Juhani flashing a peace sign on a high alpine gravel road, mid-ultra, mountains behind
Trail running coaching · Europe

Learn to love
running. For life.

One-to-one coaching for normal people who want to start trail running: late starters, older runners, anyone. No podiums, no pressure. Just the joy of getting out there, and a body that keeps running for years.

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The promise

You don't need to be fast. You need to be prepared, and to have someone in your corner.

Most people who run trails aren't young, fast, or naturally gifted. Plenty start in their 40s, 50s and 60s. I know, because I started at 44 and had never really run before.

This is the coaching I wish I'd had at the start: patient, honest, science-grounded, and built entirely around your life, not a rigid plan you'll quit by week three.

Is this you?

Built for beginners,
not for podiums

This is for you if…

  • You're a beginner, or running never quite stuck before.
  • You're wondering if you're too old or too out of shape. You're not.
  • You're scared of getting injured (smart; we'll make sure you don't).
  • You want a guide who's patient and in your corner, not a drill sergeant.
  • You're based in Europe, so we can talk in the same daylight.

This isn't for you if…

  • You want to win races or chase a podium next season.
  • You're after a magic shortcut. We go at the pace your body adapts to.
  • You want a rigid plan handed to you and never adjusted.
  • You're a competitive athlete looking for a performance coach.

If that's you, there are great coaches for it. Just not me, and I'll happily say so.

The voice in your head

The things you're telling
yourself right now

I've heard every one of these. I said most of them myself before I started at 44. Tap a card.

Myth
"Running will destroy my knees."
Tap for the fact ↻
Fact

Recreational runners have lower rates of knee and hip arthritis than sedentary people. Your joints follow "use it or lose it", like the rest of you.

Alentorn-Geli et al. 2017 · systematic review, 125,000 people
Myth
"I'm too old to start."
Tap for the fact ↻
Fact

The average person runs their first ultra between 36 and 43. Plenty finish their first trail race in their 50s and 60s. Older beginners are the norm in this sport, not the exception.

ITRA / RunRepeat ultrarunning participation studies
Myth
"I'll run to lose weight."
Tap for the fact ↻
Fact

Running alone doesn't make you lose weight, and yours may even go up at first. What it does is enable the change that does: sleep, food, mood, identity. My own data is on the story page.

See My story · my real numbers
Myth
"I'll need supplements and fancy gear."
Tap for the fact ↻
Fact

You need decent shoes from a running store and clothes that aren't cotton. That's the list. A balanced diet beats nearly every supplement; that industry sells you very little you need.

Carbs before the run, protein after. Done.
Try it now

The only pace rule
you need

Almost all of your running happens at an effort where you can speak in full sentences. Coaches call it zone 2; I call it the talk test. Drag the slider and watch what happens to your sentence.

Easy · conversational

"This is easier than I thought it would be."

Full sentences. This is where we train, and where the engine gets built.
strollingsteadyhardall out

If you can't say the sentence, we slow down. Yes, even if that means walking. Easy, conversational volume is what builds an endurance engine, and it takes months, not days. We don't rush it.

Alpenglow lighting the Wetterstein wall orange at sunset
The reason we do this

Big sky, big mountains, one step at a time.

The program · Couch to Trails

Three months,
twice a week, just us

A focused 3-month start into trail running. We talk two times a week, figure out what actually works for your body and your life, and build a habit you'll keep long after we're done.

Two calls a week

We talk twice a week: about the running, the gear, the doubts, the wins. Real conversation, not a dashboard. You're never figuring it out alone.

No rigid plan

Life isn't easy to plan, so we don't pretend otherwise. We figure out together what's good for you, week to week, and adapt when life happens.

Injury-free, always

The number-one reason beginners quit is getting hurt. We start slower than you think, never jump too fast, and build strength from day one.

The right gear

Shoes that fit, what to wear, what to skip. We sort the kit early so nothing trips you up, without selling you anything you don't need.

The mindset

How to remove friction, build the habit, and make peace with slow. The hardest part is putting on your shoes, and we'll make that part easy.

The joy of the trail

This isn't grinding out road miles. It's getting outside, in nature, for your body and your head. That's the whole point, and the reason you'll stay.

Proof, not promises

Every one of these
was a first

My own races, from a first parkrun in 2022 to long-distance ultras in the Alps. I didn't skip any steps, and neither will you. Slow every time, honest every time, including the one that ended in a DNF.

Loading the races…

Drag sideways · the full story is on My story

Juhani running a forest gravel road in low morning light
A handful of athletes at a time

I only coach a handful of people at once, so the focus is always on you.

When you're one of mine, you get my full attention. That's the deal. It also means spots are limited and we start by getting to know each other: no contract, no payment, until we both know it's a good fit.

How we begin

No contract
until it clicks

We start with a conversation, not a credit card. You only pay once we've talked and we both know we're a match.

01

Tell me about you

Fill in a short application: where you're starting from, what you're hoping for, what worries you. It takes a few minutes and helps us both see if we're a fit.

02

We have a chat

If it looks like a match, we jump on a free, no-pressure call. We get to know each other, you ask me anything, and we decide together how to proceed.

03

We make it official

Only then do we agree on a plan and the details. That's the point where the coaching, and the cost, actually begin.

04

You run for life

Over three months we build the habit, the confidence and the body to keep going, long after our last call. That's the real finish line.

Juhani coming down the finish chute of the Zugspitz Ultratrail

You're not too old.
You're not too slow.
Let's go for a run.

Coaching runs from €40–70 a week, once we've talked and agreed it's right. Start with a free conversation: no pressure, no hard sell.

Apply to run with me