Oliver Clarke's journey into coaching

Oliver Clarke's journey into running started in university but he didn't get actively involved with the athletics community until he started attending Hanley parkrun in 2012, where he became friends with members of the local running club and then a club member in 2014. In 2017, his coaching journey started when he attended a Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) course in Telford.

We got the chance to talk to Oliver about his coaching journey…

How did you get into coaching?

"I was running at my previous club and myself and a couple of other clubmates wanted to start a couch to 5k programme. The club kindly paid for us to attend the LiRF course so that we were able to lead that c25k programme. Over the course of the next 2 years, we had over 200 graduates from these courses with many attendees still running today, up to and including marathons and ultramarathons."

What advice would you give to others looking at getting into coaching?

"Find a local coach who is willing to let you shadow them - your local club will have one and I was fortunate enough to be mentored by a couple of incredible coaches. Coaching does involve dedicating a lot of time to learn and attend the courses for your qualifications. Keeping up with the continual progress in science and coaching techniques is paramount but easier than ever thanks to the wealth of free information given through books, newsletters and even social media."

"I would thoroughly recommend looking at attending a LiRF course if you can and finding a group of like-minded runners to learn with."

What do you enjoy most about coaching?

"I get so much pleasure out of seeing my athletes progress. At the club when we do interval or sprint work there are always a couple of clubmates who come up to me at the end of the session showing me their Strava or Garmin saying '"look how fast you made me run!"' Allowing runners to achieve what they thought was impossible is so enjoyable and I am very grateful for the opportunity England Athletics has given me!"

What is your proudest moment as a coach?

"So many, although I never want my coaching to be about me! If any of my athletes achieve their goals, they should be proud of themselves, they are the ones that have put the hard work in over the sessions, weeks and months."

"That being said, I still look back at the running club we founded four years ago, Silverdale AC, and am amazed at the hugely supportive community we've built up from that - not only in an athletic/coaching aspect but also with so many people's physical and mental wellbeing being improved from joining and attending. We're a family there and lifelong friendships have been made."

Are you hoping to further your development with more coaching courses?

"Having successfully completed the Event Group Endurance Coach qualification last year, I'm now at the top of the England Athletics coaching pyramid however I'm always eager to increase my knowledge on the breadth of the sport. I have taken the Equality and Diversity in Sport module as well as the Mental Wellbeing course and am looking at attending one of the Fell LiRF courses over the summer that look really good fun!"

Since starting this coaching journey, Oliver now coaches between 20-30 runners at any one time and works with athletes from all over the country as well as a small contingent in Ireland. With a heavy focus on support, knowledge and motivation Oliver helps athletes achieve their goals, through his online running coach service, Swift Run Coaching. Helping athletes to get as much joy out of their running as possible!

If you are feeling inspired by Oliver's journey, find out more about the coaching journey and the qualifications and courses available to you!