Running coaches in Australia: from first 5 km to marathon, how to choose one

They set goals, build a weekly plan with easy and harder runs, include strength and mobility work, adjust the plan when life or niggles interfere, and may review your running form. Coaches work one-to-one, in groups or online.

• A conversation about your running history, injuries, goals and time available.
• A plan that builds gradually, with rest weeks.
• Feedback on sessions you have completed.
• Advice on shoes, recovery and race preparation, with referrals to a physio for injury problems.

Australian Athletics runs coach accreditation, including Recreational Running Level 1 and an advanced recreational running level, as well as track and field coaching levels. Running coach is not a protected title, so ask which accreditation, if any, the coach holds, plus first aid and insurance.

Group clubs, online plans and one-to-one coaching are priced very differently. We do not quote prices. Ask what is included, how often you get feedback and how to pause or cancel.

• It starts from what you can do now, not from a template for the goal race.
• It builds gradually, with easy days, harder days and regular rest weeks.
• It includes strength work and some mobility, not only running.
• It has a plan B for illness, travel and work.
• It includes warm-ups and a way to report how each run felt.

A running group or club is a good way to find company and motivation. Online coaching suits people who are self-driven and want a structured plan. One-to-one coaching is useful if you are returning from injury, have an ambitious goal or want help with technique. Whatever you choose, expect to be asked about your sleep, work and life, since these shape what training you can actually handle.

A beginner plan often mixes short runs with walking and builds up slowly, perhaps three sessions a week with rest days between. Do the easy runs at a pace where you could hold a conversation. Expect some muscle soreness, but report anything that is sharp, one-sided or getting worse. A coach should adjust the plan rather than ask you to push through. By the end of the first month, your coach should be able to show you what has changed and what comes next.

1. What accreditation and experience do you have with my goal distance?
2. How will you adjust the plan if I get sore or miss weeks?
3. Do you include strength work?
4. How often will we talk or review?
5. When would you send me to a physio or doctor?

• 'Running ruins your knees.' Do not assume either way; injuries are more often linked to sudden load increases, so build gradually and get advice for persistent pain.
• 'You must run every day.' Rest and variety are part of a good plan.
• 'Pain means progress.' Ongoing sharp or worsening pain needs assessment.

Running can contribute to the 2.5 hours or more of weekly moderate to vigorous activity in national guidelines, and the guidelines add muscle-strengthening on two or more days a week.

Check with a professional first. See your GP before starting if you have heart or blood pressure conditions, chest pain, dizziness, a history of stress fractures or are returning from injury. A physiotherapist can assess pain that lasts more than a few days or gets worse with running.