Europe’s coaching community witnessed a rare double showcase of excellence this weekend, as two flagship events of the European Athletics Coaching Summit Series-the European Multi Event Conference in Växjö and the Endurance Academy in Belgrade-ran simultaneously from 21–23 November 2025.
Together, they formed a dynamic, continent-spanning celebration of high-performance thinking, practical learning, and collaborative development.
Växjö: Mastering Complexity in the Combined Events
In Sweden, Växjö reaffirmed its status as a centre of multi-event expertise. The conference opened with legendary coach Harry Marra, whose keynote distilled five decades of coaching wisdom into stories, principles, and technical clarity drawn from guiding Olympic champions Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen.
His practical session on rhythm, simplicity, and precision offered coaches hands-on insights into breaking down complex movements without losing their essence.
Authenticity and connection took centre stage with Sweden’s Nadja Casadei, who brought a human perspective to coaching. Her contributions highlighted the emotional intelligence required to guide athletes through long-term development and the pressures of elite performance.
The international scope widened with Dutch national coach Ronald Vetter. His sessions load, planning, and progression provided one of the weekend’s most applied frameworks, further enriched by insights from duaghter and recently retired Olympic heptathlon silver medallist Anouk Vetter.
Belgium’s Fernando Oliva rounded out the programme with an emphasis on movement quality and athlete autonomy. His message “there are no secrets, only clarity”resonated strongly, underscoring the value of precise diagnostics and disciplined intervention.
Belgrade: Endurance Coaching for the Next Generation
Simultaneously, Belgrade hosted an energising edition of the Endurance Academy, blending scientific insight, practical workshops, and real-world testing.
The weekend opened outdoors with the Xtep Marathon Shoe Testing Lab, offering athletes and coaches hands-on experience with cutting-edge footwear technology before a detailed presentation on performance-oriented shoe design.
Technology remained central as endoGusto introduced coaches to data-driven group management models, demonstrating how emerging digital tools can enhance clarity, communication, and training precision.
A highlight was the two-part programme delivered by Professor Andrew M. Jones of University of Exeter, United Kingdom whose exploration of Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-2-hour marathon run provided rare depth on physiology, pacing, and training design. His follow-up workshop allowed coaches to design their own barrier-breaking marathon plans.
Motivation and psychology took the spotlight with Greek Olympic marathon runner Tina Kefalas, who addressed how intrinsic motivation in junior athletes shapes long-term success. Later, Dr Brian Hanley of Leeds Beckett University offered a biomechanics masterclass, encouraging coaches to reassess what truly determines winning performances.
Day two featured endurance luminaries including expert physiologist Iñigo Mujika on altitude adaptation, former international marathon runner Geoff Wightman on the junior-to-senior transition, and Serbian performance expert Edin Zuković on national team development strategies, culminating in a lively head coaches’ panel.
The afternoon shifted to fuelling and race preparation with nutrition expert Prof. Marija Anđelković, before Italian Olympian Massimo Magnani closed with reflections on coaching European champion Iliass Aouani.
A Shared Spirit of Progress
Across both cities, one theme stood out: Europe’s coaching landscape is evolving through openness, collaboration, and the blending of science with human insight. From multi-events to marathon training, the weekend showcased a community united by curiosity, generosity, and a commitment to raising performance standards in 2026 and beyond.
