What Makes a Good Marathon Coach

Communication.

In order to know you’re receiving the coachability that you truly deserve, that you’re always moving forward in the direction you want to be and at the speed you need to be, communication from both you and your coach is paramount. If this is missing, nothing else matters because you’re no longer receiving personalized and adaptable programming that’s right for you, your goals, your knowledge, and your lifestyle.

Listens and repeats.

This is your journey, not your coach’s. Do they get that, are they excited about that?

A lot of coaches will try to sell you on their program. This is who they are, how they do things, why you should like them and their coaching. A good coach should instead be excited about the chance to guide you towards your own success. What’s important to you, what do you want or need help in overcoming, how do you find value in your goals.

Positivity.

Not necessarily a coach that’s always cracking jokes or putting on a smile (that could be what you’re looking for, that’s fine), but this positivity we’re looking for here is value-driven positivity. Just checking workouts off your to-do list might help in building your fitness, but marathon training should create experiences and mindsets that deepen your mental resilience in addition to your physical progress.

Does your coach understand why is this something that is important to you?

Does your coach understand how this current journey fits into your life journey?

Where will this training process take you after your race? What might the next chapter look like, and how would you need to get there while working towards today’s goal?

It’s not always easy to connect to your values everyday, so trusting that your coach is someone that understands what those are for you, will ensure that you’re always focused no matter how challenging a workout or a season may be for you.

Trust.

Of course, trust that your coach is the professional and has your best interests at heart. But more importantly, a good coach is working to continuously build and earn that trust everyday. Life happens and things change. You will progress at different rates, and workouts will need to adjust. Will you trust that your coach will be that person to support you and always find the next greatest opportunity for you? Will your coach value your trust and the opportunity you both have to work together.

Experience.

Of course experience is important. More important than finish times. In order to improve yourself beyond where you are today, whether that’s your first 26.2 miles or a sub-3 hour performance, you need to know that your coach understands the journey, from different perspectives, and will help you overcome the challenges keeping you where you are today. Have they been through this themselves, or at least accompanied others on their way to similar goals?

There’s a lot that makes a good coach, and not everyone is going to be right for everyone. Every mind, style of communication, and set of values will be different from person to person. Be sure to connect with the coach you want to work with before making a commitment. This journey you’re taking on will be a relationship, and you want to be confident that your coach is as invested in your process as you are.