Triathlon Coaching in the Netherlands — in English
Moving to the Netherlands is exciting. The cycling infrastructure is world-class, the running routes along the canals are beautiful, and the triathlon scene is surprisingly vibrant — with races like Ironman 70.3 Westfriesland, DTS Zandvoort, and the Amsterdam Marathon drawing thousands of athletes every year.
But if English is your primary language, finding a triathlon coach you can actually communicate with freely? That's a different story.
Most triathlon coaches in the Netherlands are excellent at what they do — but their programs, intake processes, and day-to-day communication are in Dutch. For expats and international athletes, that creates a real barrier. Training plans you can't fully understand, feedback you need to run through Google Translate, and coaching relationships that never quite click because something always gets lost in translation.
That's exactly the gap Peak Within Coaching was built to fill.
Coaching That Works in Your Language — and Your Life
I'm Nenad Starc, an ESCI-certified triathlon and endurance coach based in Kudelstaart, Netherlands. I work entirely in English, with athletes at every level — from complete beginners doing their first sprint triathlon, to expat professionals training for their first Ironman while juggling demanding careers and family life.
My own journey as an athlete started from scratch. I moved abroad in 2017, picked up a road bike in 2022 with zero cycling experience, and crossed the finish line at Ironman 140.6 Copenhagen in 2025. I've also completed Ironman 70.3 Westfriesland twice, the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, and multiple Olympic and sprint triathlons across the Netherlands and Germany.
I've been the newcomer in a foreign country, trying to figure out a sport from the ground up. I know exactly what it feels like — and I know how powerful it is to have someone in your corner who just gets it.
Who I Typically Coach
The athletes I work with tend to share a few things in common:
They're internationally minded — living in the Netherlands for work, relocated with their family, or based abroad and looking for a coach in a convenient European timezone.
They're time-crunched — working full-time, often in demanding roles, with training that needs to fit around a real life rather than the other way around.
They're motivated but unsure where to start — they've done a 5K, maybe a half marathon, maybe a few bike rides, and they're wondering whether triathlon is something they could actually do.
The answer, almost always, is yes.
What English-Speaking Coaching Actually Looks Like
Every athlete I coach gets a fully personalized training plan built around their schedule, their fitness level, and their goal race. I use TrainingPeaks to track workouts, monitor progress, and communicate — a platform that works seamlessly in English and gives both of us full visibility into how training is going.
Beyond the plan itself, you get:
An intake call where we talk through your goals, history, and life in detail
Regular check-ins fully in English — no language barrier, no miscommunication
Race strategy and pacing guidance tailored to the specific events on the Dutch racing calendar
A coach who has personally raced the courses you're likely targeting
Plans start at €59/month and are fully flexible — because life as an expat rarely follows a straight line.
The Netherlands Is a Brilliant Place to Be a Triathlete
Seriously — if you've moved here and you're even slightly curious about triathlon, you've landed in one of the best countries in the world to give it a try. The cycling culture means drivers actually respect you on the road. There are flat, fast courses perfect for beginners. The race calendar is packed from May through October. And the triathlon community, while mostly Dutch-speaking, is genuinely welcoming to international athletes.
You just need someone to help you navigate it — and to coach you in a language where nothing gets lost.
Ready to Talk?
If you're an expat or international athlete based in the Netherlands — or anywhere else in the world looking for an English-speaking coach in a European timezone — I'd love to have a free, no-obligation conversation about your goals.
No sales pitch. Just a honest chat about where you are, where you want to go, and whether coaching makes sense for you right now.
