Personal picks and lessons from our coaches as runners and coaches.
Coaches spend a lot of time giving answers. For this end-of-year Coach Corner, we wanted to hear theirs.
Instead of asking our coaches to analyze trends or prescribe workouts, we asked them to reflect on the year from where they stand, not just as coaches, but as runners too.
The gear they truly used. The workouts they trust. The mistakes they kept seeing. The lessons that held up over time.
Some answers come from their own training and racing. Others come from watching athletes progress, stall, and break through across a full season. Together, they offer a more complete picture of how some of our coaches think and what they value.
This isn’t a “best of” list and it’s not meant to be definitive. It’s a collection of personal picks and honest reflections from people who spend a lot of time trying to train well and stay in the sport for the long run.
We asked each coach the same set of questions. What follows are their answers, in their own words.
Coach Steve:
Favorite race or running moment of the year.
Coaching a runner through a successful 100 miler and qualifier for UTMB was incredibly rewarding. Seeing them finish strong after months of doubt was a powerful reminder of what consistency builds.
Trail shoe of the year.
Hoka Speedgoat 6 — reliable, comfortable, and confidence-inspiring across a wide range of terrain. It’s the one I reach for most.
Most-used or underrated piece of gear.
My running vest. Even on short runs, it keeps me self-reliant — snacks, water, extra layer — and mentally in “adventure” mode.
One fueling or nutrition product you personally trust.
Tailwind Endurance Fuel. Simple, works in cold or heat, and never upsets my stomach.
What does your main watch screen show.
Time, heart rate, altitude, battery life. I keep it simple so I can focus on feel.
One workout you love that almost always delivers.
30-minute uphill tempo. It’s hard, focused, and builds strength and confidence without requiring a whole day to recover.
Biggest runner mistake you kept seeing this year.
Not respecting rest and recovery enough. The simple fix: prioritize downtime like you do your long runs — it’s where the gains happen.
One training principle you doubled down on.
The value of strength training. It’s one of the best ways to stay injury-free, feel stronger on climbs, and maintain performance with age.
One thing you changed your mind about.
That more data is not always better. I’ve been more focused this year on subjective effort and mood, not just numbers.
One clear piece of advice for 2026.
Train for YOUR life, not someone else’s schedule. The plan has to fit the person.
Coach Adam:
Favorite race or running moment of the year.
Race Tekapo 50km in New Zealand. Incredible scenery, challenging conditions, and family support. Coaching multiple athletes to strong first 100km finishes made it even more meaningful.
Trail shoe of the year.
Nike Ultrafly. Plush Zoom foam and a consistently comfortable ride. Already looking forward to the new ACG version next February.
Most-used or underrated piece of gear.
T8 Ultra Sherpa shorts for the built-in belt. Steigen socks for everyday reliability.
One fueling or nutrition product you personally trust.
Hammer Nutrition Tissue Rejuvenator. A staple in my recovery routine.
What does your main watch screen show.
Main screen shows time and distance. Second screen shows average pace, heart rate, and elevation.
One workout you love that almost always delivers.
1km intervals. A 20-minute warm-up, 5 × 1km with 2-minute recovery, followed by a 10-minute cool-down.
Biggest runner mistake you kept seeing this year.
Too many long races without enough recovery between them. Shorter B races make it easier to stay sharp for the A goal.
One training principle you doubled down on.
Conditioning and strength. The foundation that makes higher volume and faster work possible.
One thing you changed your mind about.
Tried the Adidas Terrex Agravic Ultra. Good, but the Nike Ultrafly still wins for me.
One clear piece of advice for 2026.
Keep it simple. Fewer races, longer training blocks, and shorter B races leading into the A goal.
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Coach Max
Favorite race or running moment of the year.
PR’ed on my local hill and finally broke 30 minutes. It’s been a 10-year journey.
Trail shoe of the year.
La Sportiva Prodigio Pro. Potentially my favorite trail shoe ever. That good.
Most-used or underrated piece of gear.
Raide belt. I’m not a big vest guy, but with this belt I’ve carried more stuff than I thought was possible.
One fueling or nutrition product you personally trust.
Haribo’s or something similar. Especially the sour ones. I don’t get bored of those.
What does your main watch screen show.
Lap time, elevation gain, heart rate.
One workout you love that almost always delivers.
Not the most sexy, but uphill strides. 10 to 15 seconds hard uphill. You can never do too many of those.
Biggest runner mistake you kept seeing this year.
People jumping distances too quickly. Classic example: someone doing their first 50k and wanting to run a 100 miler next.
One training principle you doubled down on.
Less is more. Really. Consistency for the win. Always.
One thing you changed your mind about.
That you don’t need as much elevation gain on a weekly basis as you think to perform well in the mountains.
One clear piece of advice for 2026.
Be mindful of your time and commitments. If you can, plan your A goal around dates when you know you’ll have the bandwidth.
Coach Manu
Favorite race or running moment of the year.
KODIAK, because it was my main goal of the year. Also my birthday gift, and working behind the scenes for our local race, El Reto del Indio.
Trail shoe of the year.
ASICS Trabuco.
Most-used or underrated piece of gear.
Trail vest from Kiprun. Amazing and reliable.
One fueling or nutrition product you personally trust.
NAAK Boost Energy.
What does your main watch screen show.
Heart rate, pace, time, elevation gain.
One workout you love that almost always delivers.
Improving core conditioning, with a stronger focus on movement quality and strength work.
Biggest runner mistake you kept seeing this year.
Not planning the season properly, which often leads to getting injured.
One training principle you doubled down on.
Long runs must be hard. Not all the time, but they should prepare you for the real demands of your race, not just time on feet.
One thing you changed your mind about.
Fueling more during a race. Eating earlier and more consistently made a big difference.
One clear piece of advice for 2026.
Train smart, run smart, and stay in the sport for the long run.
Coach Nico
Favorite race or running moment of the year.
Coaching David to finish UTMB as the last finisher after two days of racing. I followed him on LiveTrail the entire time, and seeing him cross the finish line on the livestream was unforgettable.
Trail shoe of the year.
Honestly, I haven’t found “the one” this year. When I find a trail shoe I really like, like the Vectiv Eminus, I buy spare pairs immediately. Good trail shoes are hard for me to find, and models change too fast.
Most-used or underrated piece of gear.
Kiprun 900 hydration belt from Decathlon. I use it on most runs: keys and phone for short ones, two soft flasks and food for long runs, and poles plus nutrition for races. Simple and versatile.
One fueling or nutrition product you personally trust.
Maltodextrin and fructose powder that I buy by the pound. I mix my own drink. Cheaper, customizable, and it works perfectly for my stomach on long efforts.
What does your main watch screen show.
For road: pace, heart rate, distance, and time, with the screen always on. For trail, I add vertical gain, but the screen goes dark after 10 seconds, so I tap it when I want to check my data.
One workout you love that almost always delivers.
Flat intervals, like 6 × 3 minutes hard with 2-minute recovery. As a trail runner I always train vert, but these intervals build speed and running economy that translate directly to stronger climbing and faster descents on race day.
Biggest runner mistake you kept seeing this year.
Racing too much before building a solid base. The fix: pick one or two priority races per year and treat everything else as training.
One training principle you doubled down on.
Consistency over intensity. More volume at an easy pace builds a bigger engine than chasing hard workouts that leave you tired for days.
One thing you changed your mind about.
Racing as training runs. If athletes want to register for more races, I now tell them to treat most as C races. No taper, no pressure, just practice. They build confidence and race skills without the recovery cost of a full peak effort.
One clear piece of advice for 2026.
Build your base first, race second. Don’t fill your calendar before you’ve done the work.
Coach Zeljko
Favorite race or running moment of the year.
My favorite running event this year was being a crew member and coach for our runner Denny from India at the Brazil 135 ultra. Needless to say, it was a successful finish and a qualifier for the Badwater 135. Proud of us all.
Trail shoe of the year.
Salomon Ultra Glide 3. I love the comfort of it.
Most-used or underrated piece of gear.
I love Decathlon’s trail running shorts for the number of pockets they have. Trail Running Shorts Kiprun Run 900.
One fueling or nutrition product you personally trust.
SIS gels, Beta Fuel in particular.
What does your main watch screen show.
Distance, pace, vert.
One workout you love that almost always delivers.
A short run with strides always delivers. Around 20 to 30 minutes easy, finished with 6 to 8 short strides.
Biggest runner mistake you kept seeing this year.
Training too hard too soon after a race.
One training principle you doubled down on.
Deliberate restraint. Training less aggressively to perform better long term. Fitness grows when stress is applied only as much as the system can truly absorb. Not more. Not sooner.
One thing you changed your mind about.
I don’t carry much weight in waist belts to avoid restricting my hips, breathing, and food processing while running.
One clear piece of advice for 2026.
A couple of deep breaths while running can bring awareness and make you a smarter, faster runner.
Closing thoughts
There’s no single way to train, race, or move through a year in this sport. What stands out across these answers isn’t agreement, but a shared intent. Simplicity over noise. Patience over urgency. And a focus on building something that lasts.
These reflections come from different backgrounds, experiences, and paths into running, but they all point toward the same idea: progress is rarely about doing more. It’s about doing the right things consistently, staying curious, and learning from the year as it unfolds.
Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and let these perspectives sit with you for a bit.
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