ACTIVATE YOUR SPAM FILTER

‘Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between sound advice and stuff that’s a bit more fringe,’ says coach Ryan Warrenburg. Use these tips so you can be sure that online training guidance comes from a trustworthy authority.

QUALIFICATIONS

Certifications from organisations such as UK Athletics mean a coach takes the sport seriously enough to commit to a six-month training and mentoring process, but academic degrees in exercise science or physiology and/or employment as a professional coach add credibility and deeper levels of knowledge.

RESULTS

Look beyond PBS to find out about the runners this person has coached and how they’ve performed. ‘Just because coaches are gifted athletes with fast race times doesn’t mean they understand what it takes to achieve those times,’ says coach Janet Hamilton.

BACKUP

If someone cites research in exercise science journals or the work of historically influential coaches – for example, Arthur Lydiard – that's better than if they’re touting only their own methods and strategies (especially if those seem to oppose conventional wisdom, says Warrenburg).