COACH’S CORNER – LET’S GET RUN FIT WITH NICK MUXLOW

Kate Dzienis • August 31, 2021

Coach’s Corner is a feature for our AURA members, where qualified trained professionals provide you with advice and tips on improving and enhancing your ultra running performance.

Contributed by Nick Muxlow, Run Coach at The Ultra Journey and Author (SA)
Nick Muxlow is a Level 3 Intermediate Recreational Running Coach, accredited with Athletics Australia. He is an ultra-marathon coach, runner and author of “Journey to 100 – How To Run Your First 100km Ultramarathon and Love It”. Nick has competed in seven Ironman races, has won both the State Trail Championships and State Ultramarathon Championships, and finished UTA 100k in under 11.5 hours on his first attempt.

All runners want to improve. They want to be faster, stronger, more resilient as a runner and enjoy their running experience where running feels easy and effortless. We say that all runners want to get ‘Run Fit’. The challenge is however that far too many runners have uncertainty over what training they should be doing, are in a performance plateau or are injured. They are not sure if what they are doing and where they are investing their time is the best option for them to achieve their goals.

There is a better way. We call this the Run Fit way. Run Fit is the method you need to ensure you have confidence with your running. It outlines the four key elements you need to get Run Fit allowing you certainty with your training so you can run easily and effortlessly. You bring structure to what you are doing, you have variety in your training, you stay injury free and enjoy your running more. Run Fit allows you to improve your running and finish with a smile.

Let’s unpack the Run Fit method a little further to understand how it can help you as a runner.

The Run Fit method consists of four parts – a Game Plan, Mindset, Skills and Fitness. Each contains three key elements which are required to be implemented by the runner. When a runner implements and executes all 12 elements well, they can achieve their full potential.

Let’s take a quick overview of the method. The Game Plan is the backbone of becoming Run Fit, it is the systems and processes that you follow as a runner and is what delivers structure to your running. It is made up of three key elements, strategy, deliberate practise and a training and racing plan. Collectively these elements in the Game Plan allow the concepts covered in each of the following areas to be implemented and achieved.

Mindset is about ensuring that you have a positive mindset when both training and racing. When a positive mindset is developed in training and racing you have confidence with what you are doing and can overcome challenges. Your develop trust in your training and racing ability and as a result your confidence soars. To achieve this a runner needs to develop a growth mindset, enhance their training mindset and hone their racing mindset.

Skills looks at the full range of skills needed by the runner: the techniques needed to be successful. You must be able to refine and improve all three parts to achieve your full potential as a runner and finish with a smile.

Fitness is where most runners spend their time developing. Fitness consists of three essential elements which need to be developed at the optimal time with respect to your goal race. Fitness is absolutely important but it must be developed in unison with the other elements to reach your full potential. If a runner focusses only on their fitness they risk walking to the finish line on race day or having a DNF.

Ultimately to be able to develop your fitness to its full capacity, we need to have implemented the other three parts of the Run Fit method, we need a wholistic approach to your running. Once all elements have been considered, implemented and executed then running becomes easy, effortless and enjoyable.

Overall, when all four parts of the Run Fit method come together, you will be able to reach your peak physical and psychological state and, therefore your full potential as a runner. You will be Run Fit. You will improve your running and finish with a smile.

Below is a diagram of what this looks like and how all four parts of the method combine to allow you to become Run Fit.

How well are you implementing all parts of the Run Fit method?

To find out take the ‘Run Fit Scorecard’ at www.scorecard.therunjourney.com

Keen to know more? The Run Fit method is discussed in full in the book ‘Run Fit – Improve your running, finish with a smile’ which can be purchased on The Ultra Journey website.

Nick Muxlow developed the Run Fit method over his years as a coach and runner. He is the author of bestselling books; ‘Run Fit’ and ‘Journey to 100’ and has assisted new, beginner and experienced runners to improve their running and finish with a smile. He is regularly known for allowing ultra-runners to improve by 30-60 minutes with countless case studies to prove it.

Get in touch with Nick through The Ultra Journey website to get personalised training plans and coaching, and take The Ultra Runners Quiz to learn where your focus areas are.

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Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2027

By Jin Kato • July 8, 2026

The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater