Personalised Coaching v Runna.

The Big Debate and why it shouldn’t be a debate.

The first rule I learned in business was a harsh one. I was in a bar talking to a potential client and they asked me, “So, what makes you better than my current provider?” I was young, naive, and a little drunk. My response? “We’re just better; they’re shit.”

Needless to say, I didn’t get that account. But I did learn a valuable lesson and something I stand by today. His response was simple: “Don’t ever slag off your competition. It makes you look petty and weak.”

Fast forward many years and a few jobs later, and that comment stays with me more than ever. I see so many coaches doing exactly what I did all those years ago. While they may not use the same terminology I did, it still has the same effect: slagging off the competition. In our world, that competition is the Runna app.

Now, if you’re on social media, you’ll no doubt have read the comments: “Runna makes you injured,” “Athletes are coming to me after using Runna with stress fractures,” “Runna is the devil,” etc. Okay, that last one may not be true, but you get the point.

The truth? People get injured using Runna. People also get injured using personalised coaching. Injury is often a byproduct of ego, inconsistent load, or just plain bad luck—none of which are exclusive to an algorithm or a human. It’s not an argument that should really be used when the same is true on both sides. No coach, AI or human, wants a runner to get injured.

I’m not here advocating for Runna, but rather acknowledging that it exists, it’s not going anywhere, and it has a place in the market. By accepting its popularity, we actually highlight the fact that more and more people are taking their running seriously.

There will always be people who need the human side of personalised coaching and people who want the cost-benefit side of AI apps. We can all survive in this ecosystem, and as long as the running community benefits, then everyone is a winner.

It took me five years to finally win that client’s business—no bitching, just education and persistence. Lesson learned.