MOVE Running Coaching — Structured Training For Middelburg Runners

MOVE Running Coaching · Middelburg

Stop guessing.
Start training
like an
athlete.

One-on-one running coaching for Middelburg runners ready to chase a real goal — your first 21.1km, a sub-4 marathon, a Comrades qualifier, or whatever line you've drawn in the sand. Built on the Jack Daniels methodology, delivered by someone who runs it himself.

Apply for coaching WhatsApp Zander

Years running experience

6×

Comrades Marathon finisher

From R550 /month

Self-guided from R550 · coached from R1,195

Who this is for

Built for runners who are
done with guessing.

If you're already moving and ready to train with structure, you're in the right place. This isn't a couch-to-5km programme — it's coaching for runners with a real goal and the discipline to chase it.

The First-Race Runner

You've done parkruns. Maybe a 10km. Now you've entered your first half marathon and you don't want to wing it. You need a plan that gets you to the start line healthy and the finish line strong.

The PB Hunter

You've been running for years. You've plateaued. You suspect you're training too hard on easy days and not hard enough on hard days. You're right — and we'll fix it.

The Comrades Aspirant

Down run, up run, qualifier, novice. Comrades is no place for guesswork. Structured periodisation, proper long runs, race-day pacing — built around your number, not someone else's plan off the internet.

What's included

Every week. Every kilometre.
Accounted for.

No app subscription. No template plan recycled from another runner. Real coaching, built around you and recalibrated every four weeks off a time trial — so your paces always match your current fitness, never a number from two months ago. (Weekly check-ins and the 4-week recalibration are part of the Coached and Comrades tiers.)

Personalised Training Plan

Built from your VDOT, your goal race, your weekly availability, and your training history. Periodised the Daniels way — base, quality, sharpening, taper.

Weekly WhatsApp Check-ins

Every Sunday you report the week and I read your data — keeping you accountable and catching problems early. No app. No portal you'll never log into. Just direct, honest conversation.

Exact Pace Zones, Retested Monthly

E, M, T, I, R — calculated from your real VDOT, not your ego. Every fourth week you run a time trial and we recalibrate your zones from the result, so your training always matches your current fitness — not where you were a month ago.

Race Strategy & Pacing Plan

Two weeks before race day, you get a kilometre-by-kilometre pacing strategy, fuelling schedule, and mental anchors. Every race is won twice — once in prep, once on the road.

MOVE Run Club Access

Saturday mornings, 06:30, from the shop. Run with other coached athletes. Build the community most lone-wolf runners never get. Done by 07:45 — parkrun-compatible.

Direct Accountability

If you skip a session, I'll know. If you push too hard, I'll pull you back. If you doubt yourself, I'll remind you why you started. Honest coaching — no soft excuses, no fluff.

Your Coach

Zander Claassens

Former soldier. UN mission veteran. Comrades finisher. Founder of MOVE Sports Centre in Middelburg. Married to Nadia, father, husband, runner — in that order.

I've been running for fifteen years. I've trained for marathons through long deployments, hard winters, business setbacks, and the kind of life events that make most people stop. I didn't stop. That's the discipline I coach.

My training is built on the Jack Daniels Running Formula — the gold standard in distance running coaching. I use it on myself, I teach it to the runners I coach, and I've watched it transform performance for every athlete who actually commits to the work.

If you're looking for a coach who'll tell you what you want to hear, this isn't the right fit. If you're looking for a coach who'll tell you the truth, run with you on Saturdays, and hold you to a standard you can't quite hold yourself to yet — let's talk.

Daniels VDOT Trained

Comrades Finisher ×6

15+ Years Running

Former Soldier

MOVE Sports Centre Owner

Coaching options

Three ways to train with me.

From a structured plan you drive yourself, to a coach in your corner every week. The difference between them isn't the plan — it's how much of me you want alongside you. Not sure which fits? That's what the free 15-minute call is for.

Self-Guided

R550 / month

Cancel anytime

Full intake & VDOT assessment
Your personalised plan to your goal race
Plan updates at key milestones
MOVE Run Club & group Q&A
You drive it, on your own schedule

Start self-guided

Three steps to your
first structured week.

Apply Online

Fill in the short coaching form — your name, your running goal, and your WhatsApp number. Under a minute. You'll get an instant confirmation on WhatsApp, then a link to your intake form.

The 15-Minute Call

We talk about your goal race, your current training, your time availability, and whether we're the right fit. No pressure, no pitch. If it's not a fit, I'll tell you.

Start Training Monday

If we're a fit, you choose your option, complete the 12-minute intake form, and your first week of training drops on Sunday evening. You start Monday.

Honest answers

What you're probably wondering.

I'm a beginner. Will I be out of my depth?

No. The plan is built around your current fitness, not someone else's. Whether you run a 30-minute 5km or a 50-minute 5km, the structure is the same — train hard on hard days, easy on easy days, build progressively, peak for race day. The methodology scales. You won't be out of your depth.

Which option should I choose?

Self-Guided suits disciplined runners who want a proper, personalised plan but are happy to drive it themselves. Coached is where most runners see the biggest change — a real coach in your corner every week, adjusting as you go and holding you to it. Comrades Specialist is built for the 90km, with everything in Coached plus ultra-specific preparation. Not sure? We'll find the right fit on your free 15-minute call — no pressure either way.

How do we communicate week to week?

WhatsApp. I don't use coaching apps that you'll abandon after week three. Your plan arrives every Sunday evening as a clear weekly breakdown. On the Coached and Comrades tiers, you report in every Sunday and we talk mid-week if you have a question or need a session adjusted. Simple, direct, no friction.

I'm injury-prone. Can you work around that?

Yes — within reason. I'm not a physiotherapist, and serious injuries need professional medical input first. But once you're cleared to run, the training plan is designed to manage load progressively and minimise re-injury risk. I'll also refer you to the right physio or biokineticist if you're not already seeing one.

I don't live in Middelburg. Can I still be coached?

Yes. Everything except the Saturday Run Club is delivered remotely. If you can run, message on WhatsApp, and send a weekly report — you can be coached from anywhere in South Africa.

Do I need a GPS watch?

Strongly recommended, not required. The training plan uses pace zones, so you need to know your pace. A GPS watch makes this easy — anything from a Garmin Forerunner to an Apple Watch works. If you don't have one, we can use a phone app for now and discuss a watch later. MOVE Sports Centre can advise on the right model for your budget.

One form.
One decision.

You've been training without structure long enough. Fill in the form below. Two minutes from now, your application is in. A different runner is closer than you think.

Apply for coaching

Free 15-min call · No pressure · No pitch · Just an honest conversation
Prefer to chat first? WhatsApp Zander instead

Stop guessing. Start training like an athlete.

Built for runners who aredone with guessing.

Every week. Every kilometre.Accounted for.