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PlanB Coaching > Blog > Uncategorized > The Great Triathlon Coaching Swindle: Are You Paying for a Licence or for Expertise?
You’ve caught the bug. You’ve watched the IRONMAN World Championships on TV, you’ve seen your friends post their sprint distance finisher photos, and you’re ready to dive into the world of triathlon. Your first port of call? Finding a coach.
A quick Google search for “online triathlon coaching UK” reveals a saturated market. Everyone is a coach. And I mean everyone. From the recently retired pro to the guy who just about managed to complete one local standard distance race and immediately hung up a digital shingle.
This leads to a troubling and increasingly common trend: the inflation of coaching costs by underqualified individuals. Why are we seeing coaches with minimal experience charging premium prices for a service they are barely qualified to provide?
Let’s be clear: there is nothing wrong with starting somewhere. The issue isn’t with new coaches; it’s with coaches who inflate their expertise to match their inflated prices.
The pathway to becoming a “certified” triathlon coach has never been more accessible. A weekend online course, a few hundred pounds, and a multiple-choice exam later, and voilà – you are a certified triathlon coach. This, coupled with the completion of a single triathlon, becomes the entirety of their “proven track record.”
They have the licence, but do they have the lived experience? The answer is often a resounding no.
A coach with limited experience often lacks the one thing you’re truly paying for: context.
Injury Management: Have they ever guided an athlete through a niggling IT band issue that threatens to derail a entire season? Or do they just tell you to “rest”?
The Mental Game: Can they provide genuine, empathetic advice for the pre-race panic that sets in during a taper? Or for the crushing disappointment of a DNF (Did Not Finish)?
Race-Day Realities: Do they understand how nutrition needs differ between a blazing hot day in Weymouth and a windy, rainy day in Tenby? Or is their advice purely textbook?
Life Interference: Can they help you adapt your training when work gets crazy, the kids are sick, and motivation is at an all-time low?
A coach who has only ever followed their own plan to complete one race lacks this depth. You’re not getting a bespoke service; you’re often buying a generic, algorithm-generated training plan with a monthly email check-in for the price of a seasoned professional. These plans are generally shared between coaches and now they are not even written individually. They are Dynamic plans. Coaches are generating triathlon training plans and then publishing them to many athletes.
When you invest in a coach, you are investing in more than a PDF or plan. You are paying for:
Experience & Problem-Solving: Years of working with dozens of athletes, each with unique bodies, minds, and lives. They’ve seen it before and know how to navigate it.
A True Partnership: Your coach should be your mentor, your motivator, and your reality check. This relationship is built on trust and mutual respect.
Education: A good coach teaches you why you’re doing something, making you a smarter, more intuitive athlete for life.
Results That Matter To You: Whether your goal is simply to finish smiling or to qualify for a championship, their coaching should be tailored to that specific outcome.
Before you hand over your credit card, do your homework:
Interrogate Their Athletic CV: “Completed one sprint triathlon in 2019” is not a credential. Look for coaches who have a history in the sport, either as athletes or as long-time mentors. Their age is generally a give away. Are they young and fresh into the Triathlon arena? They are in it for the money!!
Ask for Testimonials (Real Ones): Anyone can fabricate a quote. Ask if you can speak to a current or past athlete. A legitimate coach will be proud to connect you.
The Price/Experience Mismatch: Are they charging £150+/month with less than two years of coaching experience? Ask them to justify it. What specific, high-value service are they providing that warrants that cost? It is usually because the are in a coaching pyramid. They are paying a premium to the person who owns the company and are taking a cut themselves.
The “Too-Good-To-Be-True” Guarantee: “I’ll get you a Kona qualifier!” Run. Fast. Ethical coaches manage expectations; they don’t make wild promises.
Have a Discovery Call: Ask pointed questions: “Tell me about a time you helped an athlete overcome a major setback?” or “What’s your philosophy on balancing training with a demanding job?”
The rise of the “one-and-done” triathlon coach is a disservice to our sport. It preys on enthusiastic newcomers, devalues the expertise of truly great coaches, and can lead to burnout, injury, and a wasted investment.
Your triathlon journey is personal. It’s about challenge, growth, and community. Don’t trust it to someone who is still on the first chapter of their own coaching story and only in the game to make a fast buck!!
Invest in a guide, not just a licence holder. Your future self stronger, faster, and still loving the sport, will thank you for it.
Looking for a triathlon coach? Focus your search on those with a proven track record, a passion for athlete development, and the humility to know that in this sport, we are all forever learning and that making money isnt everything!!
At PlanB Coaching we have coached hundreds of athletes from first timers to Age Group Qualifiers. We have been in the long distance arena for over 30 years now and have also guided thousands of people to ejoy life Free from mind altering substances.
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