At Active4Life, we believe that great coaching goes beyond just workouts and race plans—it’s about understanding you as an athlete and a person. Every runner has a unique journey, and we’re here to help you reach your goals in a way that fits your life, your ambitions, and your passion for the sport.

Led by Coach Kathleen, a lifelong runner and dedicated coach, we take a personalized, science-backed approach to training. Since 2004, Kathleen has helped athletes earn medals at the provincial and national level, guided first-time marathoners to the finish line, and supported runners of all ages in unlocking their full potential. Whether you're chasing a new personal best, gearing up for your first race, or simply looking to enjoy running more, we’ll create a custom plan designed just for you.

What makes Active4Life different?


✅ Training built around you—no cookie-cutter plans, just personalized coaching that adapts to your needs
✅ The latest coaching insights—we stay ahead of the game so you can train smarter, not just harder
✅ A supportive, motivating approach—we’re here to challenge you, encourage you, and celebrate your wins

We’re passionate about running, and we want you to feel that same excitement every time you lace up your shoes. Let’s build something great together—one step, one run, one breakthrough at a time.

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ASA Level III Coach

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Work with Coach Kathleen

Happy Customers

Signing up and putting my faith into Coach Kathleen's approach was the most refreshing and well spent exercise I have ever done. I cannot recommend Coach Kathleen enough!!!! I unfortunately signed up quite late and threw a few holiday spanners in the works, but Coach Kathleen worked magic around it with two goals in place 1)That I arrived at my 4th Two Oceans Ultra injury free and, 2)Slightly under trained. The training programme was not overloaded, allowed me to carry on with my strength training and with a lot of key focus on correcting my race nutrition, rest and built around my schedule and family. I loved my programme and the fact I couldn't hide any sneaky sessions as everything loaded directly onto a shared programme with a breakdown of each step I had taken. This allowing Coach Kathleen to give feedback on every session no matter where I was in the world. Every week was different and by time I arrived at the start line a few things were different from the previous years: 1) I hadn't touched any painkillers where normally by race time I am living on them, 2) I hadn't needed a whole lot of physio, 3) My mind was focused and lastly 4) I felt refreshed and not tired and actually rather excited for race day. I ran my second best time this year, finished 60th in my age category and 96th lady overall - 04:52. I definitely think this was all thanks to letting Coach Kathleen take full control of the short few months she had to get me to the start line and believing in what she said. I will definitely be signing up well in advance for my next big challenge. Every crazy runner needs a calm person in their life!

 

                  Emily

  Busy mom and ultra marathoner

I was introduced to Kathleen and Active4life by a school friend who made use of her services. My initial goal was to bring my half marathon time down from a 2 hour 30 min to a sub 2 hour half marathon. I had never entertained the thought of completing a Marathon. Although I came close on a couple of occasions to getting that “sub 2” my ambitions shifted to the possibility of completing my first ever marathon. Over the space of a 4 month period Kathleen prepared and worked out a schedule that would get me to that elusive marathon finishes medal. I unfortunately had picked the wrong time of the year to train, the dead of Winter! Although it meant early mornings of pounding the pavement in the dark or rain – the daily motivation of Kathleen’s schedule kept me going! I challenged myself not to delete the prescribed schedule from my inbox until I had completed the training for the day. Before I knew it, I found myself on the start line for my first ever marathon. Not only did I complete the race, I managed to sneak in just under 5 hours, which secretly, was also one of my goals. Without Kathleen’s assistance, I don’t think I would have ever manged to get myself to where I am with my running on my own. I have no doubt that with all the miles and effort I put in for the marathon training, that sub 2 hour half marathon is just around corner for me!

        Tanya

 First time marathoner

Receiving my monthly training program from Coach Kathleen is about my favourite time of the month and I immediately slot all my sessions into my diary. One of the reasons I get so excited is that I am always amazed at how well Kathleen knows my body and when it should peak and recover. Running the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon has been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old, watching my dad finish his first (of three) Ultras. For many reasons my dream was delayed, but with the help of Coach Kathleen, it finally happened this year. On this journey Coach Kathleen taught me so much about distance running, but most importantly, that smart and consistent training will bring you more rewards than you ever thought possible. She also taught me so much about the importance of fueling right before, during and after a race, keeping momentum while tapering and how to mitigate the risk of injury with mobility exercises. I have never met someone as passionate about life and active living as Kathleen, so when race day (and the two weeks before that) didn't go quite according to plan, I learned from her to just enjoy being able to run, never mind a perfectly executed plan - and so, with a lot of joy and tons of fun I managed to finish spot on my goal time! - Thank you Coach Kathleen!

      Gerda Lawyer on the run