RUN & ULTRA RUNNING COACHING
Running is a simple endeavour - lace up your shoes and walk out of the door.
That’s why so many of us love it. However, that ethos can sometimes be lost in the training process. We believe that with the right balance and correct ingredients, training can be made simple and enjoyable while driving improvement and success.
Everyone can benefit from run coaching no matter your level of fitness or experience. By tailoring training to your lifestyle, fitness level and goals, it not only allows your time and energy to be used most efficiently, but also reduces your risk of injury, which can be significant when following generic training plans sourced from the internet.
Meet your coaches
Neil Kirby
I have been running since a very young age, ultra running for 15 years and founded UK Ultra in 2020. My interest lies in trail running and ultra running, where I have gained lots of experience through my own running and organising events. I live and train on the South Downs in Sussex and really enjoy working with runners to help them achieve their goals.
I have been running since a very young age, ultra running for 15 years and founded UK Ultra in 2020. My interest lies in trail running/ultra running and this is where I have gained lots of experience over the years from my own running and also organising events.
I have been lucky to have lots of success in various distances from 50k all the way to 100 miles, along with having my fair share of bad results, which have all given me valuable learning experiences. I live and train on the South Downs in Sussex and really enjoy working with runners to help them achieve their goals.
I like to use a mixture of science-based theories and knowledge I have gained from my own running experience over the years. Running is a very simple thing and I like to keep things simple with my coaching approach.
I have completed the UESCA Ultra Running Coaching Qualification and am also a Level 4 Qualified Personal Trainer and Massage Therapist.
Not only can I help with the running side of things, but I also have a lot of experience and knowledge of strength training, nutrition and sports injuries to complement this.
- South Downs Way 50 mile, 1st place, 2016, 6 hours 35 mins
- North Downs Way 50 mile, 1st place, 2016, 6 hours 57 mins
- South Downs Way 100 mile, 1st place, 2016, 15 hours 30 mins
- North Downs Way 100 mile, 1st place, 2016, 16 hours 45 mins
- Wendover Woods 50 mile, 2nd place, 2016, 7 hours 43 mins
- Endurancelife Sussex 36 mile, 1st place, 2017, 5 hours 9 mins
- Endurancelife Sussex 52k, 1st place, 2022, 4 hours 33 mins
- North Downs Ridge 50k, 1st place, 2022, 3 hours 43 mins
- Beachy Head 52k, 1st place, 2022, 4 hours 4 mins, new course record
- Beachy Head 52k, 1st place, 2023, 4 hours 3 mins, new course record
- Jesenicky Mountain Marathon, Salomon Golden Trail Series, Czech Republic, 5th place, 2022, 3 hours 43 mins
- Run to the Sea 50km, 1st place, 2023, 3 hours 44 mins, new course record
- Race To The Stones 50k, 1st place, 2024, 3 hours 44 mins, new course record
- 5 Trails Ultra 50K, 1st place, 2025, 4 hours 3 mins, new course record
While these are my best results and ones I like to remember, I have of course had lots of negative results with many DNFs along the way. Too many to list here!
After an initial consultation call to discuss your previous experience, goals, etc, I will develop a plan to help you progress as an athlete and achieve your goal, whatever that may be.We will remain in daily contact via feedback about your sessions over the Final Surge app and WhatsApp. With the information you provide, we will adapt the training to your preferences and development, so it is entirely individualised and adaptable.
What is included?
- Weekly running schedule delivered online via Final Surge
- Unlimited contact via WhatsApp, email and phone
- Daily session analysis and feedback
- Strength and mobility work
- Advice on daily nutrition, race strategy, race nutrition, kit etc
£120/month
No initial set-up cost or minimum commitment period.
For more information or to sign up, fill in the form below. If you have any questions, email neil@ukultra.co.uk.
Jamie Stephenson
Jamie coaches runners across road, trail and ultra-running, with an approach centred on enjoyment, consistency and long-term progress. He combines his own running experience with his background as a GP registrar, using listening, communication and consultation skills to support athletes in a collaborative way.
Like so many, I started running because I saw myself on a downward spiral of poor health and bad habits. After googling what a ‘good 10k time’ is, I set myself a target to run 10k in under 50 minutes. Twenty four hours later I accomplished that and so my running journey began.
Now, I have worked my way through many different disciplines, road to trail and 5k to 50 miles, to find myself focusing more on ultra-running.
Outside of running, I work as a GP registrar in Cornwall. I have ambitions to branch into expedition medicine in the future to combine my love of the outdoors with my passion for helping people. I think the skills required for run coaching and being a doctor overlap immensely — empathiser, master motivator, educator, objective bystander, psychologist.
I have a beautiful wife and two incredible children. They have motivated and supported me through my running career. We love to get outdoors to explore and have grand plans to see the world together in the future.
Photo: No Limits Photography
I have completed the UESCA running coaching qualification, which gave me a great basis on which to set off on this journey. However, I am all too aware that there is no ‘right method’ to run coaching.
For this reason, I spend much of my free time reading books and listening to podcasts to expand my understanding of different philosophies and develop my own method of coaching.
Being a doctor has also contributed significantly. It has given me listening, communication and consultation skills that are directly transferable to life as a running coach. Only instead of treating disease, we are preventing it, something that is valued far too little in society today.
I believe that we all have the capacity to run far, fast. It’s simply what humans evolved to do. Try to tell a runner feeling the flow that this isn’t what we were designed for and they will laugh in your face!
Unfortunately, the modern world doesn’t require us to do it and so we are largely untrained and demotivated. But for us lucky bunch who have rediscovered our roots, we know the joy that is held within running.
I work by the principle that if people are enjoying and engaged with their training then they will improve and thrive. For this reason, I am a strong advocate for a collaborative-type relationship where together we develop and modify a plan that works for you.
- 2021
- Run To The Sea Bournemouth 50k, 1st and new CR
- Virgin Money London Marathon, 02:28:22
- MudCrew Black RAT, 1st and new CR
- Salomon Serpent Trail 50km, 3rd, Golden Trail National Series
- Shepperdine Half Marathon, 01:11:07, 3rd
- Endurance Life Classic Quarter, 1st
- Circumnavigation of Malta FKT
- MudCrew Arc 50 miler, 1st and new CR
- Freedom Racing Clowance Woods, 1st and new CR
- Eden Project Marathon, 1st
- VO2 Atlantic Coast 40 miler, 1st and new CR
- The Conquest of Avalon 50 miler, 1st and new CR
- Dartmoor Discovery 50km, 2nd
- Trail Co Lulworth Cove Ultra, 1st and new CR
After an initial consultation call to discuss your previous experience, goals, etc, I will develop a plan to help you progress as an athlete.
We will remain in daily contact via feedback about your sessions over the app Final Surge, and directly via SMS/phone. With this information, we will adapt the training to your preferences and development so it is entirely individualised and adaptable.
What is included?
- Weekly running schedule delivered online via Final Surge
- Unlimited contact via SMS, email and phone
- Daily session analysis and feedback
- Strength and mobility work
- Advice on race strategy, nutrition, kit etc
£100/month
No initial set-up cost or minimum commitment period.
For more information or to sign up, please contact us.