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Hi, I’m Ray — running coach, parkrun advocate, and founder of QWIK KIWI Coaching.
I’ve been coaching runners since 2000, helping everyday, time-poor athletes discover what they’re truly capable of. My coaching journey began long before that, though — back when I was a teenager running laps to get fit for other sports.
What started as cross-training soon became a passion. I joined my local Harrier Club, represented my school and province in cross country and road events, and eventually studied sports science, anatomy, rehabilitation, and exercise performance at university. Those early years built the foundation for a career I still love today: helping runners improve, grow, and surprise themselves.
Why I Coach Recreational Runners
Competitive athletes are fun to coach — but recreational runners are where the magic happens.
They’re juggling work, family, stress, and life. They often doubt their potential. And yet, with even small changes in training structure, they make big leaps. Their improvements aren’t just numbers on a stopwatch — they’re confidence builders.
That’s what’s kept me passionate for more than 25 years:
helping everyday runners hit goals they didn’t think were possible.
My Coaching Philosophy
My approach is simple:
🔹 Train with the minimum effective dose.
Not “how much training can you do,” but
“what’s the least training required to improve?”
Time-poor recreational runners don’t need mega mileage — they need smart, focused sessions and enough recovery to adapt. That’s the heart of QWIK KIWI Coaching.
My parkrun Story
I didn’t start parkrunning until 2017, when I was in Toronto coaching the New Zealand team at the Invictus Games. An English athlete challenged me to race — so I lined up, ran 18:05, and won my very first parkrun.
For a long time I joked that I had a 100% win record, so I avoided doing another.
But on my 48th birthday, while on holiday in Australia, I found myself staying near West Beach parkrun in Adelaide. That felt like a sign. I went along, ran hard, and rediscovered the joy, the community, and the beautiful simplicity of parkrun.
Since then I’ve come to love it for what it represents:
- universal access
- supportive atmosphere
- the same experience anywhere in the world
- the weekly encouragement to challenge yourself
My fastest parkrun (or any 5km event) since 2020 is 21:40 at Whangārei (2025) — a long way from my old racing days, but a result I’m proud of.
Why I Built parkrun-Specific Training Plans
Most events — half marathons, marathons — require long build-ups and big recovery periods.
parkrun is different.
You can run it every week. You can chase small, continuous improvements. And with the right structure, you can stack those improvements over months and years. I wanted training plans that reflected this unique rhythm: consistent, sustainable, effective.
From that idea came the parkrun Tune-up Series:
- Kickstart – 4 Weeks
- Power Up – 8 Weeks
- Saturday Speed Project – 12 Weeks
- The 5K Habit – year-round consistency
The Runners I Coach
I work with recreational runners who:
- have jobs
- have families
- have limited time
- want to get the most from every session
Many achieve personal bests during or after a parkrun Tune-up — often faster than they’ve been in years, sometimes faster than ever.
They come to me with one main problem:
“I don’t have much time… how do I train effectively?”
My job is to show them exactly how.
The Story Behind QWIK KIWI
QWIK KIWI wasn’t born in a studio. It came to me while deployed with the New Zealand Army on operations in East Timor.
Sitting on an observation post in the jungle, the name popped into my head — a blend of Kiwi identity and the idea of becoming “quick” through smart training. I intentionally spelled “QWIK” differently to stand out and reflect the improvement athletes can achieve.
Today, QWIK KIWI Coaching stands for:
- unlocking potential
- setting and smashing goals
- doing more with less training
- guiding athletes on the journey to discover what they’re capable of
Qualifications & Experience
I’ve spent more than two decades coaching 1:1 and continuously studying athletic performance.
My tertiary qualifications include:
- Postgraduate Diploma in Rehabilitation — University of Otago
- Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Medicine — University of Otago
- Postgraduate Certificate in Science (Exercise Science) — Massey University
- Bachelor of Science (Anatomy & Structural Biology) — University of Otago
- Diploma in Sports Studies — University of Otago
And I’ve coached athletes of all backgrounds since 2000.
A Few Personal Notes
I live in Hokitika on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, where the trails, mountains, and rivers are never far away.
Over the years I’ve completed:
- ~50 marathons (PB 3:00:20, 2014)
- 6 Ironman triathlons
- Numerous Ironman 70.3 events
- Half marathon PB 1:22 (2005)
- 10km PB 33:50 (1998)
- 5km PB 16:15 (1994)
Those PBs are from a long time ago — but they represent a lifetime spent learning, practicing, and refining what I now teach.
Beyond running, I love multi-day backcountry hikes and travelling with my partner.
And a quirky fact?
I once completed the Rotorua Marathon in 7:26… while wearing a bomb suit as the Physical Training Instructor for the NZ Army EOD Squadron.
Ready to Improve Your parkrun?
If you’re looking for simple, smart training guidance that fits into real life — you’re in the right place.
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(Training tips, performance analysis, and practical guidance you can use this Saturday.)