Remote coaching: Coach and athlete perspectives in endurance sports

Remote coaching in endurance sports often involves coaches working with geographically distant athletes in a transactional way. This study aimed to explore remote coaching and its impact on coaching effectiveness. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with coaches ( n  = 10) and athletes ( n  = 10) who coached or trained remotely in endurance sports. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four interrelated themes characterised effective remote coaching: constructing strong relationships, individualisation, communication, and commercial context. Participants emphasised that effectiveness remained fundamentally relational; however, relational processes were reconfigured by digital communication and a lack of in-person meetings. Trust and connection were sustained through explicit communication agreements and deliberate relational effort rather than informal face-to-face interactions. Individualisation extended beyond tailored training plans to include capturing athletes’ subjective experiences alongside performance data. Communication functioned as a negotiated practice shaping expectations of responsiveness and responsibility. Additionally, the commercial nature of remote coaching influenced perceptions of value and sustainability, contributing to the fragility of coaching relationships. These findings suggest that remote endurance coaching should not be conceptualised as an extension of face-to-face coaching, but as a distinct relational and commercial setting. The findings of this study can be used to better understand how coaches and athletes operate in remote coaching settings and pave the way for more research in an area of coaching that is expanding.