There’s a trend gaining momentum in the running world. Races are snatching up partnerships with AI training apps like it's the shiny new thing that will modernize the sport and “reach more runners.”
And listen, I’m not anti-technology. AI is a tool. Adaptable programs can serve a purpose. Plenty of runners use apps as an entry point into structured training, and that’s not the problem.
The problem is when races start treating technology as a replacement for human coaching instead of a complement to it. When they position algorithms as the authority over athlete development. When the people who understand training, physiology, stress, culture, lived experience, and nuance are sidelined, while automated “plans” are elevated as innovation.
That isn’t innovation.
That’s convenience disguised as progress.
And it will cost runners far more than the price of an app subscription.
Why This Matters More Than People Realize
The running boom continues, but injury rates haven’t magically improved. Motivation and sustainability are still fragile for many athletes. Burnout is common. Confidence wavers easily. And the difference between a season of growth and a season lost often comes down to guidance, support, and adjustment in real time.
An algorithm doesn’t do that.
It never will.
AI doesn’t notice when your nervous system is fried from a stressful week. It doesn’t understand perimenopause or postpartum recovery. It doesn’t account for caretaking responsibilities, traumatic stress, training access, cultural barriers, or systemic inequities. It doesn’t read your gait or how you respond to hill repeats. It doesn’t hear you when you say your hamstring feels “off” in a way you can’t quite articulate.
It simply keeps assigning miles because that’s what it was designed to do.
When we trade human wisdom for automated volume, we don’t get faster runners.
We get injured, overwhelmed, confused ones.
Races Are Sitting on a Major Missed Opportunity
Race organizations hold enormous influence in this industry. They shape culture. They decide whose voices guide runners. They choose the support systems participants encounter. They determine whether runners feel seen, supported, and capable, or left to figure it all out alone.
So let’s be honest.
When races choose AI over actual coaches, they aren’t choosing innovation.
They’re choosing the path of least resistance.
And they’re forfeiting a chance to lead.
Because the future of running isn’t built by outsourcing training to a faceless algorithm. It’s built by empowering the humans who grow this sport from the ground up.
There’s Already a Better Blueprint
Real success isn’t hypothetical. We have examples right in front of us.
The Game Changers program created Pwrher’d (pronounced “powered”) and partnered with major events like the Philadelphia Distance Race, CUCB Cherry Blossom, and The RACE to place BIPOC women coaches front-and-center in training programming, group warm-ups, and community support.
That is what progress looks like.
Representation, education, lived experience, community building, and athlete development led by real humans.
And guess what it produced?
A safer and more inclusive experience.
More confident runners.
Better race-day energy.
Higher participation engagement.
A culture of belonging instead of isolation.
No app has ever done that. And no app ever will.
What Runners Actually Need
Runners don’t just need paces or mileage suggestions. They need:
connection
accountability
feedback and adjustment
someone to catch red flags
someone to explain why, not just what
coaching that understands life stages and identity
support that feels human, not transactional
They need leaders who understand stress, hormones, biomechanics, identity, and accessibility.
They need someone who notices when they’re not okay, not just when they’re not compliant.
AI can offer structure.
Humans offer transformation.
A Better Vision for the Industry
Imagine this becoming standard:
Race-supported access to certified coaches
Warm-ups led by diverse leaders
Community training groups guided by real expertise
Workshops on injury prevention, fueling, mindset
Mentorship models that build long-term participation
Partnerships that lift BIPOC coaches, menopausal coaches, adaptive coaches, and grassroots leaders
That isn’t nostalgic.
It’s overdue.
If endurance sport wants longevity, the heart of it must remain human.
Innovation isn’t abandoning people for tech.
Innovation is creating systems where tech supports and humans lead.
The Call-In, Not the Call-Out
To race organizers: you have a choice right now. You can follow the tech hype and hope the algorithm delivers. Or you can build a future where runners feel seen, supported, and capable because there were actual humans guiding them every step of the way.
The races that choose people over convenience will be the ones remembered for changing the sport for the better.
And the ones who don’t will eventually realize that outsourcing the soul of the sport is a costly shortcut.
Running has always been a human story.
Let's keep it that way.