TRAIN SPECIFIC

Trail running offers up different training and racing challenges to other forms of running. Experienced coach James Montgomery from therunproject.co.za shares his wisdom on preparing for hills, trails, and long hours...

- MARK ETHREDGE

I have a background in finance, where I worked as an investment analyst researching companies listed on the stock exchange.

I've been passionate about sport for as long as I can remember. My first coaching experience was as a 13-year-old, coaching peewee cricket and rugby. At university, I continued to coach various junior-school sports teams.

In high school, I was never particularly talented; but I really enjoyed the 800m, and that passion for middle-distance athletics has been with me ever since. In my early twenties I joined the VOB running club, and our club captain would often take us up into Cecelia Forest and Constantia Nek during some of our weekly training sessions. It wasn't long before I was doing the majority of my training on the mountain, and a passion and interest in trail running ensued.

Despite working in finance, my spare time was often spent learning about training theory across different sporting codes. I was fascinated by athleticism, and how to train athletes in various sporting codes. Through good fortune and timing, I met [SA trail legend] Meg Mackenzie in 2015, and through a shared passion we decided to start a coaching business together a couple of years later.

Given Meg’s profile and the growing popularity of trail running at the time, our business grew faster than either of us could have imagined; in 2019, I decided to quit finance and coach full-time.

Since then, the online business has grown and my coaching involvement has extended to assisting a number of different running groups in Stellenbosch with road, cross-country and track. I'm fortunate enough to work with numerous top athletes in SA - not only in trail running, but also in the more traditional athletics disciplines.