Coaching
Running apps have improved dramatically. Human coaches have not been replaced. Here is an honest look at what each actually delivers, where the real differences lie, and how to decide which one is right for your goals.
Understanding Apps
Modern running apps like Runna, Garmin Coach, and Nike Run Club use a combination of your stated goal, fitness test data, and ongoing performance metrics to generate adaptive training plans. The better ones adjust session difficulty based on your recent training load, your heart rate data, and whether you completed the previous week's sessions.
At their best, they provide structured, progressive training at a price point that makes them accessible to almost any runner. They are available on demand, require no scheduled communication, and sync seamlessly with the wearables most runners already own.
At their worst, they are sophisticated templates that respond to data but not to context. They know you ran 4:45 per km when you were supposed to run 5:10. They do not know that your father was in hospital last week and you were running on three hours of sleep.
Understanding Coaching
Online coaching with a human coach follows the same data-informed approach as an app, but wraps it in an ongoing relationship. Your coach writes your training, reviews how you responded to it, communicates with you about what is going on in your life, and adjusts the plan accordingly.
The crucial difference is not the training itself. It is the decision-making layer. When something unexpected happens, a coach makes a judgment call using full context. When you plateau, a coach diagnoses why. When you are two weeks from your goal race and everything is going well, a coach tells you to trust the process. An app cannot do any of those things.
"Apps respond to data. Coaches respond to people. Both are useful. Only one understands your situation."
Side by Side
| Factor | Running App | Human Coach |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £10-20 per month | £60-120 per month |
| Plan personalisation | Data-driven, template-based | Fully individual, written for you |
| Adapts to life events | No | Yes, dynamically |
| Injury management | Limited, data-based only | Active load management and referral |
| Race strategy | Generic guidance | Course-specific, tailored to you |
| Communication | In-app only | WhatsApp, calls, ongoing dialogue |
| Accountability | Notifications and reminders | A real person who knows your goals |
| Best for | Structured beginners, low-goal runners | Goal-driven, competitive, time-constrained runners |
Choosing Your Path
A running app is the right choice if your primary need is structured training and your goals are relatively modest. If you are running for general fitness, working towards completing a 5K or 10K for the first time, or following a consistent training lifestyle with minimal variability, an app provides genuine value at a low cost.
Apps are also a solid starting point for new runners who want to build a training habit before investing in coaching. Understanding what structured training feels like, getting comfortable with TrainingPeaks or similar platforms, and developing the discipline to follow a schedule are all skills that transfer well into a coaching relationship when you are ready to take the next step.
A human coach becomes the clearly better option when your goals become specific and meaningful. If you are training for a PB, targeting a qualifying time, managing a history of injury, juggling a demanding life around your training, or simply care enough about your race to want the best possible preparation, coaching justifies its additional cost.
The runners who get the most from coaching are typically those who have tried following plans independently, hit a ceiling, and recognise that what they need is not more training but better training. A coach provides that, consistently and adaptively, in a way no app currently can.
Common Questions
Running apps are broadly accurate for structuring training volume and distributing effort across easy, moderate, and hard sessions. Where they fall short is in adapting to the full context of an individual athlete's life, health, stress, and training history in the nuanced way a human coach can.
For runners with simple, predictable training lives and modest goals, an app provides useful structure at low cost. For runners with specific performance targets, injury history, or significant life variability, a human coach provides a level of responsiveness and depth that no app currently replicates.
Context. A human coach understands that you had a terrible week at work, that your hamstring is niggly, and that your race is in ten weeks. An app knows your heart rate and your pace. Both matter. Only a coach can integrate everything.
Runna is a well-designed app and a reasonable choice for beginners who want structured training at low cost. For beginners who are serious about their first race goal, working with a human coach will typically produce better results and a more supportive experience.
Running apps typically cost £10-20 per month. Human online coaching starts from around £60 per month for an entry-level package. The difference is meaningful in cost, but the level of service, personalisation, and responsiveness is also substantially different.
Summary
Running apps are not bad. They are a genuine step up from following a generic training plan downloaded from the internet. For the right runner with the right goals, they are entirely fit for purpose.
But they are not coaches. They cannot respond to what is happening in your life. They cannot make a judgment call. They cannot look at your training data, consider your race in eight weeks, and decide that this week you need to do less rather than more. For runners who care about their goals and want the best possible preparation, a human coach remains the superior option, at a cost that, for most runners targeting a meaningful race, is straightforwardly justifiable.
If you want to explore what coaching with JM looks like in practice, the services page walks through each package and what you get for your monthly investment.
Founder of JM Coaching, 2:08:45 marathon runner and Great Britain international. Coaching runners of all abilities since 2013. Read his full profile.
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