JAMES THIE : LIFE ON THE RUN

JAMES THIE : LIFE ON THE RUN

Last week ProDirect.com took time out with James Thie. James is a professional middle-distance runner with a career spanning two decades, during which time he represented Great Britain on multiple occasions and made major championship finals at both World and European level. Despite still competing and pursuing his own running goals, James has turned his attention to coaching a group of over 30 athletes, known and affectionately referred to as Team Thie.

That’s a good question! I’ve got a young family – a four year old and a six year old – and a busy job with coaching commitments, so it’s all about maximising my time. I find that if I get up early and get my first run out of the way then that sets me up for the day. I think it’s about finding those little windows of opportunity and maximising them. If you can get up early, get out and get it done then even if your day ends up being really busy at least you’ve already got it out of the way.

James was aware of his group’s potential early on and played a key role in bringing Team Thie and Saucony together as a way of getting his athletes the recognition they deserved. Viewing Saucony as a brand that’s well-respected in the running community and one that promotes inclusivity and betterment, James identified a shared ethos and was eager to get his group involved.

Unbeknown to James, Saucony already had Team Thie on their radar; initial talks got the ball rolling and the rest is history. They are now part of the “journey of apparel, equipment and kit” and enjoy the latest gear along with tried and true favourites. For both the coach and his team, this was and continues to be a “dream match”.

PDR: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE NEW RANGE?

I’m loving the new Life On The Run range; I love the style of it and I think the fit is fantastic, too! That’s one thing that stands out with Saucony kit and apparel: it always fits well. The colour range means that you can wear it every day as well, so it’s great for me to wear while I’m coaching or teaching because I can go straight for a run afterwards.

As a runner, I think you want something that fits really well, is high-end quality and lets you go incognito sometimes – especially when you have such a busy day! For me, the Life On The Run range ticks all of those boxes. It looks really nice as well and I’m very impressed with it.

“COACHING IS HUGELY REWARDING, I GET SO MUCH MORE BACK FROM IT THAN I EVER DID AS AN ATHLETE” – James Thie

During his 25-year athletic career, James has accumulated a great number of achievements, with highlights including placing fourth in the 2004 World Indoor Championships and representing Wales in two Commonwealth Games. Now setting his sights on a sub four-minute-mile at the age of 40, his athletic story is far from over.

After acknowledging his passion for coaching, it wasn’t long until James shifted his focus and Team Thie was born. Noticeably modest, he stresses the importance of maintaining a friendly group environment, which, alongside his coaching, plays a huge part in his athletes’ success. James adopted a holistic approach with his team under the belief that coaching is as much about enhancing an athlete’s performance as it is about them improving as a person.

Thanks to both ProDirect.com & James Thie