Is Hiring a Running Coach Worth it? 

Whether you’re new to running or a long-time runner who is ready to step up your training, hiring a running coach can help you improve your performance and better understand the relationship between your body and running. 

Research shows that running is a great way to improve your overall fitness and fall into a consistent exercise routine. When I first started running I had no idea what I was doing. Regardless, it encouraged me to keep exercise a regular part of my routine and motivated me to work hard to increase my performance and endurance. 

At the beginning of my running journey, I had recently lost 90 pounds. After working with a personal trainer and focusing mostly on weightlifting I decided to switch things up. I told my trainer during our intake meeting that one of my goals was to learn to love running. He told me that you either like running or you don’t. I’m here to tell you — that is not facts. 

It took me time to fall in love with running and external motivators and the environment I was running in played a big role. I joined a group training gym when I saw an ad on Facebook for an 8-week Spartan obstacle course race boot camp program. That is when my relationship with running truly started to form. 

A couple of days a week we ran short distances between exercises as part of training for the obstacle course race and someone told me I was fast. I whipped my head around to ensure they were talking to me. How could I be fast? Just one year before I was 90 pounds overweight and had never been a runner. 

I took the compliment and ran with it — literally. I wanted to be fast. I thrived off praise from others and had a strong desire to succeed as an athlete since I felt my weight had held me back when I was a child. I was 27 years old and ready to finally excel in athletics.  

Fast forward two and a half years later, I began competing in obstacle course races and was thriving. I was only running about 8-10 miles a week and had no idea what I was doing, but my performance continued to improve and the podium medals started coming in. 

In October 2019, I completed the Spartan Race World Championship race at Palisades Resort in Tahoe, California. I did complete it – but I got my ass kicked and that experience lit a fire. The following week I hired my first running coach. That’s where the real journey began. 

Nearly 5 years, multiple podiums, two ultras, and a coaching certification later… I’m here to tell you about the physiological and psychological benefits of hiring a running coach. 

Accountability 

If you’re looking to improve your performance or use running as a weight loss tool then the accountability aspect of having a running coach could benefit you. This is assuming that you have a 1:1 coaching setup and the coach understands your goals. Different styles of coaching serve different purposes and it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation. 

I enjoy having a coach that utilizes a training platform like Training Peaks or Sports Tracks. When I first got a coach they used Google Sheets and at the time that was fine. We had a very involved coaching experience and they were checking in on my workout data through my Garmin profile and paying close attention to my logged workouts and any notes I logged in the Google sheet. We also trained together from time to time. Even now, as a UESCA-certified running coach who writes their programming, I write it all in Training Peaks so I still have the visual accountability aspect. 

I like checklists and visual displays of information so the platforms I mentioned are great (especially if you have a less intimate coaching expertise) because you essentially get graded on your workouts. If you don’t do a workout, cut it short, or overdo it; the app shoves it in your face. I am a people pleasure and don’t like to fail at things, so having a clear visual of failure (for lack of better worlds) helps me get, and keep, my ass in gear. 

Many coaches offer 1 on 1 meetings on a weekly or monthly basis and may also offer text or chat access to them regularly. This provides an opportunity for your coach to let you know if they feel you are slacking and for you, as an athlete, to discuss any barriers or concerns you have. Ideally, you have a coach who is willing to hear you, but unwilling to make room for excuses.

Hiring a running coach puts someone else’s eyes on your efforts and permits them to point out when you’re slacking. On the other hand, you’re inviting someone to set expectations for you. More than likely, your coach is going to have higher expectations for you than you would for yourself and will help push you outside of your comfort zone. 

Self-Esteem 

Whether or not a running coach is good for your self-esteem depends a lot on the type of person you are and your needs as an athlete. Different coaches have different training philosophies and coaching styles, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation. 

By having a coach who points out areas you’re excelling in while still giving you constructive criticism, you’ll likely start to feel good about what you’re accomplishing. Typically, when you feel good about what you’re doing it makes you want to do more. The better you do, the harder you’ll work! 

That being said, if you’re someone who has a hard time being corrected and takes things personally, having a coach may be a challenge at first. I’d encourage you to stick it out for a while to allow your relationship with your coach to grow. Once you have established rapport and your coach better understands the type of feedback you respond best to, you’ll likely notice that you’re feeling better about not only your athletic abilities but yourself in general. 

As a UESCA-certified running coach, I make sure that all my athletes are given the type of feedback they can receive the best. One question your coach should ask you is whether you respond to tough love or gentle coaching. These styles are much different and can make or break you as an athlete.  

Enhanced Athletic Performance 

While you can improve your running without a coach to some extent, adding a running coach to the mix can help you improve more quickly. It’s also likely to reduce your risk of injury. Many people decide they are going to run and choose to rack up the miles as their main goal, which you do want to do to some extent, but not too fast. Adding too many miles to your routine too quickly increases your risk of injury and will likely have you sidelined before your performance even has a chance to improve. 

Another way hiring a running coach can enhance your athletic performance is by it promoting the implementation of proper programming methods that someone without a long history of running or the proper education will probably not be aware of. Many coaches use periodized training methods, which require them to pay close attention to training volume and how much time is spent training at various intensity levels. This approach has been shown to help athletes reach their peak performance at a predetermined time in the training cycle, which is typically a race. 

Sports psychology plays a large role in improving performance as well. A running coach can potentially help you implement some social psychology-inspired practices and help you discover more about the mind and body connection. 

Competitive anxiety is one sports psychology phenomenon that can inhibit athletic performance and finding proper ways to mitigate it can help to enhance it. While some activation of the autonomous nervous system is required to perform at your best, an over-active autonomous nervous system (which can be induced by anxiety) can be detrimental to your performance. 

If you work with a coach who has an extensive background in sports there is a good chance that they have worked with a sports psychologist at some point and are likely to pass some of their learned techniques and knowledge on to you. 

Running coaches are not mental health professionals but they may be able to offer tips and tricks for dealing with pre-race jitters or self-doubt. I struggled a lot with both of these and the more I raced, the more comfortable I got, and the less anxiety seemed to cripple my performance. 

You may also get useful input on things like running nutrition, running shoes, and other useful running equipment that may help to improve your performance or make your running and racing experiences more enjoyable or successful. All coaches will have their own unique points of view and experiences, so it is important to take their input as guidance only and to explore what works best for you when it comes to those things. 

Over time, working with various coaches, reading sports psychology material, and listening to various professionals on podcasts taught me a lot of very useful techniques and information for dealing with sports-induced anxiety. 

Takeaways

The reasons to get a running coach expand well beyond the ones listed here, but as an athlete and certified running coach myself, I think these are the most important ones. It’s important to note that there are many different coaching styles, platforms, and levels out there. You may need to explore different options to learn what works best for you. 

If you are considering a specific coach, I would check out your favorite podcast platform and see if they have been featured on any episodes so that you can maybe learn a bit more about them and their training philosophies. Also keep in mind that while a coach may want to have an initial consultation with you to determine if you are a good fit for their program, as an athlete it’s also important to ask questions and interview them a bit as well. 

The coach-athlete relationship will be an important and consistent part of your life so it’s important to make sure that you enter into one that is healthy and functional. If you’re interested in learning more about my coaching philosophies and what coaching options I offer, check out my running coach page.  

FAQs

Can a running coach help improve your athletic performance?

Yes! If you take your time to choose a coach whose style fits your athletic needs and you are open to the guidance your coach provides, you will likely see improvement in your athletic performance. To see optimal results you must commit to the process and training plan provided by your coach. 

Is a running coach worth it?

It honestly depends on your goals. If you are very dedicated to a process such as losing weight or training for a race then yes, I believe so. It is both a financial and time commitment so it’s important to consider whether or not you’re able to make those commitments. If you find a coach who is a good fit for your goals then hiring a running coach could truly be a life-changing experience, it was for me. 

How much is a running coach?

The cost of a running coach can vary greatly. Newer coaches with less experience may cost as little as $75 per month while other more experienced coaches will likely cost $150-$300 per month. Many factors will contribute to the cost of your coaching program. The frequency of contact and whether or not the coach is providing strength and other types of programming in addition to the run programming will likely contribute to the cost.

How do I find a running coach?

You can find a coach nearly anywhere these days. I think the best way is to ask around the running community if you have any friends who are already runners. You can also look up running coaches on platforms like Training Peaks or search your favorite running website to see if they offer coaching services.

Most running-relates blogs and websites have a coaching page. You can even go into your local running store and look for business cards and flyers or ask people who work in the store, my preferred method is word-of-mouth and social media.