susannah Harvey-jamieson
ACCREDITED COACH
There are so many coaches out there – what sets me apart?
Well, like many, I cruised through my twenties under the misapprehension of being bullet-proof, at least as far as my health was concerned. However, I found myself in my early thirties as a pack a day smoker and unable to walk up a steep hill or long stairway without losing my breath!
Some friends invited me on their regular 5km morning run, and it turned out to be something of reality check. I determined that I needed to pay more attention to my health and putting on a pair of running shoes seemed the easiest path to increasing my fitness.
I decided to set some goals and a ½ marathon seemed to make sense and, while I was being sensible, I thought it might be a good idea to stop smoking! The rest, as they say, is history. But not an uncommon tale.
In over 20 years my running, my health and the involvement in everything that goes with it, has become my devotion. Moreover, I know what it entails to get from the base to the peak of potential and get there again when things don't go to plan (and they often don't).
Along with a smattering of marathons, from my first 50km at Glasshouse in 2006 to my most recent Coast to Kosciusko in November '2025, I have completed almost 100 ultra-marathons including:
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10 x 100 mile
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11 x 100 km
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21 x 50 km
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4 x 6 hour
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6 x 12 hour
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6 x 24 hour
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1 x Badwater (135 mile)
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1 x BVRT200 (200 mile)
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5 x Coast to Kosciusko (150 mile)
I have also been fortunate enough to have had the honour of representing Australia 7 times in World (4), Commonwealth (2) and the inaugural LOS (1) World Championships.
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2005/6
First ½ marathon in 2005 (1:43), first marathon in 2006 (3:18) first 50k (4:22)
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2007
First 100-mile event (GH100)
First 150-mile event (C2K)
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2008
World 100km Road Championships, Italy (9:08)
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2009
First 24-hour event, completing 209km at Coburg
World 100km Championships, Belgium
Commonwealth 24hr Championships, UK
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2010
Completed the Australian grand slam - a hundred miler each month for four months
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Glasshouse 100 (161km)
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Great North Walk 100 (180km)
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Great Ocean Walk 100 (190km)
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Coast to Kosciusko (240km)
24hr World Championships, France
Badwater, US (4th female)
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2012
In 2012, I was diagnosed with a seronegative rheumatoid disorder that had stopped me running for 12 months. Though now under control, it took me some time before I could confidently take on some of the more challenging events, and though I did participate, it was at a lower intensity. I now manage this autoimmune disease through careful training and medical supervision.
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2016
Ultraman Australia at Noosa – This was a new challenge.
Due to a pre-existing shoulder injury which limits my range of motion post-surgery, I completed the swim-leg (10km ocean) doing only breaststroke. Probably one of the most confronting challenges I have undertaken and certainly one of my proudest achievements.
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2017 to date
I suffered a broken hip, requiring emergency surgery and a very long recovery.
I have been more conservative in my running since this life-altering injury, my femur was shortened, and I have a large metal plate and screws going through the joint and down my femur. This has changed my gait and has challenged my proprioception, but I have, as a result, learnt to make the most of my strength to come back to running as best as I can.
To date, this 'comeback', for want of a better expression, has included the inaugural 100 mile at the BVRT100s in 2018, the 200 mile at the BVRT100s in 2020 and, most recently, my fifth Coast to Kosciusko in November 2025.
what does this mean for you?
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I understand the pressure of competition and how to channel that energy.
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I have the discipline and experience to train specifically for a particular event.
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I don’t have natural talent nor a high VO2, just determination and focus.
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I understand what it means to overcome serious health and injury hurdles and the patience/adaption needed.
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I have been around for a long time – and have not just the qualifications, but the experience to back up the knowledge. I have seen trends come and go (and come back again!)
You’re thinking about engaging A coach ...
or perhaps changing from another, so why choose me?
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I will tailor programs to suit your lifestyle.
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I take your personal circumstances into account.
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I will collaborate with you and any health/injury related issues we need to consider.
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I can adjust a program when life throws you a curveball.
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I understand the conflicting demands of life – finding the time to train when work and family have so priority makes it hard!
What program is for you?
Whilst many programs are available through Garmin, Coros, etc. and off the internet, they don't always consider illness, work obligations, family commitments, shift work, travel, injury management, etc. I'll build a program to suite your specific needs, and goals:
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Coach to 5k (e.g. park run)
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First 10k, half marathon, marathon, ultra…
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Coming back from injury
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Returning to running after pregnancy
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Maintaining a healthy regime
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Trying to juggle a busy life and you don’t want to think about the training, just follow what your watch tells you.
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Incorporate cross-training or other sports.
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Take your running to the next level, break a personal/age/course record.
What else do I offer:
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Social run in the city each Thursday morning
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One-on-one training
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Speed sessions
testimonials
Don’t just take my word for it – this is what my clients have said…
TD:
“I am a recreational runner, and last year, I signed up for my first marathon. At first, I relied on a program that I found on-line, but my travel commitments as part of my work meant that I couldn’t follow it. Susannah customised a training regime that took my level of fitness and my lifestyle into account and I crossed the finish line in a time that I would never have dreamed of!”
DG:
“Susanah is an incredible coach who creates training programs perfectly tailored to your needs. I found her approach far more valuable than the generic Garmin plans that nearly pushed me to my limits. In no time, I could feel the difference and see real results. Her love for running is infectious, making every session motivating and enjoyable. I highly recommend working with her — her natural coaching talent truly sets her apart.”
MM:
“Working with Susannah has been one of the most transformative experiences of my running journey. Over the course of 2024 and 2025, she successfully coached me through three ultra marathons.
Susannah brings the perfect balance of structure, motivation, and support. Her training plans were not only tailored to my goals and accommodate my busy lifestyle being a working dad of three girls, but the training plans also progressed with my progress, setbacks, and life outside of running. She understood when to push and when to hold back, always with the end goal in mind.
If you’re looking for a coach who genuinely cares, listens, and knows how to get results sustainably, I can’t recommend Susannah enough.”
JK:
Susannah has been a godsend for me in the last three years. Whilst she is an amazing motivator and is sensible and practical, she has also been excellent at working collaboratively with me, in achieving my goals in a clear timeframe. Susannah is unbelievably patient, flexible, understanding and accommodating. She understands how best to push her clients, tailoring her approach to each individual, and truly makes the whole running and training experience an enjoyable, satisfying and fulfilling journey!
RR:
Not one for overinflated praise nor hype for hype's sake - but I cannot speak highly enough of Susannah as a mentor and coach! One of the things I value most about Susannah's approach to coaching is her focus on the whole athlete (within the context of life, family, work and health). She brings a long-term patient approach to sustaining wellbeing while building athletic capacity and performance. Even though for me now as an older athlete, aging has new fun challenges and hurdles to navigate, still in the last 12 months, Susannah and I have achieved my best results for trail 100-mile, 100 km, 50 km and marathon, all while staying injury free, and continuing to get faster and feel stronger than ever. This is not luck nor by accident! Susannah's observant, insightful and skillful triage of an athlete's core areas for improvement, strengthening or to capitalize on, ensures training time is invested optimally and potential is unlocked. As a catalyst for transformation, she fosters open dialogue on plans, expectations, strengths and growth areas.
At the start of a year or season or training block, we discuss the long-term goals, disaggregate the broad plan, identify some key focus areas (physical, strength, nutrition, mental), articulate the non-negotiables, then I leave the program details in her thoughtful hands. She is always very clear what we are trying to achieve and is an effective communicator (clearly articulating the purpose and how-to of a session or workout). What I have found freeing is her ability to build a genuinely safe, positive environment where I am free to try new sessions or workouts and am free of judgement even when feedback or correction is required. While her coaching qualifications, broad knowledge of biomechanics and deep understanding of the demands of ultra endurance and trail events complimented with her own ultra endurance athletic career, is unmatched; Susannah is quietly, yet constantly expanding her knowledge, in order to always be up to date and in the best position to support her athletes. She brings noticeable creativity and ability to keep key training interesting and fresh - no small feat when it comes to training for ultra distance racing.
Susannah has mastered the art of timing progression and incremental builds, to deliver you injury and illness free to your goal races in optimal form! Whether that be following your fatigue and HRV data or just taking onboard athletes feedback on how they are handling the program. Susannah flexibly adjusts both the program and the athletes' expectations without diluting motivation or goals. To me this demonstrates genuine care for and investment into her athletes, something not experienced with previous coaches and programs.
Susannah has a profound quiet ability to inspire vision and ignite belief in what you are becoming! She will tell it as it is even when it's hard to hear, will firmly remind you there are no shortcuts, to remain patient with imperfect progress and to always trust the process, even during challenges, setbacks or disappointments - yet wraps all of this in unwavering support, support strong enough to dispel even the deepest doubts! Her investment in me, in turn, has fueled my desire to fight through some pretty deep race lows and to dig deep and deliver the result us as an athlete-coach team deserve to enjoy! Nothing but immense gratitude for all she has invested and all we have achieved together.
I highly recommend Susannah as an amazing mentor, invested and highly adaptive coach, but more importantly as a passionate person and someone who over time has become a beautiful friend.
