running clubs, however I have done some paid work though a large company on an individual basis. There are also paid online coaches but imo it is better in person at least initially

I wonder if there are people who feel they are not fit enough to join a running club (I would add they are actually welcoming to all beginners) and they don't feel confident or safe enough to go out on their own.

The idea is to do sessions in a group say 10 people on the basis of a couch to 5km basis with idea idea of doing a parkun at the end. Either jeffing (walk,jog), jogging or running a their local parkrun, Say it would be £10 per person a session but with individual coaching in between training groups online

The sessions would be run so everyone can jog/run together but at their own pace

I ran a similar sort of thing when I was a PT about 10 years ago. Group met once per week for 8 weeks if I remember and we did a 5k at the end. I sent them the plan for each week to encourage homework and set up a watssap group so they could arrange to run together.
It was relatively successful in that I got paid for my time (the course was paid up front) but there was a high attrition rate which demotivated the group a bit.
Generally, if people want to run they will just get out there and do it……

I've done several free C25K with running clubs over the years. I have also done it on my own using the app (also free).... My question to you would be, what would someone, especially a beginner, get from you that is 'extra' that would make it worth them paying £10 for a 40-60 min session? With a group of 10 people that's a maximum of 4-6 mins of 1 on 1 coaching.

We have maybe 6 different groups that meet up in our tiny town, fro walkers to runners and everything in between. Someone loosely organises and its free , they are with each other and safe and there are different levels who give time and advice.

In my town you would need to have something extra to justify charging.

I’d pay for more middle ground- I don’t feel fit enough for decent running groups but I don’t need c25k support, I do a 10km most weeks, have done a park run and 5km fun run in the last couple of months, and want to improve my speed to comfortably sub 60 min for 10km instead of that being my Olympic level effort time. Goal is to try and keep up with my 7yo for another year, who beat me on both fun runs 🤪 I’m not in the uk but just sharing my view.

I would definitely join for a couch to 5k group coach thing. Given that it’s 3 runs a week though I would probably not be willing to pay £10 a session, maybe £7 maximum.

The appeal for me would be doing a structured programme in a managed way that means I wouldn’t have to run in the dark on my own.

I can't see it any different than paying for tennis or cricket coaching and I've paid a shit load for that for my DFS. Performance at sport raises self esteem so of course it's worth paying to enable kids, or adults to achieve all they can

'you that is 'extra' that would make it worth them paying £10 for a 40-60 min session? With a group of 10 people that's a maximum of 4-6 mins of 1 on 1 coaching.'

Football coaching and swimming lessons are done in a group. Swimming would actually really benefit from 121 a lot more than running. You can't just say to someone swim a lap when they can't swim. My kids went to swimming lessons for months. They both swam their first stroke with me in the sea!

I have one one on one coaching 90% of the time they are running on a park circuit or track they are not being continually coached

Quite a few people pay for online coaching where there is zero 1 on 1 time

In my view the only problem with coach to 5km is that they are run at the slowest runners pace. I was no Olympic hopeful but I trained at a high level with international athletes and even some Ethiopian runners. Now you might think what has that got to do with recreational or beginner runners. Well I learned a lot of ways to do a session where nobody is left running on their own or running too slow

As I said you can get similar for free at a running club but that might not suit everyone for various reasons and that model is outdated. I volunteer at Scouts as well. Loads of scouting groups have closed due to a lack of leaders.

'I would definitely join for a couch to 5k group coach thing. Given that it’s 3 runs a week though I would probably not be willing to pay £10 a session, maybe £7 maximum.
The appeal for me would be doing a structured program in a managed way that means I wouldn’t have to run in the dark on my own.'

You are exactly the type of person I am referring to. I would more be talking about a weekly session and the £10 was just an arbitrary figure. The 2nd run would be at weekend in the light, 3rd is a tricky one. You could probably replace it with doing something like Joe Wicks on youtube. His school sessions were great as they really worked on legs not just core

I wouldn't pay for this, I am aiming to consistently get back to weekly runs (alongside the gym) and the appeal is that i can fit it in around my busy schedule. There are many running groups promoted as everyone welcome that are free to attend.

I personally think there is more of a market for the other end, people who want to get their 5 / 10 k under x time. Or even for hyrox athletes that are fairly decent and want to improve their running to get their times down

I agree with the person above that there might be more of a market for intermediate runners to focus on form to improve speed - or to run things like interval sessions which are more fun as a group

I think £10 per session for a C25k group is too much given you can access the app and workout plans for free, and how much running clubs are to join for a year. One of our local running clubs is advertising a C25k block starting soon - it's £3 for your first trial session and then £20 which covers the year annual membership. Also at that level the amount of coaching people need in between is really quite minimal.
If you're a qualified endurance coach then I think you'd be better focussing your efforts on personalised training plans for things like 10k targets, marathon training etc.

I occassionally attended sessions with a running trainer when doing c25k on my own.
the trainer is attached to the gym I'm member of and in addition the half hour session was 2€, payed for via the gym dongle. so easy and convienient.

sessions where a mix of themes, like focus on posture, strength, barefoot, running with dogs ... all sorts, theme published on the gym website.

There are a few people doing this where I live. One in particular is very successful, running multiple sessions in a few locations. She is very clearly women only, beginners, intermediate and advanced groups. All have programs, aims etc. They have merch and enter races as a team. I don’t think it’s as much as £10 per session. People go as it brings accountability and support.

I feel like swimming and football are far more technical, there's a lot more to coach/ learn even at a beginner level right throught to elites and so I would be more inclined to pay for coaching in those sports.

For me, running (as a C25K beginner) is really just about getting out there and being consistent, a run leader or club has more of a motivator role than what I'd call coaching. There's more scope to coach and design training plans etc for an 'improvers' market than there is for beginner C25K runners.

'I’d pay for more middle ground- I don’t feel fit enough for decent running groups but I don’t need c25k support, I do a 10km most weeks, have done a park run and 5km fun run in the last couple of months, and want to improve my speed to comfortably sub 60 min for 10km instead of that being my Olympic level effort time. Goal is to try and keep up with my 7yo for another year, who beat me on both fun runs 🤪 I’m not in the uk but just sharing my'

Well if you are running under 60 for 10km even once that's a good effort. In the uk you would have no problem finding a group at least if you were not too remote.

Running is an endurance sport and the main factor in running factor is how much running or mileage you do in training.

Key is to do your training slow. If you really push it there is no beneficial training effect and you are more likely to get injured and more importantly not enjoy. Do not worry if you need to walk some of it

Once you have establish a base of say 3 times easy runs for 6 weeks then that are things you can do to develop further

eg
hills reps run a good pace up a hill for 30secs to 1 min. Jog back down x 6

Build up 1 of your 3 runs into a longer run

Add interval sessions eg warm up jog 10 mins 6 x 1 m faster efforts with 1 min walk/jog recovery

If you are training 3 x per wk only do 1 faster session or even 1 every 2 wks to begin with

'I personally think there is more of a market for the other end, people who want to get their 5 / 10 k under x time. Or even for hyrox athletes that are fairly decent and want to improve their running to get their times down'

They are the people who would actually benefit most from joining a club but thats a good point

Training on your own will only get you so far

It exists alongside free groups in my city. I think people are paying for the social side and trying to pay their way to commitment rather than the coaching. I would imagine attrition is higher in the paid group than the free groups, because the free groups need more research and personal initiative, whereas the paid groups are people throwing money at fitness.

Do you have any physio qualifications? I've paid 80 per session several times for a running specialist physio to sort my gait out and do shoe checks, and I've done the same with swimming.

'It exists alongside free groups in my city. I think people are paying for the social side and trying to pay their way to commitment rather than the coaching. I would imagine attrition is higher in the paid group than the free groups, because the free groups need more research and personal initiative, whereas the paid groups are people throwing money at fitness.
Do you have any physio qualifications? I've paid 80 per session several times for a running specialist physio to sort my gait out and do shoe checks, and I've done the same with swimming.'

No not a physio - have been to a few though!

I did some coaching through a national company and runners were paying around £40 as session. Some were definitely looking for a magic wand and give them the motivation to be a runner. Had some good experiences one was a cyclist where injured their arm and traiing to keep fit,. They had already done parkrun for of years but got a pb in 6 weeks, The trouble was it was in Greater London and parking anywhere is an issue plus had first child and with a full time job just stuck with my weekly club coaching for free. I actually far preferred that but partly because it was run in a group.

Most likely I will continue coaching for free. Or be a shoetuber!!! What a racket that is every shoes is better and softer (ie more unstable) than before) Its not that they are always paid its just negativity does not sell a channel