As the big races approach I am learning the anxieties that come with being a running coach. Especially in 2025 as this year I have a larger team of runners than ever before. The more clients you work with, it’s inevitable that the number the injuries will increase.

It’s the runners that are struggling that are really impacting my own confidence as a coach right now. As the person responsible for the training, it’s hard not to take at least a portion of the blame for any injuries that might occur.

For a few seconds, as I was enjoying a day off and a leisurely drive home from Tunbridge Wells, I even thought I had killed one of the team off.

71 year old Allan Payne, who has since recorded the fastest marathon time in the UK in 2025 for MV70s, took a nasty fall, landing on his face, rather than his hands.

I only managed a split second glance at the photo, with Allan lying on his back in the ambulance, eyes closed and faced blooded, naturally assuming the worst. Luckily as my attention turned back to the task in hand, Jax was able to assure me that Allan was ok and still breathing.

I’ve had runners fall down the stairs, tread on sharp metal objects and pour boiling water on their feet. So sometimes, even as the coach, there is little you can do to prevent setbacks.

Looking at the bigger picture just 10% of my current team of 52 runners are carrying any sort of injury. That’s a number I’m very pleased with and whilst my approach is always quality over quantity, if I wasn’t pushing my runners to some degree, none of us would ever make any progress.

For 25 beautiful minutes on Sunday, all those coaching anxieties were washed aside as Jax and I stood in close proximity to the wonderful drummers and cheered on the runners through Eastbourne bandstand.

With our new giant green hands on display we received a great response from the participants, with the majority taking up our offer for a High Five. The smiles were contagious and with the long climb negotiated and the tricky head winds still to come, for those brief seconds, it seemed that running was all that mattered in the World.

I even got a little emotional, especially watching my own runners come through and it’s certainly motivated me to continue to train hard and achieve my own goals, so I too, can experience moments like this on race day.

It was a successful day for the team. 7 runners completed the race, with 3 personal bests. You never really know how a runner is going to perform on race day, even if training has been going smoothly, there are lots of things that can go wrong.

PBs are just the icing on the cake in truth and I’m far more concerned about my runners enjoyment levels and mental well being. But it’s nice to see the satisfaction that is evident from crossing the line in a new personal best.

I certainly left Eastbourne even more determined to improve, both as a coach and a runner. The former is a near on impossible task, with the ultimate goal being to set the right session, on the right day, for every single runner on my team. The closer I can get to that level of perfection, the happier I’ll become.

As I enter my third full year as a running coach, I feel like I continue to learn, and hopefully find better methods to get the very most out of every single member of my team. Injuries are always going to be part of the game unfortunately and I need to remind myself that it’s not always my fault.