Elisabet Barnes - Ultra-Running Coach

I am an ultra-distance runner and coach with over 30 years of experience in endurance sport, and more than a decade working professionally with athletes preparing for demanding events.

I ran my first marathon in 2002 and my first ultra-marathon in 2011. Since then, I have competed — and won — in some of the world’s most extreme multi-stage races, including the Marathon des Sables the Legendary, Oman Desert Marathon (ODM Classic), and Big Red Run in Australia. I have raced in hot deserts, high mountains, and remote environments across multiple continents, and I understand firsthand what extreme conditions demand — physically, mentally, and logistically. A full racing CV can be found below.

I have been coaching runners since 2012, with a particular focus on ultra-distance and multi-stage events. My coaching is grounded in experience, evidence, and realism — not generic plans or one-size-fits-all formulas.


Coaching beyond training plans

Before becoming a full-time coach, I spent over ten years in management consulting and entrepreneurship. I know what it’s like to balance training with work, family, and life commitments — and what it takes to make changes that are sustainable rather than short-lived.

Running does not exist in a vacuum. Performance, recovery, motivation, and resilience are shaped by the wider context of a person’s life. As a coach, I take this broader picture seriously. Training load, health, sleep, nutrition, stress, and psychological demands all matter — especially when you are asking your body and mind to do something difficult over a long period of time.

Anyone can deliver a training plan. Fewer coaches can help you integrate training into a life that already asks a lot of you.


A holistic and individual-centred approach

I work with runners of all levels — from first-time ultra athletes to experienced competitors — as well as walkers and people using endurance challenges as a way to reconnect with their bodies, confidence, and sense of capability.

My approach is bespoke, adaptive, and grounded in long-term sustainability. Maintaining physical and mental health is not separate from performance; it is the foundation of it. Progress is built not only through discipline and consistency, but through self-awareness, honest communication, and respect for individual limits and goals.


A broader lens on endurance and self-belief

Alongside my work in endurance sport, I hold a PhD in Clinical Sexology, with a research focus on conditioning, power, and agency. While this work sits outside the scope of running coaching, it deeply informs how I understand motivation, self-belief, and the ways people relate to limits — both internal and external.

Endurance challenges, like many other areas of life, are shaped not only by physiology, but by the stories we inherit about who we are allowed to be, what we are capable of, and whether we are permitted to prioritise ourselves. This perspective informs my coaching in quiet but meaningful ways.

You can read more about this work at Rise Unscripted.


Broad experience, clear values

I work internationally. I coach in English and Swedish, and understand Norwegian and Spanish. I value evidence-based practice, critical thinking, and lifelong learning, and I continue to invest in my own education and development.

I believe people perform best when they are supported in being themselves — not when they are forced into someone else’s template. That belief shapes how I coach, how I communicate, and how I work with each individual athlete.


In summary

I bring together:

  • elite ultra-running experience;
  • professional coaching expertise;
  • a deep understanding of human motivation and change;
  • and a holistic, ethical, individual-centred approach.

If you’re looking for coaching that respects both your ambitions and your life, you’re in the right place.


❝

You responded quickly and answered everything precise and to the point.  I wouldn't hesitate in recommending the champ to anyone.

Ash

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I really want to thank you for all your help over the last few months. I wouldn't have even got close to being ready without you.

Sue

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Thank you so much for everything Elisabet. You were there in spirit pushing me on. I can say that honestly as I did not want to let you down.

Jay

Elisabet Barnes Costa Rica UltraCoach CoastalChallenge

Running CV

Here are the most important things I have been up to. Not strictly just races as I also do some other adventures which are worth mentioning! After 2019 I have not returned to competitive running, but I run for general fitness and well-being. I also enjoy the gym. In 2022 I recovered from a meniscus tear which I healed without surgery, focusing on rehab exercises and healing nutritional choices. In 2025 I ran my 5th Marathon des Sables.

2025

2019

2018

  • Fast hiking of Three Passes Trek in Himalayas
  • Trail running adventure in the Atlas Mountains including summiting Mount Toubkal twice
  • Ultra Mirage El Djerid (Tunisia) – 100km: 1st Woman / 4th overall

2017

2016

2015

  • UK Ultra Runner of the year
  • Oman Desert Marathon 165km / 6 stages: 1st Woman / 7th overall / 3rd European overall (18 hrs 37 min)
  • Clif Bar 10 Peaks Brecon Beacons 58km / 3200m ascent: 1st Woman (new course record)
  • Trail Menorca Cami de Cavalls Costa Sur 85km: 1st Woman / 7th overall 9:02:30 (new course record)
  • London Marathon: 2:59:13
  • Marathon des Sables: 1st Woman / 20th overall (26:42:13)
  • XNRG Pilgrims Challenge 66 miles: 1st Woman 9:56:47 (new course record)
  • Go Beyond Country to Capital 45 miles: 1st Woman 5:37:06 (new course record)

2014

  • Clif Bar 10 Peaks Brecon Beacons short course: 2nd Woman
  • Centurion North Downs Way 100 miles
  • Grand Union Canal Race 145 miles 2014: 37:45 (happy just to finish!)

2013

  • Centurion South Down Way 100 miles
  • Boston Marathon: 3:08
  • Essex Championships: 2nd Woman

2012

  • Norfolk Coastal Ultra 100km: 2nd woman
  • Ring O’ Fire 131 miles: 1st Woman
  • Marathon Des Sables: 15th Woman

2011

  • Norfolk Coastal Ultra 100km
  • 50 Mile Challenge: 1st Woman / 2nd overall
  • Lidingö Ultra 50km: 4th Woman

Key Marathons

  • 4 x London Marathon
  • 5 x Stockholm Marathon
  • 2 x Berlin Marathon
  • Edinburgh Marathon
  • Boston Marathon

Want to work together?

I'd love to hear from you!