Online running coachBest Athletics founderadidas Runners London coach

Get alilbester

Online running coaching
with London-based Nick Bester

Online running coaching with Nick Bester. Personalised, structured training plans built round your ability, your goals and the rest of your life.

Apply for coaching See the packages

Nick Bester racing in his orange cap — Spot the orange cap

NB

Nick Bester

Berlin Marathon, 2024

PB

Distance

42.2 km

Time

2:19:45

Pace

3:19 /km

100+

marathons run

2:19:45

marathon PB

100+

sub 3s in a row

150K

Strava followers

109K

Instagram followers

72K

YouTube subscribers

Keep easy days easyProtein within 30 minutesMileage isn't everythingS&C comes firstTrust the trainingAn extra hour of sleep in race weekDon't chase Strava on recovery runsWhat you put in is what you get outFinish every run with jump squatsStart small, keep showing upKeep easy days easyProtein within 30 minutesMileage isn't everythingS&C comes firstTrust the trainingAn extra hour of sleep in race weekDon't chase Strava on recovery runsWhat you put in is what you get outFinish every run with jump squatsStart small, keep showing up

Nick Bester in his adidas Runners kit — Nick, adidas Runners London

Qualified to coach you

Certified Running Leader with England Athletics
Certified Coach in Running Fitness with England Athletics
Certified Gait Analyst: Level 1
Qualified PT: Level 2

Nick's story

Someone told me I couldn't do a race.

When I first started running, I didn't enjoy it at all. Every km was a slog. The only reason I got into it was because someone said I couldn't do a race. Tell me that and I'll make a point of proving you wrong.

It started with a vow to run one Comrades Marathon in 2014. That turned into over a hundred marathons and counting, and a sub 2:20 at the Berlin Marathon in 2024.

I'm now a full time running coach. Very few things in life are sweeter than a PB, and I want to help as many of you get yours as I can.

"Running is my passion!"

Read the whole story

The bib drawer

Nick's current PBs

3K

No. 003

8:51

5K

No. 005

14:34

10K

No. 010

30:22

Half

No. 021

1:06:19

Cambridge Half

Marathon

No. 042

2:19:45

Berlin 2024

Two Oceans

No. 056

3:56

Comrades

No. 089

6:28

Pick your entry

Keen to improve your running?

Four ways to work with me. Spaces on the coaching packages are limited, and once they're full you go on the waiting list.

Compare everything

Monthly Coaching

Personalised monthly training plans

£115

a month + £25 joining

Premium Coaching

Monthly plan plus a fortnightly consultation

£175

a month + £25 joining

Certified Gait Analysis

A certified gait analysis done virtually by video

£199

one off

Consultations

Face to face or over the phone

£95

one off

Before and after

The proof is in the splits.

Real runners Nick coaches, in their own words. Tap a name.

Anya Culling

Marathon

4:342:52

London to Valencia

"Nick's coaching makes you feel like a local legend of the world."

Nick's coaching makes you feel like a local legend of the world. Somehow he has mastered the perfect combination of tough ass plans that also encourage you and make you believe you can do anything you set out to achieve.

He has given me confidence and motivation to smash my targets; who would have thought that two years on from my first marathon, and joining Nick's coaching, I could improve my marathon time from 4hrs 34 at London to 2hrs 52 at Valencia.

Plans are personalised to every degree, from pace to heart rate to number of reps, and Nick's always on hand for any advice / questions.

Genuinely as much of a mate as a coach. He understands we all live different lives and will tailor to you personally.

Anya Culling

The Pace Lab

Running pace and race time calculator

Pop in the time you are chasing. You get the pace per km and per mile, your splits, what a 400m rep looks like at that pace, and a rough guess at what it means over other distances.

A number on a screen is easy. Holding it at 8K is the bit we train for.

Get a plan built round it

Goal time

hrs:min:sec

4:42

per km

7:34

per mile

1:53

400m rep

12.8

km/h

Splits

1K

4:42

2K

9:24

3K

14:06

4K

18:48

5K

23:30

6K

28:12

7K

32:54

8K

37:36

9K

42:18

Finish

47:00

Same fitness, other races (rough guide)

5K

22:33

Half

1:43:42

Marathon

3:36:13

Training guides

Not ready for coaching? Grab a guide for £6.

Pick your distance, then the time you want to beat. Every guide is a PDF you can keep forever.

1. Distance

2. Time to beat

Spicy track, tempo, long run and hill sessions
Your own pacing chart and training zones
Tips and tricks to get the most from your training
Every plan in kilometres and miles
Exclusive merchandise discounts

16 week guidePDF guide

Marathon

SUB 3

Just a lil
bester£6

Get the Sub 3 guide

Want a peek first? The taster guide is free.

Bester's best tips

Stuck on the fridge.

35 articles by Nick on training, racing, recovery and keeping your head right.

Training

The 4 most important sessions in a running week

Before I mention the 4 sessions which I believe to be most important, your recovery runs can be just as important and should not be skipped.

Speed

Best tips to improve your 5K time

There’s just something so beautiful about the 5K distance. Is it because we get to practice it regularly within Parkrun’s worldwide? Or is it because…

Racing

My best tips for race week

We all get those pre-race nerves. Embrace them, they’re great. Channel that energy in the right way and back yourself. Below are some of my top tips;

More tips daily on

@justalilbester

Best Athletics runners at Poole parkrun

Join the club, from anywhere

Run with Best Athletics.

Nick founded Best Athletics, a running club with a home in South West London and members all over the globe. You don't need to be near Battersea to join. For £10 a month you're part of the community, and anyone on a coaching package is a member automatically.

01Members all over the UK and around the world
02The team WhatsApp groups, wherever you are
03Tuesday and Thursday sessions in Battersea Park if you're local
04A monthly long run and parkrun takeovers
05Unique partner discount codes and merch deals
06Team socials, training camps and the race series

Join Best Athletics

Weekly newsletter

One email a week. Worth opening.

Training tips, what went right and wrong in Nick's own week, race recaps and the odd partner code. No spam, unsubscribe whenever.

Contact

Your next PB starts with a message.

Tell Nick where you are and where you want to get to. Ready to commit? Go straight to the coaching application.

Apply for coaching

nick@bestathletics.co.uk

Nick running a track session with one of his athletes — Same pace, side by side