COACHING OPPORTUNITIES

AT THE HEART OF ATHLETICS

GET INVOLVED: COACHING

Coaching is at the heart of athletics, helping athletes of all ages and abilities reach their potential. If you have a passion for sprints, endurance, race walking, or field events, becoming a coach is a rewarding way to give back to the sport and inspire the next generation.

There are several pathways to get involved, from supporting club sessions as a Coaching Assistant to working towards full coaching qualifications through England Athletics. Each discipline—track and field, road running, and race walking—offers tailored training programmes, ensuring you develop the right skills and knowledge.

England Athletics provides a structured route into coaching, with recognised qualifications, awards, and resources to support your development.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your expertise, there are plenty of opportunities to progress and make a real impact in the Isle of Man’s athletics community. Explore the pathways, find the right course for you, and start your coaching journey today.

England Athletics Coaching Qualifications

The Fell Runner Association Courses

England Athletics Coach Development

Inspire, support and develop athletes to fulfil their potential.

RECOGNISED QUALIFICATIONS

Whether you are new to coaching or leading, want to start coaching your own group or want to try a new discipline, England Athletics has courses available to meet your needs.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

CHOOSE YOUR PATHWAY

Isle of Man Athletics is comprised of 5 athletic clubs with a wealth of coaching knowledge and experience. However, the clubs are always looking for new people to assist and lead the delivery of training sessions, allowing for the growth of the local clubs.

It is not necessary to have a background in athletics or coaching to start, as there will be mentoring and support provided by more experienced coaches. New coaches may want to start by volunteering or enrolling onto the Leading Athletics course, then work towards the Assistant Coach Award and Coach Award which is necessary to lead training sessions unsupervised.

If you’re interested in becoming an Athletics, Race Walking or Road Running Coach but not sure which course is right for you, please refer to the England Athletics Coaching Decision Tree Diagram and UKA Coaching Pathway (see diagrams below). The EA diagram illustrates the various qualifications and the Coaching Qualifications Pathway.

COACHING QUALIFICATIONS

PATHWAY TO

BECOME A FELL/OFF-ROAD RUNNING COACH

Anyone wishing to take runners off-road should first gain the standard LiRF or CiRF qualification, then take the FRA/UKA Fell, Hill, Off-Road and Trail Module. This is now available at Leader level, and is in development for the Coach level. For more information on course dates, please visit The Fell runners Association.

Please note that in order to enrol on this course you should already have one of the following UKA qualifications:

Leadership in Running Fitness
Coaching Assistant
Athletics Coach Endurance
Coach in Running Fitness
Level 2 Endurance

If you need to gain one of these qualifications you should book on the standard courses via the England Athletics website.

To complete the off-road qualification you will also need a 2-day Outdoor First Aid certificate (such as that offered by the FRA and also from several external suppliers) – this can be done after the off-road module. The Coach-level off-road module is now in development – if you are a CiRF and expect to take the CiRF off-road module please note that the LiRF off-road module is a prerequisite.

THE COACHING PATHWAY