Eight weeks. Eight guest coaches. One voice in your ear each week.
Across our Run Together Challenge, G Flip, Steph, Matty J, Allira Potter, Annabelle Lee, Luke Bateman, Brooke Blurton and Laura each coach a week of our 3km, 5km and 10km programs. Every coach has brought something they learnt on their own running journey. So, here's one tip from every coach - which isn't related to hitting an unattainable PB.
1. Start slower than feels necessary — G Flip
G Flip kicked off week one by calling out the mistake almost every new runner makes: going out too fast. The fix? Run your first 100m slower than feels necessary, then settle into a pace you can hold all the way to the end.
It's not about being fast. It's about finishing strong. And if you need a push, G has a suggestion: chuck on Bed on Fire.
2. Get the right runners — Steph Claire Smith
Steph will be the first to tell you she'll never run a marathon. 3-5km is her sweet spot! The thing that gets her through her
Right now, that's the New Balance Ellipse — or, as we call them around here, the cloud shoes. They're perfect for anyone starting out or getting back into running. The right pair won't do the run for you. It just makes starting a whole lot easier.
Shop here.
3. Unclench your jaw — Matty J
Matty isn't going to pretend every session feels amazing. Some days you turn up tired and do it anyway — and that still counts.
His tip for those days: check your jaw and shoulders. "It's wild how much energy you use clenching for no reason." Drop the shoulders, loosen the jaw, and remember one of Matty's favourite lines: something is better than nothing.
4. It's you vs you — Allira Potter
When a session looks big on paper, Allira doesn't measure herself against anyone else. She looks back at how far she's come, and tells herself one thing: "It's you vs you."
Your only benchmark is where you started.
5. There's no shame in going slow — Annabelle Lee
Annabelle spent years trying (and giving up on) running. On her first run with a friend — a real pro runner, in her eyes — she took off hard to impress them and finished totally exhausted. Her friend told her, lovingly, that there's no shame in going slow.
She's kept it in the back of her mind ever since. For her, it was the walk/run combo that finally took the pressure off. Walking breaks aren't cheating. They're the plan.
6. Be the tortoise, not the hare — Luke Bateman
Luke finds a rhythm early and builds slowly from there. Tortoise, not hare.
The same goes for the bigger picture: 1% better, every day. "That's how we climb mountains — not in big leaps, but in small efforts, day after day after day."
7. Know your why — Brooke Blurton
For Brooke, running is a reset button. She heads out carrying stress and the noise of everyday life, and comes back with actual space in her head. That's her why — and it's what keeps her going on the runs that don't feel good.
Because not every run will. "Some days are so hard, and that's okay." Brooke treats those days as fleeting. They don't last. Your why does.
8. Don't wait for the finish line — Laura Henshaw
Laura closed out the challenge with the tip most of us skip: don't wait for the finish line to feel proud. You're allowed to feel it mid-run.
Pride isn't a reward you unlock at 10km. It's there from the first 100m.
Run together
Eight weeks. A new coach every one of them. Three, five, or ten kilometres — you pick, we get you there. Enrol in app today with a 7 day free trial.
