Testimonials from our athletes
At A-Team Coaching, our athletes are at the heart of everything we do. From first-time runners to elite ultra-marathon athletes, thousands of training hours and countless finish lines have shaped the reputation of our coaching team. Our personalised, science-backed training approach delivers measurable progress—whether you’re training for a 5km, marathon, Two Oceans, or the Comrades Marathon.
But you don’t have to take our word for it…
Below, you’ll find real testimonials from runners who have achieved their goals with the support, expertise, and guidance of A-Team Coaching. Their stories highlight the power of having a human running coach, customised training, and consistent, professional support.
Read their experiences—and see what’s possible for your own running journey.
I joined A-Team coaching in September 2024 with the goal to improve my marathon time. With the help, guidance and patience. Ann helped me get there. I still have a very long way to go and many goals to achieve. Thank you Ann for all the time and effort you put into my training programs and getting me going when I am being a princess.
Cannot wait for the many more goals and races.
Cannot wait for the many more goals and races.
Excellent coaching! Ann has coached me for a few years now supporting me to become a better, stronger runner both physically and mentally! I have completed numerous marathons and 4 Comrades under her guidance and I can’t recommend her enough!
Working with David has been an incredible experience and a game changer for my running journey. From day one, he has been genuinely invested in my goals, no matter how big or small, and his support has been constant and heartfelt.
What truly sets David apart is his availability and openness. He’s always happy to chat whether I need guidance on training, nutrition questions, motivation before a tough run, or reassurance after a setback. He never makes me feel like I’m asking too much; instead, he listens carefully and offers thoughtful, experience-backed advice.
His training plans are clear, personalized, and realistic, pushing me just enough to grow while still respecting my pace and lifestyle. David has an amazing ability to break down complex concepts and make them understandable and actionable. He celebrates every win with genuine enthusiasm and helps me refocus after challenges without judgment.
Beyond being an excellent coach, he’s a supportive mentor who truly cares about his athletes’ well-being. Thanks to David, I’ve seen noticeable progress physically, mentally, and in my confidence as a runner.
What truly sets David apart is his availability and openness. He’s always happy to chat whether I need guidance on training, nutrition questions, motivation before a tough run, or reassurance after a setback. He never makes me feel like I’m asking too much; instead, he listens carefully and offers thoughtful, experience-backed advice.
His training plans are clear, personalized, and realistic, pushing me just enough to grow while still respecting my pace and lifestyle. David has an amazing ability to break down complex concepts and make them understandable and actionable. He celebrates every win with genuine enthusiasm and helps me refocus after challenges without judgment.
Beyond being an excellent coach, he’s a supportive mentor who truly cares about his athletes’ well-being. Thanks to David, I’ve seen noticeable progress physically, mentally, and in my confidence as a runner.
I have been with David and Team ashworth for abit 5 years having navigated three Comrades and 7 Full Ironman events, David had given we professional coaching, guidance and strong motivation to navigate a full time job, extensive travelling and still managing to hit my running and triathlon goals. I started my running journey 8 years ago and moved over to Team ashworth and with the help of personal training have exceeded in all my goals.
The hands in training has really helped and I can recommend David anytime..!!
The hands in training has really helped and I can recommend David anytime..!!
Response from the owner 10:28 15 Nov 25
Thank you, Andrew. You have excelled in triathlon, achieving there remarkable AWA Silver Status for 2 years in a row (top 5% in age ranking). You are a highly competitive athlete and the difference you make through your charity work is inspiring. I worked with David for the whole of 2025. In January we had a sitdown where I explained the two main goals I had for the year (one ultra road (Comrades) and the other an ultra trail (Skyrun). I had never had a structured training plan, didn't know what my respective base levels are (still don't know all the technical terms, but threshold comes to mind). David worked with me to establish these and then design an appropriate tailored training plan. Although I don't have experience of other plans or coaching styles, David's approach worked for me and the plan too. I hit my first goal for Comrades (sub 9 hours which was an hour shorter than the year before). As for the second goal, everything was looking good and I was confident of running a sub 20 hour Skyrun, but the weather gods had other plans for the 2025 event and the route was amended for safety reasons. As such, I chose to skip it this year and (again thanks to David) I fortunately managed to secure an entry for the UTCT100. Let's see how that goes.
Response from the owner 10:38 15 Nov 25
Thank you Dale 🙏🏽. “One needs to allow for flexibility within the rigidity of a structured training plan”, is something I always say. Shifting focus from Skyrun to UTCT requires a flexible approach. The goal is locked in now, so keep the focus. I signed up with Dave in April 2023 when my running really went pear-shaped and I went from running Comrades to not even being able to complete a marathon.
Dave slowly built me up to running a 22 minute marathon PB in that October.
I then ran my best ever Comrades the following year, also with a 20 minute PB.
I am one of those runners who need to understand things, and Dave has a wealth of patience when it comes to all of my questions!
I would fully recommend joining A Team Coaching! A scientific but hands on approach to reaching your full potential 🙏
Dave slowly built me up to running a 22 minute marathon PB in that October.
I then ran my best ever Comrades the following year, also with a 20 minute PB.
I am one of those runners who need to understand things, and Dave has a wealth of patience when it comes to all of my questions!
I would fully recommend joining A Team Coaching! A scientific but hands on approach to reaching your full potential 🙏
David Ashworth is a great coach! He has helped guide me to my goals both on the road and the trail. He is always approachable and ready to chat through any issues in training or thinking through your goals and finding the right balance with other priorities in your life. I highly recommend!
David is a truly gifted running coach who I cannot recommend highly enough. I have been with A-Team since 2022 and my running continues to go from strength to strength under David’s coaching. David has a wealth of elite level experience and technical knowledge and this has really improved key aspects of my running like form, race strategy, nutrition and overall strength and fitness. I love that my workouts can always be tailored to my busy work schedule without compromising on goals and David is always very responsive and supportive when I have questions or concerns. Perhaps most importantly, I have never found this much pure enjoyment in my running - feeling challenged but capable and always moving forward in pursuit of a new goal. Worth every cent!
David has outstanding sessions that helped me gain clarity on my running, cycling and fitness goals which improved my skills. The personalized sessions and constructive feedback improved my progress and got me over the line for numerous marathons, Comrades, Half IM and 100 miler Race to the Sun🤩
Response from the owner 17:25 10 Nov 25
Endurance all-rounder! Variety is the spice of life and YOU are living, Tania! Ready to take YOUR running to the next level?
Get in touch today
