When discussing the importance of a coach we tend to focus on training at the right paces to achieve the max benefit of a workout and avoid overtraining. But finding the right running coach is more than finding someone who can apply the right training paces, volume or workouts.

The VDOT Marketplace was designed to help runners find the best coaching match by browsing based on experience and personality.

Certifications

Is the coach certified? Certifications are a great way to begin measuring the qualifications and commitment of a potential coach. On the VDOT Marketplace coaches must list out their certifications (if applicable) and athletes can also quickly filter their search by “VDOT Certified.” [Note:  Coaches can now improve their understanding of exercise science and how it applies to effectively coaching runners through attaining the VDOT Certification.]

Distance

When organizing their profile pages coaches must select only the race distances they are qualified to coach. It’s very important to us that a coach has experience in distances they are selling training. For instance, we want athletes confident when they sign up to work with a “mile/1500m coach” they are training with someone who can coach that distance effectively.

Keywords

Coaches can also select keywords that represent their coaching experience and skills. To help athletes find the right match they can filter their coaching search by tags such as:  beginner runners, competitive runners, triathlons, nutritionist or physical therapist, etc. For instance, today you can find a coach that is VDOT Certified, has experience working with beginner runners at the half and full marathon distances, and also provides nutrition advice.

Personality

The VDOT Marketplace profile pages were designed to help provide a good sense of a coach’s personality. Coaches can pull in pics from Instagram and link to their other social media sites. We also make sure each coach writes a little about their philosophy and coaching perspective. Keep in mind that you may find a coach who is super qualified, they have the right skill sets, but if you don’t gel with their personality it might not be a great match in the end.

In the near future we’ll be adding in search by location and product type (in-person coaching, group training, consults, training plans, private coaching, etc.), reviews, etc. to make it even easier to find the best running coach for you.

Start your search today and find the best coaching match on the VDOT Marketplace.