Seeking Competitive Endurance Coach (voluntary role)

Dear Endurance Running Community,

Serpentine Running and Triathlon Club (Registered Charity 1207174) is excited to announce a new initiative to elevate our competitive profile and performance. We are seeking Expressions of Interest for a Head Endurance Coach (voluntary role) to drive this new programme forward.

This is a unique opportunity for a motivated and dedicated coach who is passionate about competitive progression – we are specifically looking for a leader who will design, implement, and direct a competitive programme, rather than someone primarily focused on setting group workouts and participating in them.

The Vision: Developing Competitive Calibre
The primary purpose of this role is to promote, develop, and accelerate the competitive side of our club, focusing on improved personal bests, race results, and overall club reputation. For an overview of current club performance standards, see our club rankings page on the Serpentine website.

High-Level Goals:

• Competitive Progression: Drive significant competitive progression for both male and female athletes, primarily across UK Athletics road and cross country events, and track racing where appropriate.
• Recruitment: Lead the direct recruitment of talent from the wider running community and our partner club, the London School of Economics Running Club.
• Club Reputation: strengthen indirect recruitment by enhancing the club’s competitive reputation through improved results.

Specific Performance Targets (Coach Targets / KPIs):
We welcome the coach’s input, but initial targets include:

• Targeting South East championship races, including road relays, cross country relays, and the SE cross country championships.
• Supporting and achieving strong showings at the Southern Athletics League.
• Selecting additional key individual road and track meets to target each year with the squad.
• Demonstrating squad depth by focusing on the progression of the club’s top 8-10 athletes across key distances (3000m, 5000m, 5K/10K road, Half Marathon).
• Actively encouraging members to race, and ensuring performance reporting is highlighted across club and social media channels.

Club Support & Professional Development
We are committed to supporting our coach’s professional growth, offering access to:

• Funding for UK Athletics coaching qualifications and courses.
• Sponsorship for relevant coaching conferences.
• Membership to online coaching communities 
• Assistance in finding appropriate coaching mentors to further their development.
• Covering relevant expenses associated with club workout and race support.
• Promotion of the coach and squad’s success via our club and club-race newsletters and social media.
• Reporting to, and support from the elected Competition Lead, and the Operations Committee.
• The programme will be reviewed annually against agreed performance indicators. This will include feedback from the coach, the committee, and coached athletes.

Commitment & Opportunity

• The initial term is one year, with a preference for a multi-year commitment to ensure programme continuity.
• The commitment involves overseeing approximately 60 in-person workout sessions at central London locations, and/or races across Greater London over the year. Sessions and race support will be scheduled at the coach’s discretion in coordination with the squad.
• To recognize the dedication required, the coach is welcome to offer complete individual coaching services and personalized programming for a fee to athletes both inside and outside of the club. This allows the coach to build their own paid practice alongside developing the club squad. Private coaching sits outside the club’s finances and safeguarding responsibilities.

Next Steps
If you are an experienced and ambitious coach ready to lead a serious competitive programme and develop the next generation of endurance runners, we encourage you to express your interest.

Please reply to this email detailing your relevant experience, coaching philosophy, and initial thoughts on how you would approach meeting the goals outlined above. We are open to new ideas and initiatives the coach may wish to develop in coordination with the club committee. Suggestions of information to include:

• Current UKA coaching qualification level (and whether you are willing to obtain or upgrade it).
• Any experience with club-level performance programmes or similar squads.
• Examples of athletes you have coached (without breaching confidentiality) or typical performance levels you have worked with.
• Availability constraints (eg evenings, weekends, location, regularity).

The closing date for expressions of interest is 19 December 2025. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an informal discussion with members of the committee in January 2026. The selected coach will begin leading sessions in February, with an initial focus on preparing squads for the 6/12 stage road relays in March 2026.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Nicholas Browne
Competition Lead
Serpentine Running and Triathlon Club