Runna Announces Five New Product Updates and Two New Coaches

• Updates made to the 'Holiday Mode' feature and seven-day plans, developed with guidance from Loughborough University and Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, are live now.

• Three more updates are coming soon, and two new coaches join the team.

London, UK - Thursday 12 November, 2026 - Runna, the world's top-rated running coaching app, today announced five new product features and improvements, and two new coaches, as it continues to invest in creating a world-class coaching experience that helps runners train sustainably year-round. Two updates, developed with guidance from Loughborough University and Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, are live now. Three more, from a redesigned 'Record' experience to a brand new 'Home' tab, are coming soon.

Live Now: Updates Informed by Academic Insights
With more than 20 new product features and improvements introduced just this year alone, Runna is continually evolving to best support its global community. To unlock further opportunities for product evolution to support runners globally, the brand is working with experts from some of the world's leading academic institutions: Dr Richard Blagrove, Loughborough University, Reader in Applied Exercise Physiology and Athlete Performance, and Dr Michael Fredericson, Founder of Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Head Team Physician for Stanford Track and Field.

Through leveraging the latest academic insights, Runna's work with both will help shape the introduction of future training features and improvements, and evolution of its training plans to be even more adaptable around people's lives. Two updates have already rolled out in the first phase of these collaborations to further support sustainable training:

• A More Gradual Return to Training: When using Runna's existing 'Holiday Mode' feature, the gradual return to running has been extended, helping runners ease back into training over a longer period.

• Smarter Seven-Day Plans: For runners on seven-day-a-week training plans, one training session per week is now capped to a specific distance or time, depending on individual user's running pace, to further support sustainable training.
  

Runna's training plans are structured to support progression and recovery, with ongoing product innovation enabling personalised and sustainable training. This is reflected in Runna's data, which found users have a 43% lower self-reported rate of injury per 1000 hours of training, compared to a 2015 Sports Medicine benchmark.*

Still To Come: Making Training Easier
Beyond the new updates already available, three additional improvements will be rolling out gradually to users globally. With 86% of Runna users connected to Strava achieving a personal best last year, these features will further help runners achieve their goals by giving them everything they need to train their best just one tap away, even throughout winter:

• Updated 'Record' Experience: A fully revamped 'Record' tab will make it easier than ever to get out and run with just one tap, whether training indoors or outdoors. Key details, including paces, splits and what's next in your session, will be redesigned so they can be seen quicker at a glance. Treadmill recording will be updated too, with the ability to manage settings on connected treadmills still at the heart of the experience.

• Redesigned 'Progress' Insights: Whether just starting running, returning from time away, or training for an upcoming event, we're redesigning how you'll understand and track progress over time. Tracking new PBs and Achievements will also become possible, making it easier to know how close you are to achieving your next goal.

• New 'Home' Tab: Everything needed in one place, through simpler in-app navigation. By combining multiple tabs into one easily-accessible screen, users will be able to see what run is scheduled and when, and access the most important details about their training plan, with just one tap.

New Coaches Join Runna
Runna is also excited to announce that two new coaches have joined its existing team of highly qualified, experienced coaches. Working alongside Head Coach, Steph Kessell, and Runna's product teams, they will focus on supporting the development of new features in Runna's training plans, and community engagement:

• Percell Dugger joins as Running Coach. Based in the US, Percell is a USA Track and Field (USATF) running coach and Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC), and will bring his passion for coaching, health advocacy and building communities to help inspire, educate and connect runners around the world.

• Nick Garcia joins as Strength Coach. Based in the UK, with a BSc in Sport Science, and qualifications in Strength and Conditioning, Nick has more than a decade of experience coaching some of the world's highest performing athletes and will integrate his expertise into Runna's strength training features.

"We are passionate about making running more accessible, sustainable and enjoyable all year round, so we are always looking at how we can evolve Runna to better support runners of every level," said Steph Kessell, Runna Head Coach and former Olympian. "Through our collaborations with Loughborough University and Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, new product development, and the addition of Percell and Nick to our coaching line-up, we are developing truly unique training plans that help people train towards and achieve their goals."

ENDS

For more information, please contact [email protected].‍

About Runna
Runna, the world's top-rated running coaching app on iOS and Android, was founded in 2021. Officially launching in March 2022, the subscription-based app helps runners worldwide complete anything from their first 5k to an ultramarathon. Now available in over 180 countries, Runna was selected as one of three finalists for Apple's App of the Year in 2024 and acquired by Strava in 2025.

From beginner runners to PB chasers - Runna's got you covered with a personalised training plan. To learn more about the company and follow along on the journey, check out the latest by following us on Instagram, Reddit and LinkedIn.

About Loughborough University
Loughborough is one of the UK's leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme and named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2026 QS World University Rankings - the tenth year running.

Loughborough has been ranked eighth in the Complete University Guide 2027 - out of 130 institutions. The achievement means Loughborough remains among a select group of universities that have maintained a top 10 position for more than 10 consecutive years, alongside Oxford, Cambridge, the London School of Economics, St Andrews, Durham and Imperial.

Loughborough was also named University of the Year for Sport in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 - the fourth time it has been awarded the prestigious title.

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as 'world-leading' or 'internationally-excellent'. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded eight Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education.

About Stanford Lifestyle Medicine
Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, a program within the Stanford Prevention Research Center (SPRC), is dedicated to translating scientific insights into actionable behaviors that enhance health, performance, and longevity through seven lifestyle pillars: movement and exercise, healthful nutrition, restorative sleep, stress management, social engagement, cognitive enhancement, and gratitude and purpose. Our faculty members uphold the highest standards of practice and transparency in health guidance, ensuring that all shared information is rooted in credible research and expert consensus. Learn more at: lifestylemedicine.stanford.edu.

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*Methodology Note: Based on recent data, users training with Runna reported 4.38 injuries per 1,000 hours. In comparison, a 2015 Sports Medicine meta-analysis found weighted rates of 7.7 injuries per 1,000 hours for recreational runners. These are observational data and do not establish that Runna reduces injury risk.