What Are the Benefits of a Running Coach Certification?

Working as a running coach can be a real career if you’re passionate about running and like working with people. If you’re thinking about it, make sure you understand what it takes to be a successful coach. 

One of the most important things you’ll need to do is get certified. Because the industry is unregulated, it can be tempting to skip this part. Take the time to get your certification. It’s well worth your time and money and is more affordable than you think. 

Am I Ready to Become a Running Coach? 

Coaching people to run safer, more efficiently, and faster and to meet their personalized goals is rewarding. It can be lucrative too. For some people who are passionate about their own running, this is an ideal career. Is coaching right for you? Learn more to decide if it’s a good career move for you. 

What Do Running Coaches Do? 

As with many jobs, more goes into coaching than you initially realize. It’s more than going on runs with a client while cheering them on. Coaching requires a deep knowledge of running, motivational skills, and experience planning safe, effective training methods. Before you take plunge, be sure you understand what running coaches really do: 

• Meet with clients to evaluate their current running program

• Help clients set realistic, achievable goals

• Create training programs for running and cross training  

• Assess clients throughout training and adjust programs as needed

• Help clients get ready for events and races

• Educates clients about running and conditioning

• Helps clients run safely and minimize injury risks

• Coaches clients through setbacks, like injuries

Learn more: What Are The Top Running Coach Qualifications?

Do I Have to Complete a Certification Program?

Legally, no, you do not need to have a certification to work as an in-person or online running coach. As an unregulated career, anyone can call themselves a running coach. Of course, those who are not skilled, experienced, and credentialed get weeded out pretty quickly. Being certified is a must if you’re serious about this career. 

What are the best running certifications? Fitness Mentors breaks down the top running coach certification options.

What Does a Running Certification Cost? 

Online running certifications for run coaching are surprisingly affordable. Many are just a few hundred dollars. You might pay more for an in-person program, but you can get everything you need from a reputable online course. 

If you need to keep working and earning while you build a coaching career, an online program is ideal. Choose a program that allows you to complete it at your own pace. Once certified, you can start coaching in your spare time and decide later if it could become a full-time career. 

Check out this post for five simple steps to becoming a running coach. 

Top Running Coach Certification Benefits  

Technically, you do not need to have a certification to work as a running coach. On the other hand, it’s considered indispensable by most professionals in the industry. A coaching certification doesn’t take long to earn, is affordable, and has many benefits: 

Learn Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Running

Even if you never actually work as a running coach, getting certified has its rewards. If you are a runner, you’ll learn more about your sport than you ever realized was possible. A coaching education will enhance your own running. 

If you do work as a coach, the knowledge you gain from a certification program will be invaluable. Some of the things taught in running certification courses include: 

• Human anatomy and body mechanics during running

• How the body uses energy

• How to develop training programs that utilize periodization and training adaptations

• Running techniques and drills

• How the body recovers and how to enhance recovery

• Training for specific running different distances and running in various conditions 

• How and when to implement different running workouts

• Running injuries and how to prevent them

• How to return from injury

• Coaching philosophy and style

• Goal setting and motivation

• Business skills for coaches

Learn Science-Based Running and Coaching Methods

You could try to learn all these things on your own, but with an accredited, professional running certification program you know you can rely on the information. 

Reputable coaching programs are designed by fitness and running professionals. They use up-to-date and evidence-based information. You can be confident that what you present to your coaching clients is relevant, current, and based on science and facts. 

Be Able to Coach Clients Safely

Coaching clients is a big responsibility. They want to see results, and it’s your job to guide them with a safe training plan to help them meet their running goal. However, this should be secondary to safety. Although it seems like a fundamentally simple sport, it’s very easy to get injured when running. Irresponsible training leads to injuries that can sideline runners for months. 

Coaches have a responsibility to provide safe information about running and training. A professional certification program gives you the foundational knowledge to train people safely and ethically. It also teaches you what your scope of practice is, your limitations as a coach and how not to cross boundaries that could cause people harm. 

Be Prepared to Coach All Clients

If you’re coming to coaching as an experienced ultra runner athlete, you might not remember what it’s like to be a beginner or what it feels like to do a first 5k or half marathon. If you train for endurance, your knowledge of short distances and speed is probably limited. 

The best certifications or running coaches prepare you to be an effective coach for runners at all levels and with a full range of abilities and limitations. You’ll have all the relevant knowledge to work with and develop a training program for a newbie, sprinter, experienced distance runner, and everyone in between.  

Provide Evidence of Your Running Expertise

As a professional in any industry, it’s important to be able to prove that you are qualified. A certification shows clients and potential employers that you have done the work and have trained to be a great coach. You’re not just a person who likes running and is trying to capitalize on it.  

You can have the experience of decades of running, but that means nothing to someone who doesn’t know you and is expected to trust in your expertise. Certification is so much more than just a piece of paper, but that piece of paper is still important and meaningful. 

Attract More Clients (And Charge More)

Having a credential that proves your expertise and knowledge is a factor in getting clients. There are many other important factors, like reputation and references, but certification is vital. Anyone looking for a good running coach is more likely to hire one that is credentialed over a coach with no certification. 

Attracting new clients is part of the business, but so is charging fees. If you have a certification, you can automatically charge more than if you do not. Certification makes you a professional with expertise that is valuable to clients. They will be willing to pay a fair price for your services. 

Knowing what to charge as a new coach can be difficult. This post breaks it all down for you. 

Be the Most Effective Coach You Can Be

Ultimately, clients come to running coaches because they want results. Your certification prepares you for this. You can be an experienced runner or know a lot about running and still not be an effective run coach. 

A coaching certification provides the tools you need to be a successful running coach. It’s then up to you to use those tools responsibly and effectively. 

How to Become a Certified Running Coach

Coaching runners can be fun, rewarding, and challenging. If you’re up for it, don’t skip out on the certification step. It’s an essential step if you are serious about being a fitness and coaching professional. 

If you are completely new to the fitness industry, check out the ISSA’s Certified Personal Trainer – Self-Guided Study Program. It has everything you need to start a career in fitness and a great foundation for coaching and other specializations.  

If you’re ready to become a Certified Running Coach, ISSA is ready for you. With ISSA’s Running Coach certification program, you’ll learn elements of the human stride and adaptations for all body types along with running technique and drills. You’ll master programming with running workouts for all your clients.  You’ll also learn what it takes to motivate anyone to reach their fitness goals by attending to their physical, mental, and emotional needs to work in service to their bodies. Jumpstart your running coach with ISSA!