Bespoke Running Coaching Tailored Just for You

1. Personality that actually matters - Coaching as a relationship & training partner 

 

Ian is kind, direct and of high integrity. He talks like someone speaking over coffee, not a motivational robot. You'll get honest feedback - sometimes uncomfortable feedback - delivered with encouragement underneath. He remembers what you told him, observes how you feel and move, and builds on it. More than that, Ian runs with you if you elect. He's not coaching from a laptop; he lives the miles with you, understanding your pace, your rhythm, your mental state when fatigue kicks in. Whether you're running your first 10km, your tenth ultra or racing at an elite level he meets you where you are and believes in your potential before you do. Great coaching isn't transactional; it's relational. You're not paying for a plan; you're investing in a partnership with someone who actually knows you, runs alongside you, and wants to see you succeed.

 

2. Maximum of six clients - Availability meets excellence 

 

Ian coaches a maximum of six clients at any one time. It's a hard ceiling. You won't be a spreadsheet in a 200-athlete Software as a Service platform. When you message, Ian will respond promptly. When you need a training adjustment, it happens the same day. When you're 18 weeks out from your goal race and hit a niggle, he's available to pivot your plan immediately. Bespoke capacity means bespoke attention. More importantly, it means consistency. The same coach, the same thinking, the same relationship; for as long as you want to run.

 

3. Credentials - been there done that 

 

- 230 half marathons (and over 90 of those in 90 days)

- 90 marathons

- 47 ultras

- Comrades Marathon bronze medallist

- International marathon win (Long Beach, 2018)

 

Ian hasn't just studied endurance, he's lived it at the highest amateur level across every distance. He knows what hard pacing feels like. He knows what a bonk looks like at mile 45 of an ultra. He knows the mental architecture it takes to run a Marathon at race pace. He also knows what it's like to be a beginner and build from nothing.

 

4. Firefighter discipline meets business rigour 

 

Ian spent 5 years as a firefighter and 22 years in business on four contients, leading some of the world's most recognised brands. That culture, preparation, accountability and showing up for your team runs through runwithian. Your training plan isn't fluffy motivation; it's a structured protocol built on evidence. You commit, he holds you to it. Goals aren't suggestions; they're targets with built-in contingency planning. When things go sideways (injury, illness, work chaos), there's a protocol. Firefighting taught him how to think under pressure and adapt fast. That translates directly into race strategy, nervous system regulation, and getting you through the hard moments.

 

5. Privacy as standard 

 

Runwithian is interview-only and deliberately private in nature. Your health markers, running targets, fitness ambitions and personal progress stay between you and Ian. No social media shilling, no public transformation story, no athlete feed turning your goal into his marketing asset. Private clients value privacy over exposure especially high-achievers with demanding careers unless where it supports a personal goal. That's the default. Runwithian's ethos is "Self, Family, Others." That means your running sits at the heart of your routine and your life, not the other way round.

 

And yet, for those who 'want' the motivational lift of sharing their journey, Ian curates genuine testimonials and case studies from clients who've opted in. Social proof isn't forced or manufactured; it's entirely optional. If you want your success story told (with your full consent and involvement), you can. If you want to remain completely private, that's equally respected. The choice is entirely yours.

 

6. No template based training - optional genetic insights available  

 

Many coaches hand you the same 16-week marathon plan they've given 100 other runners. Ian doesn't and never will. Your health markers, your background and genetics shape your VO₂ max response, lactate threshold trajectory, recovery capacity and injury risk profile. Runwithian uses optional genetic testing and performance profiling to build a training platform tailored to your neurology and physiology not someone else's. Whether you're brand new to structured training or chasing a Personal Best, this personalisation means you're not wasting months on misaligned training phases. You and Ian are optimising for you, from day one.

 

7. Destination racing & adventure - Running as lifestyle travel & training 

 

Runwithian sits at the premium end of endurance travel & training experiences too. This isn't just coaching you to run a marathon; it is in many cases about curating the experience of running somewhere extraordinary. Whether it's the atmosphere of a major city marathon, the trail running adventure of lifetime, a mountain ultra, or the cultural immersion of a destination race you've always wanted to tackle, Ian builds races into your life as meaningful experiences, not just tick-box events. Your goal race becomes a journey. The coaching framework wraps around your adventure, not the other way round.

 

8. Built for luxury & wellness-oriented living 

 

If you are juggling lifestyle commitments such as a demanding career, international travel, family obligations & your own quality time priorities, standard coaching falls apart. Ian understands how to integrate endurance training into a life of genuine quality and balance. He knows how to work with your wellness practices (sleep architecture, nutrition and hydation quality, stress management, recovery protocols) rather than against them. Your training enhances your life; it doesn't dominate it. Runwithian works for the ambitious professional who refuses to choose between excellence in running and excellence in living. 

 

9. Long-term partnership & membership mentality 

 

Runwithian isn't a transaction nor a training plan; its a bespoke, long-term membership. This means consistency, evolution and progression across years, not just single races. Whether you're three weeks into running or four decades in, the relationship grows with you. You might train for your first event, then maybe a 10km, a half, then a marathon. You may elect to chase a PB two years later, and/or discover ultras, then refine your craft. Ian builds that journey with you; adjusting as your life and circumstances change, your ambitions evolve, and your understanding deepens. You're not starting over with a new coach every 12 weeks or relying on a local running club and it's coaching capability. You're building on foundation, history, and genuine knowledge of what makes you tick. That's the runwithian difference: you get better not because of one perfect plan, but because of partnership over time.

 

The Runwithian Difference: It's not magic, it is method.

 

You don't engage a bespoke, premium service for a training plan - you buy a bespoke membership because your coach and mentor knows how to build it around you. He holds you accountable without burning you out, responds and joins you when you need him, integrates your ambitions into genuine lifestyle adventure, understands the nuance of luxury living, respects your privacy entirely, and commits to your long-term success. 

 

Whether you're starting your running journey or deepening it, runwithian is coaching built on relationship, consistency, and genuine belief in who you can become - and if you want the world to know your story that's optional too.

 

Decide. Commit. Succeed.

 

That's runwithian.