Triathlon Coaching in the Netherlands — in English
You've decided you want to do this. Maybe it's a first sprint triathlon. Maybe it's Ironman 70.3 Westfriesland. Maybe you're not sure yet — but something about living here has made it feel possible, and you want a coach to help you get there properly.
So you start looking. And you quickly discover the same thing almost every expat athlete in the Netherlands discovers.
The coaches are good. The clubs are active. But the training plans, the intake forms, the WhatsApp groups, the day-to-day feedback — it's all in Dutch. And something always gets lost in translation. Not just the words. The nuance. The confidence. The relationship.
That's the gap Peak Within Coaching was built to fill.
Why the Language Gap in Dutch Triathlon Coaching Is a Real Problem
I don't say this to criticise Dutch coaches. I say it because I've seen what happens when athletes try to navigate a coaching relationship in their second or third language.
You get a training plan you can partially understand. You follow sessions you're not sure about. You hesitate to ask questions because you're worried you won't fully understand the answer. You turn up to your first race without fully knowing what you signed up for.
That's not coaching. That's hoping for the best.
When coaching works — really works — it's because athlete and coach can communicate without friction. You can tell me Tuesday was brutal because you had a board meeting and slept four hours, and I adjust Wednesday accordingly. You can ask me exactly why there's a brick session in week eight, and I'll explain it in a way that actually lands. You can message me at 6am before a long ride and get a reply in plain English.
That's what disappears when the language doesn't fit. And that's exactly what I've built this around.
The Dutch Triathlon Race Calendar — What You're Actually Training Toward
The race calendar here is genuinely excellent, and worth understanding before you pick a training plan or a target distance.
Ironman 70.3 Westfriesland — held in Hoorn every June. One of the best 70.3 events in Europe, and the race I'd point almost any expat in the Netherlands toward as a first or second major target. I've raced it twice. It sells out within hours every year. If this is on your radar for 2026, registration is already open — don't wait.
DTS Zandvoort Olympic Triathlon — a well-organised Olympic distance race on the North Sea coast. A brilliant first triathlon. I raced here in 2023 and it's a great entry point into the format without the pressure of a long-distance event.
TCS Amsterdam Marathon — if running is your way in, this is the race. One of the most iconic marathons in Europe, flat and fast, and a natural goal for anyone logging canal runs on Tuesday evenings.
KPMG Rotterdam Marathon — another world-class city marathon with a famously flat course and a strong international field.
Sprint and Olympic triathlons across NL — local and regional races from May through October across the country. You don't need to go straight to 70.3. Starting shorter is almost always the smarter move.
Whatever distance you're targeting, there's a race for you in the Netherlands within a comfortable drive. For the full picture, the Netherlands triathlon race calendar for 2026 has everything in one place.
What I Typically See in Expat Athletes Who Come to Me
I coach athletes from the UK, Germany, Slovenia, the US, Australia, and a handful of other countries — most based in or around Amsterdam, The Hague, or Rotterdam. They tend to share a few patterns.
They underestimate themselves. They assume triathlon is for a different kind of person. It isn't. Starting from close to zero is not the barrier most people think it is.
They don't know where to start. There are a hundred training apps and a thousand conflicting opinions online. Structure matters. Knowing which sessions are the important ones — and which you can safely skip when work gets complicated — matters more than most people realise until they've spent three months guessing.
They train consistently but not smartly. Motivated, hardworking athletes who go moderately hard on everything and plateau. The fitness is there. The structure isn't. Easy days aren't easy enough. Hard days aren't hard enough. Everything blurs into junk miles.
They've tried going it alone. Downloaded plans, apps, Strava segments. It kind of worked — until it didn't. They picked up a niggle, lost the thread when a project deadline hit, or just stopped because nothing was keeping them accountable.
If any of that sounds familiar, that's exactly who I coach.
What English-Speaking Coaching Looks Like — Week to Week
Every athlete I work with gets a personalised training plan built from scratch around their schedule, their goal race, and the reality of their life. Not a template with a name on it. An actual plan.
I use TrainingPeaks for everything — the industry-standard coaching platform, fully in English, giving both of us complete visibility into workouts, data, and progress.
First Finish — €59.99/month For beginners and first-timers targeting their first sprint triathlon, Olympic triathlon, or marathon. Monthly cancellation. Includes intake call, personalised plan, and bi-weekly check-in.
Race Ready — €79.99/month For athletes building toward a time goal or a longer event like a 70.3. Bi-weekly cancellation. Includes weekly contact and race strategy on top of everything in First Finish.
Peak Mode — €99.99/month For athletes with a specific A-race and the commitment to train properly for it. Weekly cancellation. Includes daily availability, weekly plan updates, and race nutrition planning.
All three tiers are fully online. I coach athletes across the Netherlands and Europe — location is never a barrier.
A Few Questions I Get Asked Most
Do I need to already be fit? No. I've started athletes from the couch. What you need is a goal and honesty about where you are right now.
How much time do I need each week? Most athletes I coach train 6–10 hours per week. I've built plans around 5 hours and around 14. The plan fits your life — not the other way around.
I've never swum properly. Is that a problem? It's very common. Swimming is the discipline most new triathletes underestimate, and the one where good technique early saves you enormous energy on race day. We build it in from the start.
What if I need to miss a week for work or travel? That's real life. I coach around it. A missed week doesn't cancel the plan — it adjusts it.
I'm in Amsterdam / The Hague / Rotterdam — does online coaching actually work? Almost all of my athletes are fully online and never need anything more. TrainingPeaks handles the structure, check-ins handle the conversation, and the results speak for themselves.
No Sales Pitch. Just an Honest Conversation.
If you're an expat or international athlete in the Netherlands — or anywhere in Europe looking for an English-speaking coach in a European timezone — start with a free 30-minute consultation.
We'll talk through your goals, your schedule, and what a realistic first season actually looks like. If coaching makes sense for you, great. If it doesn't, I'll tell you that too.
Thinking about your next race?
Book a free 30-minute call — we'll talk through your goals, your schedule, and what it takes to get there.
