After the last successful ‘private’ visit of our favourite form coach Shane Benzie to Gibraltar in January, we spoke of getting him back to do a bigger, group session. Having jumped through a few hoops locally, we secured a room at the Lathbury Sports Complex - with a big TV for analysis, and use of the track - for the weekend of 20 and 21 June.
It was full-on summer, humid in the mornings and hot in the afternoons, and the session started at 10am on Saturday 20 June with no air con (broken) and no TV (no remote/couldn’t turn it on). Once we’d figured out where the hidden button to navigate the TV was, and nabbed a fan from centre manager’s office, we were ready to go.
Ken getting some one-on-one coaching out on the track on the Sunday.
We had 12 athletes, mainly from Carpe Diem Running Club but also some of the crew from Crazy Morning Runners, plus triathlete Charlie, Hyroxer Kyrone and our mate Tim who we ran Boston with - a friendly, perceptive bunch, all keen to learn. Shane introduced himself, got everyone to share a bit about themselves, then it was straight out to the track for the ‘before’ of the day’s ‘before and after’ filming of running form.
Interspersed with stories, impromptu advice on everything from training shoes to triathlon transitions, and anecdotes, Shane went through everyone’s videos, helping the athletes to spot where they could improve. Then we repeated, and repeated - I think we had seven sessions out on the track in total across the seven hours together, as foot landing/takeoff technique, leg movement, arms, posture, head position and more were experienced, watched on video, understood and improved upon.
Our hastily produced flyer for the event - we’ve never arranged anything like this before but I was pleased and proud of Gibraltar for getting behind our first try at something like this.
It was a storming success - to a person, everyone left with a completely different view of how to run, lots to think about and put in to practise, and were all appreciative of our efforts to get Shane here. Before and after the ‘main’ day he squeezed in a few private sessions with local runners we’d previously pointed his way, and I dropped him at the airport on the Sunday with firm plans for a return early in the new year for even longer - possibly a beginner day, an intermediate day and a day of private sessions.
It’s great to facilitate bringing this calibre of coach to the Rock, and whatever happens next, I strongly feel that this is the start of something. Personally I loved enabling this along with Faye, because I know what a difference his coaching made to my own running, playing a big part in moving my marathon PB from 3:31 to 2:59. I am sure we’re going to see some equally impressive changes in the running of some of the athletes who attended this weekend.
Feedback from participants:
“This was amazing. I always fear that with these single day events that most of the time it’s just the coach saying all the amazing work they’ve done but this was the complete opposite. In detail as to what is good running, what am I doing differently and what can I do going forward. Extremely worth it. I understand how to run now. This time one month ago I was doing 40secs slower/km and feeling 10x worse. This felt like clockwork and it’s only been a day since I’ve learnt how to run properly!” - Charlie Walker
“An excellent workshop! The focus on treating the body as a whole provided great takeaways that apply far beyond just running. The instructor was engaging, positive, and very clear in his coaching, making his teaching points easy to learn. I would definitely look forward to learning from him again and further progress my knowledge and self awareness in my running ability.” - Kyrone Watson
“Thank you for such an informative and enjoyable workshop, for sharing your expertise and delivering such a worthwhile course. I found it extremely valuable. The practical explanations and guidance were excellent. As someone in my 60s with osteopenia, my goal is to keep running for as long as possible. This course has given me greater confidence in how to do that safely and efficiently, while helping me better understand my movement and technique. I will certainly be putting what I learned into practice.” - Stephanie Campbell
“There’s a lot of running advice available in books and videos, but too often it focuses on what to do, not why it works, which leads people to apply techniques ineffectively. Shane’s course is different: he explains the science and reasoning behind each approach, then gives practical demonstrations and a clear, structured plan that helps you implement the lessons and see real improvement.” - Tim Seed
“Thank you Shane for a fantastic day on Saturday! The whole day was so well organised, it was interesting and I learnt so much. As a keen runner I enjoyed learning about the perfect running form. It was great to receive some live coaching feedback on my form and ways to improve. It was also great to learn so much within a group environment, everyone was engaged and had a laugh together. I also enjoyed hearing your real life stories about different athletes you have met and coached/ analysed, but also the different places you have been too, the projects you have been a a part of and are working on. I can’t wait to book in to see you again for a follow up session on my progress. Thank you Phil and Faye for organising such a great and mmorable day.” - Emma Risby
“An engaging and thought-provoking workshop. I especially appreciated the link between fascia, posture, and running efficiency, while the discussion around foot positioning was particularly insightful. It provided a fresh perspective on movement and reinforced the value of continually refining technique as a runner to reduce the risk of injury and improve running performance.” - Nina Macedo
“In just one day Shane helped me understand how much more efficient and effective my running technique could be. By the end of the day I had incorporated his coaching into my running and, amongst other valuable improvements, I was no longer heel striking - something that I had been actively but unsuccessfully trying to fix for over 5 years. I highly recommend his coaching to all runners.” - Ken Navas
“I first had a private session with Shane in January, where he quickly identified areas I could improve, including my rather unfortunate heel strike, which I had absolutely no idea I was doing! After that session, I worked hard to follow his advice and improve my running form. Like most runners, though, once the initial focus faded, I gradually stopped thinking about every step and simply got back to enjoying my runs. That is why it was so valuable to be reassessed this weekend. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I hadn’t slipped back into my old heel-striking habits after all. The all-day group session was a fantastic refresher, packed with useful information, practical exercises, and plenty of laughs along the way.
“I must admit that when my alarm went off on Saturday morning, I seriously questioned whether I wanted to spend an entire day at a running class. By the end of the day, I was very glad I did. It was informative, enjoyable, and a great opportunity to spend time with my running friends while learning how to become a better runner. Since my first session with Shane, I have genuinely seen improvements in my running. This weekend reinforced that there is still more potential to unlock and more progress to make. Shane has a unique way of explaining things that makes improvement feel achievable, no matter your level. For me, Shane is like the running godfather, guiding us, correcting us when needed, and helping us become better runners, even when we don’t always realise we need it!”. - Reda Rimkute
“A fantastic session from start to finish. Shane provided a combination of theory, track-based drills, and video analysis and everything was easy to understand and apply. By the end, I felt like something had finally clicked with my running form. I came away with practical tips, greater confidence, and a clear plan of what to work on. Now it’s all about practice and repetition. I can’t wait to see the improvements this brings to my running. Highly recommended!” - Joanne Deaves
Thanks to Nicola at Carpe Diem Running Club, and also to Maurice and Jonathan at GAAA for helping us to make this happen.