Harry Wilson was a coaching genius beyond his time in the late 70's early 80s. The coach of Olympic 800m Champion Steve Ovett, Wilson used a variety of training methods, from all-out speed to high volumes of long repetitions to help Ovett become a champion. What I really like is the range that Ovett displayed, running 1:44 for 800m , 3:30 for 1500m and 13:20 for the 5,000m at a time when the world record was 13:08. I don't like saying it but I'm just going to do it..."iMaGInE wHaT hE WoUld hAVe rUN iN SuPeR ShOEs?!" I am going to add a bunch of Harry Wilson articles to the Training Pages in Groups, so check those out when you visit coachingdistance.com

This episode is a condensed version of the May Coaching Distance webinar focused on the 2026 12-Week High School Cross Country Off-Season Training Plan.

A cornerstone of the Coaching Distance plans is the integration of endurance, speed, strength, skill and mobility. Each of these biomotor skills are important for high school distance runners, even if some of these items are more general than specific. General is good for high school kids.

The rationale behind the off-season plan is building the foundation. Part of "building a base" is the inclusion of all types of training- not just easy running. Many of the training items are "prerequisites" that you'll need for successful workouts and racing later in the season.

This podcast will explore some of the influences included in this particular training plan from the past and present, including Renato Canova, Frank Horwill, Dr. Jeff Messer and Boo Schexnayder.

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