Training Programs

From your first 5 km to a sub-3 marathon — pick the plan that fits.

Three trusted training pathways, hand-picked by our editors. One is a paid coaching app, one is a free self-guided plan from an elite, and one is a South African running community with its own training app. All built by people who've run the races you're training for.

Coach Parry · Official Partner

Coach Parry Training

By Lindsey Parry · Uniting Olympic-calibre coaching and sport-science insight - decades of experience

R 147 / month — cancel anytime

Affiliate partnership · disclosed

                                
                                Annual R 1497 · save 17% · Personalized

Structured, app-delivered plans for every distance from 5 km to Comrades. Daily workouts, video form-checks, in-app messaging with coaches, and an active community of South African runners — including Coach Parry himself for the Comrades, Soweto and Om die Dam build-ups.

Plans for every distance — 5 K, 10 K, 21.1 K, Marathon, Comrades, Two Oceans, Trail
Full coaching app — workouts, pace targets, calendar sync, Strava integration
Coach Q&As 1 live member-only call each week with our coaches, plus recordings.
Masterclasses — Faster Beyond 50, Running Through Menopause, Comrades Roadmap
Member community — discussion forums, weekly group runs, race meet-ups
Training Library 700+ audio and video sessions on demand

Why we recommend Coach Parry: Lindsey has coached more sub-3 Comrades runners than anyone in the country. The app, the community, and the masterclasses are the most complete package we've reviewed.

Personalized traingin plans · No card required · Cancel anytime

Join Now View all plans →

Free · Self-Guided

OwnMyRun · Gerda Steyn

By Gerda Steyn · 7× Two Oceans champion · 4x Comrades winner

Free Full plans · downloadable

                                Hosted on ownmyrun.com · no sign-up required
                            

Gerda Steyn's free training plans, distilled from her own training notes and built for runners who prefer to run on their own terms — no app, no subscription, just clear weekly schedules you can print and stick on the fridge.

10 K · 21.1 K · 42.2 K plans — 8 to 16-week build-ups
Printable PDFs — weekly schedules, pace zones, drills
Strength & mobility routines for runners (~15 min, no equipment)
Nutrition guidance — race-week and long-run fuelling notes
Race-day tactics from Gerda's own race notebook
No app, no live Q&A, no community — it's self-guided by design

When to pick this: You're an independent runner who doesn't want a coach in your ear. You prefer to log on Strava and stick a paper schedule on the fridge.

External link · ownmyrun.com · Opens in new tab

Browse free plans Gerda's training diaries →

Energy Lab · Community + App

Energy Lab

By Energy Lab Athletic Company · a South African running community with a built-in training app

Free All features free while in beta

                                Represented in the Northern Cape & Free State · expanding their footprint · est. 2019
                            

Partner listing · no commission · in beta

A running community and training app in one. Members get an adaptive plan that sets paces from a recent time trial and recalculates as they get fitter — plus club run results, event RSVPs, a national race calendar, and a coach in the app that reviews every run logged. Currently in beta, with every feature free to use.

Adaptive plans from a time trial — paces auto-adjust as you improve
Coach feedback on every run — session-by-session guidance
Couch to 5K — a free beginner pathway
Club run results & leaderboards + virtual challenges
Wearable sync — Polar & Suunto

When to pick this: You want the structure of a coached plan and the accountability of a real running community, in one app — and right now every feature is free while it's in beta. Especially strong in the Northern Cape & Free State, where Energy Lab runs on-the-ground sessions, with the footprint expanding.

Progressive web app · energylabapp.co.za · opens in new tab

Join Energy Lab Explore the app →

Feature	Coach Parry · R 147 / mo	OwnMyRun · Free	Energy Lab · Free (beta)
Plans across 5 K → Comrades	✓	✓	✓
Coaching app · daily workouts	✓	Printable PDFs	✓ + auto coach feedback
Live Q&A / coach feedback	✓	—	In-app run feedback
Real-world community	Online forums	—	✓ on-the-ground community
Device integration	✓ Strava	Manual logging	✓ Polar · Suunto
Strength & mobility routines	✓	✓	—
Nutrition & race-day fuelling	✓ Personalised	✓ Templates	—
Sign-up required	Card on file	No sign-up	Free account

Common questions

01 Why do you only feature three options?

Because we read every training program on the South African market and these are the ones we'd genuinely recommend to a friend — one complete paid product, one elite free resource, and one community running app. We'd rather feature a few great options than a list of fifty.

02 Does RunningCalendar make money if I sign up?

Coach Parry is our official training partner — we earn a small commission when you subscribe through our link, and we disclose it here. The OwnMyRun and Energy Lab links are editorial: we earn nothing if you click them.

03 What makes Energy Lab different?

It's the only option here that's a real running community and an app. You get a structured, self-adjusting plan plus club runs, results and events — and while it's in beta, every feature is free. Strongest if you're in the Northern Cape or Free State, where the community meets in person, with the footprint expanding.

04 Which plan should I pick if I'm new to running?

Start with the OwnMyRun free 5k or 10k beginner plan. If after eight weeks you find yourself wanting more structure, more accountability, or you're stepping up to half-marathon or Comrades, then the Coach Parry trial is worth a week of your time.

05 I want to train for Comrades — what do you suggest?

Comrades is a different animal. The Coach Parry "Comrades Training Roadmap" is built around Lindsey's exact preparation philosophy for the Up Run vs Down Run. We've sent dozens of readers to it; it's the right call for Comrades specifically.

06 Can I mix the options?

Absolutely. Many of our readers follow Gerda's free 10 K plan for off-season base-building, then switch to a Coach Parry block for a target race. Both will respect a properly built running base.