Coopah: The Run Coaching App 4+

I have just finished the Yorkshire marathon with the help of Coopah and I’m super pleased with how the app and the backup coaching support helped me go from a semi-regular park runner to a marathon. The app itself is well designed and you put in your event goal, date and time. You can put in which days of the week you will have more or less time to train, and how many runs per week you want to do. It then builds a training plan tailored to you. No more guessing with pdf training plans downloaded from the internet! You can move workouts around and they are a mix of runs, strength and yoga, all of which can be done with no additional equipment and are well demonstrated with videos in the app. The best bit though is the ask a coach support, which is fantastic! I used this lots with my training, as I moved house and also picked up an injury whilst training, so it was great to have someone to talk with about updating my training plan to fit around life! Considering the digital plan, training videos, and coaching support, I think the cost of the subscription is well worth it, if you think how much it would cost to get that from a personal trainer, or the cost of other general fitness apps. I’m now looking towards my next event and I wouldn’t think of running event training without it!

I’ve been training with this since August 2023 and have found it so helpful. The training plans are excellent once you’ve entered your details at the start and as you train, you can really feel the difference it is making and why the plans have been set out the way they are. It’s also great that you can tailor your plan around your availability and then move training days around when you need to.

I find the strength videos and GIFs are spot on and have helped me no end. The thing that I find most unique that sets this app apart from the rest is the level of service you get from behind the scenes. Recently, I was unwell so couldn’t train for over a week. I got an email checking in saying I hadn’t trained for a while. This was automated but it prompted me to email the coaches to ask their advice on best how to get back into training after illness. Their prompt and genuinely caring response really motivated me to get back to it when I was ready.

For me, this app has the perfect balance between sound technology and second to none human service, people who actually care. Well done to the creators and those in the team. If you’re keen and willing to train, this app will be perfect for you. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

Two weeks into using Coopah & I’m still here logging in, staying on course & enjoying the experience. Whilst I’ve completed quite a few 1/2 & even full Marathon I’ve never really taken having a “Training Plan” seriously often driving into them (and apps) and not sticking the course, life, an injury or just plain laziness has often derailed progress meaning I’ve been stuck at a plateau for a while.

Coopah’s rescheduling features & the humanised interface aka lack of judgement (you can still achieve your streaks) have changed that, if I need to push it a day to recover from pain then that’s cool, if I feel good and want to add another run or workout then that’s also cool.

Coopah’s algorithms seem to be well tuned to adjust my pace, load & have so far kept me consistently on track for longer than any of their competitors. Interestingly it’s also had me run slower for longer which whilst was a bit of a mind shift has started to reap rewards. In summary despite me often calling it Oompha, Coopah is meeting up to expectations so far.