David Sweeting

David Sweeting is an England Athletics Coach with Southampton Athletics Club, where he coaches a junior endurance group with a strong emphasis on individual progression, confidence and mastering the fundamentals. His coaching philosophy is centred on creating an environment where every young athlete can enjoy the sport, work as part of a team and discover what they are truly capable of, believing that long-term development will always outweigh short-term success.

A runner for more than 20 years, David has completed the London Marathon three times and taken on several multi-day endurance events. More recently, he has transitioned to shorter-distance racing, both to challenge himself and to better understand the experiences of the young athletes he coaches. Away from the track, he is also the Event Director of a local junior parkrun, reflecting his passion for inspiring the next generation to enjoy running.

David believes that success isn’t measured by medals alone, it’s measured by the confidence an athlete gains, the enjoyment they find in training, and the belief they leave with that they’re capable of more than they ever imagined. His goal is simple: to help every athlete leave training believing in themselves just a little more than when they arrived.

“My job isn’t to show young athletes how good they are today, it’s to help them discover how good they could become.”