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Trail Coaching for
Adventurous Runners

‘Alta’ means ‘high’ or ‘elevated’ in Latin, which is reason enough for a mountain-loving runner and adventurer such as myself to choose it as a name for his coaching business. 

But my connection with the word goes deeper, as it is also the name of a majestic mountain peak that towers over the Matukituki Valley near my home town of Wanaka, Otago. For almost two decades I had dreamed of climbing 2,339m high Mt Alta, but somehow never quite got around to it. Then early in 2025, after all those years of “maybe one day” thoughts, I finally climbed to the lofty heights of this alpine giant and made the summit. I was euphoric.

Inspiration on the summit of Mt Alta

My ascent of Mt Alta coincided with me starting to consider using my vast experience of trail and mountain running to coach and mentor other adventurous folk. I was struck by the parallels between what I had just done and how I wanted to help others. I had stopped procrastinating and looking for excuses and got on with knocking off a long-held goal. I had seized the day and was rewarded with an enormous sense of achievement as a result. Through ALTA Trail Coaching this is exactly how I aspire to work with my clients, namely:

Helping you set and achieve big goals, so that you too get to feel the joy – the high – of knocking them off.

Are we a good match??

As a trail runner you will always get the maximum benefit from working with a coach if, and only if:

  1. the coach is passionate about what you are setting out to achieve; AND
  2. the coach understands what it means to be in your shoes.

Passion for what you want to achieve:

My passion is for the more adventurous style of trail running, which generally involves plenty of elevation gain, some challenging terrain and maybe even a peak or two. It can be any distance from 5k to 100 miles+, just so long as it has this element of adventure at its core. Not for me the wide, well-made flat gravel paths thank you. So, when figuring out if we could work well together, your first consideration should be whether you have a passion for the same. If you do, keep reading…

Understanding you:

I have always been a middle-of-the-pack runner, not an elite athlete, although as I have progressed through the age groups I have come to enjoy quite a few podium finishes in my 50’s and now my 60’s.  I firmly believe that a good coach doesn’t need to be an elite performer themselves, but they will have more than just a theoretical knowledge of what it truly means to run mid-pack and the special challenges that come with advancing years. For this reason I can probably offer a 50+ weekend warrior more useful guidance than I can a 20-year-old whippet. Are we still on the same page? If we are, then keep reading…

Why Train with Alta
About Mal Law

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