The RC Project

Personal bests aren't built overnight. They're built month by month.

The RC Project is professional 1-1 running coaching for all abilities, from Race Calendar founder and 2x British Half Marathon Champion Ryan McLeod in partnership with Tom Boardman of Boardman Coaching. Consistent, focused training, written for you and built around your life.

Any goal, 5K to marathon£125 a month, Wave 15 free gifts in year 1No minimum term
Coaches Ryan McLeod racing and Tom Boardman coaching athletes
Ryan McLeodTom Boardman
The RC Projectin partnership withBoardman CoachingBoardman Coaching
What you get

Your goal. Your plan. Coaching that fits your life.

Whatever you're chasing, your plan is built for that goal. The beauty of running is that progress is measurable. Training is planned ahead and worked around you and your life. Nothing is set in stone: when tweaks are needed, we make them, all to get you into the best shape possible.

What's included

Weekly catch-ups

Every week we review the week you've run and look at the next one, by call, voice note or message.

Planned ahead

Planned well in advance, then set one to two weeks at a time on an online training platform, with pace and heart rate targets set to you.

Built around life

Shifts, kids, travel and bad weeks are planned around, never ignored.

Your goals

One goal or several along the way: a time, a distance, a race or a season.

Every session reviewed

Training monitored and adapted. Upload to Strava, Garmin or COROS and your coach sees how it went.

WhatsApp in between

A question, a niggle, a race-day nerve. Message any time.

The bits most runners skip

Race preparation

A race-week plan, a pacing strategy and fuelling practised in training.

The taper

Cutting back at the right time, by the right amount, so you arrive fresh, not flat.

Warm-ups

A proper routine for sessions and races, so you start ready to run at pace.

The principles

Structure, consistency, recovery.

Every week has a place in a bigger plan, but what works for one runner may not work for another, so every plan is unique to the athlete.

1 Time on feet

↑ Time over distance

Most runs are set in minutes rather than miles. On a tired day you run the time a little slower.

2 Hard work

↑ Space the hard days

Allowing enough time between sessions is key. Fitness is gained and adaptation takes place while you're recovering.

3 Effort

↑ No dead zone

Easy days easy, session days sharp. One-paced runners don't improve.

4 Workload

↑ Planned with purpose

Sessions are planned carefully to make the most of your time and effort. Controlling the workload and effort level is key to improvement.

5 Judgement

↑ Listen to the body

A day off now beats a month off later. That's why your feedback as a runner matters, along with your heart rate or RPE data, to help plan the next block of training.

6 Recovery

↑ Rest is training

Rest is the most undervalued part of training. Recovering properly on the days between hard work is essential.

Coach vs AI

A real coach, not a chatbot.

AI coaching apps will write you a plan in seconds. But they're unreliable: challenge one and it backs down straight away and tells you what you want to hear. Getting faster needs someone who knows when to hold firm and when to change the plan.

An AI coach

  • Backs down as soon as you challenge it
  • Says what you want to hear, not what you need to hear
  • Can't tell a niggle from an excuse, or a bad day from a warning sign
  • Plans built from averages, not from you
  • Nobody to answer to when training gets hard

Your RC Project coach

  • Holds firm when it matters, and changes the plan when it should
  • Honest feedback, even when it isn't what you hoped to hear
  • Knows you, your history and how you respond to training
  • Every week planned around your life and your goal
  • A real person in your corner, every week
Your first-year streak

Five free RC Project gifts in year 1.

Milestone gifts are part of your first-year streak. Keep your streak going to 12 months and you'll receive five free RC Project gifts as part of your project package: one at each milestone below. The vest, T-shirt and jacket are adidas running kit, branded with The RC Project logo.

Men's adidas running vest with The RC Project logoWomen's adidas running vest with The RC Project logoMonth 1
adidas vest
Running cap with The RC Project logoMonth 3
Cap
Men's adidas T-shirt with The RC Project logoWomen's adidas T-shirt with The RC Project logoMonth 6
adidas T-shirt
Men's adidas jacket with The RC Project logoWomen's adidas jacket with The RC Project logoMonth 9
adidas jacket
£100 voucher to spend on running kit or shoesMonth 12
£100 voucher

Gifts are part of your first 12 months, each sent at the end of that month of coaching. After that your coaching carries on as normal.

Your coaches

Two coaches. One project.

Ryan McLeod has teamed up with Boardman Coaching to offer the RC Project. Both coaches work to the same principles, and we decide between us which coach is the best fit for each athlete.

Ryan McLeod
Ryan McLeodCoach · Race Calendar founder

Over 30 years of running. A GB international spanning 13 years at World and European level, two-time British Half Marathon Champion, and 2:19:41 at the 2026 London Marathon as first V40.

Results · R. McLeod
British Half Champion2×
Started runningAge 9
Years running30+
First clubElswick Harriers
UniversityLoughborough
3K7:52
5K13:41
10K29:04
Half marathon64:18
Marathon2:19:41
I know what it takes to run fast, what it takes to improve, and how important structure and recovery are as part of a balanced plan.
Ryan McLeod
Tom Boardman
Tom BoardmanCoach · Boardman Coaching

Started running at eight with his local club in Leigh, represented Great Britain as a junior at the World Cross Country Championships in Tokyo, then spent three years on a sports scholarship at Butler University in the USA.

Results · T. Boardman
Started runningAge 8
Years running30+
First clubLeigh
GB junior · World XCTokyo
UniversitySt Mary's
ScholarshipButler, USA
5K14:35
10K29:52
Half marathon67:15
Progress isn't just about training harder; it's about training smarter.
Tom Boardman
Pricing

One plan for all.

The RC Project
£125a month
Wave 1 price
  • Paid on the 1st of each month, by debit or credit card
  • Join mid-month and your first payment covers just the days left
  • No minimum term
  • Cancel with 28 days' notice
  • Injured? Pause your plan. You won't be charged while you're not getting training or advice

Everything included

  • Personalised training, set unique to you: your goals, your ability, your current training phase and fitness
  • Weekly catch-ups with your coach
  • Every session reviewed, training monitored and adapted
  • WhatsApp support between catch-ups
  • Race preparation, tapering and warm-ups
  • Five free RC Project gifts in your first year

There are no packages or tiers. If you're coached, you're coached.

Wave 1 is open

5 places left in Wave 1.

Request a no obligation call and we'll text or email to arrange a day and time. We recommend a call first so we can talk through your running and check we're the right fit. If you're ready now, you can join and pay online.

01Request a call

Tell us about your running and when suits you.

02No obligation chat

We'll text or email to arrange a day and time.

03Join

If it's the right fit, sign up and your coaching starts straight away.

Why now?

  • Limited places. We keep the squad small so every athlete gets proper time with their coach.
  • Places go fast. When Wave 1 is full, the next wave opens to the waiting list first.
  • No minimum term. Pause or stop when you need to.

You'll hear from Ryan or Tom personally, not a sales team.

The RC Project£125a month · no minimum term · 28 days' notice
Wave 1 · 5 places left

Request a call

Takes about a minute. We'll text or email to arrange a time.

How should we contact you?
You'll be coached by Ryan or Tom. We decide between us who's the best fit for your goals.
When suits you for a call? (optional)

No obligation and nothing to pay.

Ready to start now?Sign up and pay online. We hold your place for 30 minutes while you fill in the form. We'd still recommend a call first, so we can check we're the right fit for you.
Join and pay now →
Questions

Before you register

Who is it for?

Anyone who wants to improve their running, at any age, from 5K to marathon. It suits runners who already run regularly. If you're newer to running, register anyway and we'll talk it through. You need to be 16 or over to join.

What distances do you coach?

5K to marathon on the road, plus track and cross country. We don't coach ultra or trail running.

How much does it cost?

£125 a month for Wave 1, paid by debit or credit card on the 1st of each month. If you join part way through a month, your first payment just covers the days left in it. You keep the price of the wave you join. There's no minimum term and you can cancel with 28 days' notice.

Does registering commit me to anything?

No. Registering just puts you on our list. We'll get in touch before places open, and you only sign up if you decide it's right for you.

Who can join?

Anyone living in the UK. Coaching is delivered online, so it doesn't matter where in the UK you are.

Who will coach me?

Ryan McLeod or Tom Boardman of Boardman Coaching. We'll decide together who's the best fit for your goals.

Can I choose my coach?

Coaches are assigned between us, based on who's the best fit for your goals and who has space. If there's a reason you'd like a particular coach, mention it in the form or on your call.

Can I change coach?

Yes. If you'd like to move to another coach, just ask. As long as they have space, we'll make the switch.

I already have a coach. Can I join?

We'd advise finishing with your current coach first. Coaches vary in their methods and principles, and two sets of advice at once gets confusing.

Why not just use an AI coach?

AI coaching apps can write a plan quickly, but they're unreliable: challenge one and it usually backs down and agrees with you. Your coach is a real runner who gets to know you, gives you honest feedback, and decides when to push on and when to back off.

What happens after I join?

Your coach will be in touch, usually within 24 hours, to say hello and get you started. You'll also get an email from Final Surge inviting you to the platform where your training plan is delivered. Your vest is sent at the end of your first full month of coaching.

How do I get my training?

Your plan is delivered through Final Surge, an online training platform with an app for your phone. Your coach sets you up on it when you join. Upload your runs to Strava, Garmin or COROS and your coach sees how each one went. You'll have a weekly catch-up, and you can message on WhatsApp in between.

How far ahead is my training set?

Your training is planned well in advance, but sessions are set one to two weeks at a time, depending on you. What comes next depends on how your last sessions went and how you responded, so the plan reacts to your feedback rather than being fixed months ahead.

How many days a week will I run?

It depends on you: your current training, your goal and the rest of your week. Your plan is built around your life, not a template.

Do I need a GPS watch or heart rate monitor?

Neither is required, but both are recommended. Heart rate is the best indicator of effort level and the best way to measure the gains you're making in training.

How does the weekly catch-up work?

Each week you and your coach review the week you've run and look at the next one, by call, voice note or message, whichever suits you best.

How quickly will my coach reply on WhatsApp?

Usually the same day.

What if I miss a session or have a bad week?

It happens. Shifts, kids, travel and bad weeks are planned around, never ignored. On a tired day you run the time a little slower. Let your coach know and the plan is adjusted.

Can I still run with my club?

Yes. Group training has big benefits, so we'll adapt your plan to fit club sessions where we can. It isn't always easy, as clubs often don't share sessions until the day, but we'll be flexible and do our best to fit them in.

Do you cover strength work and drills?

We always recommend building strength and conditioning into your training, along with regular stretching, and we'll advise on it. Strength work and drills are best learned in person, though, so we recommend getting technique taught face to face.

Do you give nutrition advice?

Yes: general nutrition advice, and a fuelling plan for race day. We'll also help you train your gut to cope with gels before you race.

Will you help me prepare for a race?

Yes. A race-week plan, a pacing strategy, fuelling practised in training, the taper and a proper warm-up routine, so you arrive fresh and ready.

Can I have more than one goal?

Yes. One goal or several along the way: a time, a distance, a race or a season.

What if I get injured?

Pause your plan. You won't be charged while you're not getting training or advice, and you keep your place. If you'd like guidance through rehab and back into training, that's coaching, so it carries on as normal.

Can I pause for a holiday or a busy spell?

Yes. No payment is taken while you're paused, but your training plan and contact with your coach stop until you come back. Your place is kept for up to three months. After that it's released, and you're welcome back any time.

Goal times

Break 20. Break 3. Take the next step.

Whatever your level, you get the same professional 1-1 running coaching, from two former Great Britain international runners who know what it takes to train at elite level. Whether you're chasing a first sub-20 5K or a sub-2:30 marathon, taking that next step needs a plan written for you.

5K coaching

Sub-20 and sub-17 5K coaching: speed and threshold work in the right balance, with easy days kept easy.

  • Sub-306:00/km
    9:39/mi
  • Sub-255:00/km
    8:03/mi
  • Sub-224:24/km
    7:05/mi
  • Sub-204:00/km
    6:26/mi
  • Sub-193:48/km
    6:07/mi
  • Sub-183:36/km
    5:48/mi
  • Sub-173:24/km
    5:28/mi
  • Sub-163:12/km
    5:09/mi

10K coaching

Sub-50, sub-40 and sub-35 10K coaching: holding a strong pace for longer, with sessions that grow with you.

  • Sub-606:00/km
    9:39/mi
  • Sub-555:30/km
    8:51/mi
  • Sub-505:00/km
    8:03/mi
  • Sub-454:30/km
    7:15/mi
  • Sub-424:12/km
    6:46/mi
  • Sub-404:00/km
    6:26/mi
  • Sub-383:48/km
    6:07/mi
  • Sub-353:30/km
    5:38/mi

Half marathon coaching

Sub-1:30 and sub-1:20 half marathon coaching: the aerobic base to hold pace, and a race plan to use it.

  • Sub-2:005:41/km
    9:09/mi
  • Sub-1:505:13/km
    8:23/mi
  • Sub-1:454:59/km
    8:01/mi
  • Sub-1:404:44/km
    7:38/mi
  • Sub-1:354:30/km
    7:15/mi
  • Sub-1:304:16/km
    6:52/mi
  • Sub-1:254:02/km
    6:29/mi
  • Sub-1:203:48/km
    6:06/mi

Marathon coaching

Sub-3 hour marathon coaching and beyond: long-run build-up, fuelling practised in training, and a taper that gets you to the start fresh.

  • Sub-4:005:41/km
    9:09/mi
  • Sub-3:304:59/km
    8:01/mi
  • Sub-3:154:37/km
    7:26/mi
  • Sub-3:004:16/km
    6:52/mi
  • Sub-2:504:02/km
    6:29/mi
  • Sub-2:453:55/km
    6:18/mi
  • Sub-2:403:48/km
    6:06/mi
  • Sub-2:303:33/km
    5:43/mi

Paces are the average needed to hit each time. A goal time is a target, not a promise: your plan is built to give you the best chance of getting there.

Work out your own paces with the free Race Calendar Pace Calculator, see what your recent results predict with the Race Time Predictor, and plan race-day splits with the Splits Calculator.

All running calculators →
Follow the project Squad news, PBs and race days on Instagram.
@the.rcproject →