The Running Algorithm (TRA) is a personalised running training app that continually optimises your plan after every single session. We’re proud to be the only running app that does this, adjusting your plan like a real coach based on your subjective feedback.
Our training plans are for runners of all abilities and distances. You can move sessions around, add extra runs, include other sports, or miss a workout altogether, and your plan will adapt your upcoming sessions to keep you progressing. Using science-backed training sessions and advanced fatigue modelling, we tailor training to the individual, helping runners improve safely and sustainably.
The problem with running apps right now
Running has seen a huge surge in popularity over recent years, which is brilliant to see. With more and more people lacing up their shoes and setting race goals, there’s now a growing demand for online training. But while the number of runners has increased, the quality of many running apps hasn’t quite kept pace.
Too often, runners find themselves following rigid plans that don’t reflect how they’re actually feeling or what’s going on in their lives. They push through fatigue because the plan tells them to, and increase their risk of injury. Or, they fall behind and abandon training altogether when life (inevitably) gets in the way.
We knew there had to be a better way for these running apps to work. So we went back to the basics and asked a simple question: what does a good running coach actually do?
A good coach doesn’t just hand over a plan then disappear. They listen, and they pay attention to how you’re recovering. They adjust tomorrow’s session based on how you felt today. They always aim to help you become the best runner you can be, and they keep injury risk to a minimum.
If you paid for a personal running coach and all they did was give you a rigid, generic plan and walk away, you probably wouldn’t be too impressed. So why are people paying for running apps that work that way?
Our goal was simple: bring true, coach-level personalisation to online training.
How exactly does TRA work?
All this adaptation and optimisation of TRA sounds great in theory, but how does it really work? Glad you asked. We think it’s really important that users understand what’s happening behind the scenes. Not only does this build trust in the plan, but it also helps runners learn to listen to their fatigue, and work with their bodies, not against them.
The Running Algorithm operates via a fatigue model which estimates how tired you are after each session. It then uses this information to plan what run comes next in your plan.
We developed this fatigue model using advanced algorithms designed specifically for runners. The model considers hundreds of parameters so it can understand how your body responds to training stress. To help the model be as personalised as possible, it reacts to your feedback. After every run, you tell TRA how difficult the session felt on a scale of 1–10. That number, alongside how closely you hit the prescribed pace targets, continuously calibrates your personal fatigue model. This model creates a plan that’s truly tailor made for you.
And the more you train, the smarter the model becomes. Over time, it learns your individual recovery rates from different training intensities, your unique patterns, and your optimal training load. This allows it to predict when you can handle more intensity and when you need to back off.
What’s more, your model isn’t just based on your runs. You can also input your daily activity such as work, or other sport sessions into the app, which your fatigue model will take into account when designing your next run.
This adaptive approach doesn’t just help you improve faster; it significantly reduces the risk of overtraining and injury. Most injuries don’t come out of nowhere – they’re preceded by accumulating fatigue. TRA is designed to spot those warning signs early and adjust training before things break down, keeping you in that sweet spot of steady, sustainable progress.
New features coming soon
It’s a very exciting time for The Running Algorithm as we’re launching some new features in the upcoming months:
- Hormone aware training: We’re evolving our model so TRA can intelligently adjust training and fatigue levels in line with monthly hormone cycles.
- Free/custom runs: If you have a social run planned or a B race, you’ll be able to add this into your calendar and your training will be adjusted around it.
- Events bank: We’re building an events bank that brings all the important details about your goal races into one place – from course information to expected weather and beyond.
- Weather and terrain based training adjustments: If you’re training somewhere hotter or hillier than usual, we’ll be able to adjust your sessions automatically.
It’s an exciting time for The Running Algorithm. Our community is growing every day, and we’re seeing first-hand how well this approach works. But this is only the beginning. With every new user, the model continues to learn and improve, becoming smarter and more personalised over time. We also place huge value on user feedback, and it directly shapes how the platform evolves. So do let us know how you find the app, and what we can do to improve your experience!
We’d love for you to join us, unlock your potential, and discover just how much your running can improve.
Join the run. Use code JOINTHERUN26 and get 1 month FREE with The Running Algorithm!
