From PE teacher to ultra running coach with location freedom

Executive overview

Most running coaches are geographically bound, trading time for session fees. Nick Muxlow built a fully online coaching business around a proprietary methodology, giving him total location freedom and the ability to scale beyond one-to-one coaching.

The RunFit method organises training into four areas — game plan, mindset, skills, and fitness — whereas most runners focus only on fitness and neglect the rest. His third book, RunFit, unpacked this methodology publicly and became the primary business driver, bringing in clients who self-select before they even contact him.

Packaging your IP into a book converts knowledge into a client acquisition system that works without you.

The RunFit method: four pillars

• Game plan — race selection, pacing strategy, and long-term planning
• Mindset — mental preparation for events lasting 12–30+ hours
• Skills — running technique and strength conditioning (squats, deadlifts, calf raises)
• Fitness — structured training across easy and high-intensity efforts

Why most runners fail ultra events

• They focus exclusively on fitness and ignore the other three pillars
• They try to run everything — walking steep sections is essential for pacing
• They skip strength work; strong muscles without bulk are critical for carrying body weight over distance
• They underestimate the mental component of events spanning multiple days or nights

The world of ultra endurance events

• Ironman triathlon: 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, full marathon run — Hawaii is the world championship qualifier
• Ultra marathon: anything beyond 42 km; common distances are 50 km, 100 km, 100 miles
• Backyard Ultra: 6.7 km loops on the hour, every hour — only one finisher, everyone else is a DNF
• Coast to Kosciuszko: ~240 km race from the coast to Australia's highest peak, invitation only
• At Ultra Trail Australia (100 km, Blue Mountains), finishing under 14 hours earns a silver buckle; some competitors take 24+ hours

Online coaching model

• Delivers training plans via Training Peaks software; plans sync directly to athletes' smartwatches
• Can view completed sessions in near real-time regardless of where the athlete trains
• Weekly Zoom "coach talk" for live Q&A with members
• Guest experts inside the membership: dieticians, sleep researchers, sports psychologists
• Two membership tiers: Run Club (road runners) and Ultra Club (trail/ultra runners)

Building the methodology and IP

• Started with a large mind map of every mistake he had made and observed as an athlete and coach
• Grouped themes became the structure of his first book, Journey to 100 (~55,000 words)
• The methodology was not fully developed until his third book, RunFit — the first two books were necessary steps to get there
• RunFit now functions as a pre-reading tool: clients arrive already understanding their mistakes and asking for help

Getting published and building profile

• Identified his target audience read Trail Running Magazine; cold-pitched them with a written article and photos
• Built an ongoing relationship with the publication rather than a one-off placement
• Partnership with Adventure Films led to a pre-roll ad at the Run Nation Film Festival screened nationally
• Has hosted the Adelaide premiere of the festival for two consecutive years

Business turning points

• Forced out of teaching by lack of job security and a threatened performance review — describes it as "the biggest blessing in disguise"
• Joined a business development program (Key Person of Influence) and applied the methodology there
• Used the "rule of three nos" to raise prices iteratively until resistance appeared — doubled fees as a result
• COVID caused a temporary loss of all clients; returning to part-time teaching bridged the gap
• Full transition out of teaching planned for end of 2022

Overlap between endurance sport and business

• Both require sustained daily action on small tasks that compound over months before results appear
• Key coaching principle for both: identify where someone is now, where they want to go, then give them one next step — not the full roadmap
• Athletes (and founders) consistently want to skip ahead; pulling them back to foundational work is the coach's core job
• Personal motto: enjoy the adventure, embrace the challenge, always have fun

Giving back: B1G1 and tree planting

• Contributes 1% of profit to B1G1 (Buy One Give One) global giving platform
• Chose tree planting as the cause — aligns with outdoor lifestyle and climate action
• Over 1,500 trees planted globally as of recording
• Long-term vision: purchase land, restore it, and create a conservation park with trails for runners, cyclists, and school groups