How to Make a Great Living as a REVO₂LUTION Certified Running Coach

coaching business ideas

From the desk of Dr. Jason Karp From creator of  REVO₂LUTION RUNNING™

In the spring of 2007, I was sitting in the back of a taxicab in Rosemont, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. I was in town to speak at a fitness industry conference. I brought my racing shoes and clothes because I planned to run a race in Chicago’s Grant Park while I was there. I didn’t have a car in Rosemont, so I got up extra early and took a taxi from the hotel to the park. When I stepped into the taxi, rubbing the early morning from my eyes, the taxicab driver asked, in an accent I couldn’t quite place, “Where are you going?” 

“Grant Park in Chicago,” I responded. “Going to run a race.” 

The taxicab driver immediately got excited. “When I was back home in Greece, I used to run all over the country!” he exclaimed, sounding like he was already on his third cup of coffee. “Running is a great way to see the countryside in Greece. When you run, everything is perfect.”

I didn’t expect to hear something so profound at six o’clock on a Sunday morning in a taxicab in Rosemont, Illinois, but there it was. When you run, everything is perfect. On that day, in that cab, a random taxicab driver from Greece said something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I share his words every time I speak publicly about running.

What Can You Do as a Running Coach?

Running is the most popular exercise in the world, the most effective and fastest way to get fit, and the world’s best calorie-burner. Running is, perhaps, the single best thing people can do for their health.

With REVOLUTION RUNNING, you get the most versatile certification in the fitness industry. Why? Because there are many things you can do once you are certified.

1) Train Clients One-on-One to Run Races

The most common reason to earn a run coach certification is to train people to run races of all different distances—from the mile to the ultramarathon, and trails to track to roads. You can even coach triathletes. This can be done both in person and online. As a coach, you write the client’s training program and communicate with the client about his or her training via email, phone, and text. If in person, you can meet the runner for specific workouts, such as intervals, hills, tempo runs, etc. Once you complete this world-class training program, you will have the specific and high-level skills needed to help people in each of these niches.  

2) Write and Sell Race Training Programs

Given how many people run races (20 million in the U.S. each year), this is a huge opportunity to profit off the largest segment of the fitness market. You can sell pre-written training programs for 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons, and marathons, or write custom-made programs on a per-person basis.  How will you sell these programs?  You can sell them on a wide range of platforms such as Fiverr or Udemy.  Of course, you can sell them on your own site as well. The complete online coaching business system we include with your certification (for free) gives you the specific, detailed and step-by-step plan to put your plan into action.

3) Create a Run Coaching Business

Imagine having a team of 10, 20, or even 50 coaches who all work under you as their leader. The coaches coach the clients and you split the revenue with them. There are many ways to structure this program and make it work effectively locally, regionally or globally.

4) Coach High School or College Teams 

High schools and colleges are always looking for qualified coaches to coach the athletes. This can also be a great way to get your community to know about you and your coaching services.  Although you will likely make less with this revenue model, there are other benefits.  You will have an incredible sense of accomplishment each day.  In addition, many of the parents of these runners will want to hire you for off-season private coaching which pays much better.  It’s an avenue for more financial opportunities.   

5) Hold Running Retreats

Imagine taking your coaching to exotic places around the world, or even in your own backyard, coaching people and leading them on beautiful, scenic runs during private retreats. You can take a group to Costa Rica, Colorado, Lake Tahoe or similar beautiful places. You can include sports psychology coaching and sports nutrition coaching as part of your retreat. You could even learn Sport Yoga and offer yoga for runners.  These events are fun, enriching, rewarding and lucrative.  A lot of planning is needed, and yet the benefits can last a lifetime.

6) Teach Group Treadmill Classes

Teach the most scientific and inspirational group treadmill interval workout class in the fitness industry. REVOLUTION RUNNING includes a detailed manual on how to teach this scientifically proven class in gyms and gives you a free license to do so.  You may even consider opening a small running studio and offering an entire program for runners at your facility.

7) Create Fat-Loss Programs

Since running is a great calorie burner and one of the most sustainable weight-loss strategies, you can offer one-on-one or group training for weight-loss clients. For example, you can write a group running for weight losstraining plan (and include other complementary deliverables, such as strength training, nutrition guidance, sleep science, positive habit formation, etc.), create a private Facebook group for check-ins, posting info, and accountability, and host weekly group coaching sessions via Zoom.  This can be a huge money-maker that adds real value to people’s lives.

Becoming a Certified Running Coach

Of course, these seven options are just a fraction of what is possible.  When you earn your certification, the world of opportunity opens for you. You have options and freedom to custom design your career and business.

You will want to click over to this program page to get the details you want.  Enroll in less than 2 minutes. Benefit from low tuition and even lower payment options.

When you earn the REVO₂LUTION RUNNING™ certification, you not only get the best running education in the world; you get a complete running experience because what we do serves as proof of what we believe.

Check out what it takes to start a career in personal fitness training. This is your most affordable and fastest way to become a highly qualified personal trainer.

Is your recertification coming up? Learn more about earning your CEU credits. You can find the full list of CEU courses here.

There is always something exciting about earning a new training or coaching certification and applying that new knowledge of how you train your clients. This also helps you hit the reset button.

NESTA and Spencer Institute coaching programs are open to anyone with a desire to learn and help others. There are no prerequisites.

That’s it for now.

Take action!

NESTA | Spencer Institute

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