Coopah How To: Make 2026 Your Best Running Year Yet

Wow, can you believe that 2024 is almost over. By now you are probably sick of the sight of turkey (another leftover turkey sandwich anyone?), already looking forward to January payday, and itching to get started on your 2026 goals.

A couple of weeks ago I spoke about goal setting, and I encouraged you all to sit down and write down your goals for 2026 (hint if you haven’t done this yet, this is your reminder) so today I want to delve a little deeper into that and really get into the detail of how to make 2026 your best running year yet, and of course how Coopah can help you along the way.

BE PATIENT

One of the most important things to remember when it comes to running, is that progress takes time and that it ultimately takes hard work and consistency to achieve your goals.

If you are just starting your running journey, or are in the early weeks of marathon training, my plea to you is please do not feel disheartened if things feel tougher than you thought they would to start with.

With running, you get out what you put in, and personally one of my favourite things about this sport is that you really are rewarded for your hard work in the long run. It might take a few weeks, it might even take months, but if you stick at it, work hard and stay consistent you will start to see those results.

So as we head into January, just remember this and be kind to yourself as you embark on this next stage of your running journey. All you can do is build on where you are right now, so try not to worry about where you may be in another three months time.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Now I will be honest, I have been guilty of this in the past. I would set myself lots of different goals and then try to achieve them all at once, and what happened? I just ended up burning myself out, actually making less progress and in some cases giving up on them all together because it was not sustainable. But thankfully, I have learnt from my mistakes.

My biggest piece of advice, is to focus on one goal at a time. And if you are reading this blog I am going to assume that like me, your main goal right now is to train for and run a spring marathon. And let’s be honest, thats a big enough goal anyway without setting yourself loads more as well.

Even if you have decided that 2026 is the year you want to nail your 5km PB (personal best) or perhaps spend more weekends hiking in the mountains or maybe even take up a new sport altogether, that’s great and I am not saying those are impossible, but if you try to do all of that in too short a time period you may find it really hard to balance it all and actually make any progress.

So by all means, have your goals planned out for the year, but ensure you give yourself enough time to actually work towards each one, have that all important recovery time and also enjoy the process too.

GET INVOLVED

When I first started running many years ago, I used to think it was a solo sport, and don’t get me wrong, I do still enjoy going for solo runs. In fact some days I love nothing more than sticking in my headphones and just switching off for an hour whilst clocking up the miles.

But for me, one of the best things about running, is the running community. In fact, some of my best friends and the most supportive people I know are other runners I have met along the way, and I know for a fact that without their support, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have over the last 10 years.

There are many different ways to get involved in the running community – from traditional athletics clubs, to social run clubs that tend to finish at the pub (the best kind of run club) and one of my personal favourites, parkrun.

So if you are serious about hitting your running goals in 2026, along with following a training plan, I would really encourage you to get involved in the running community. Whether it’s joining a local run club, attending parkrun, or simply connecting with runners online, getting involved will enhance your running journey no end.

No matter what goals you have set yourself for 2026, remember to enjoy the journey along the way as well.

Progress isn’t linear, and it might be that there are many ups and downs along the way, but if you stick with it, work hard and stay consistent, those big goals will one day become a reality.