When people hear "Coastal Five", they often focus on the distance.

42.2km across five events.

A full marathon — just spread out differently.

But lately I've started to think that's not actually the hardest part.

The challenge of the Coastal Five isn’t really about surviving one hard effort.

It’s about how well your body backs up again…
and again…
and again over two days.

Because anyone can have one good run.

The real test is how your body handles the accumulation.

A fast mile after a morning event.
Tired legs heading into the hills at Lake Mangamahoe.
Trying to hold form late in the Half Marathon.
Waking up on Day Two wondering why walking downstairs suddenly feels aggressive.

That’s where stability starts to matter just as much as fitness.

For a long time, I thought if I could complete hard events, my body must be coping pretty well.

But underneath that, there were always little signs things weren’t functioning as smoothly as they could:

• tight calves
• heavy legs on descents
• random niggles
• hips not stabilising properly
• feeling “off” without being properly injured

Nothing dramatic.
Just small compensations adding up over time.

And the funny thing is, runners are incredibly good at compensating.

If one area lacks strength or control, another area steps in to help.

Stiff ankles? Calves work harder.
Weak hip stability? Hamstrings take over.
Poor posture? Upper traps and arms start carrying load they shouldn’t need to.

You can still run well like this.
You can still finish races.
You can still look fit.

But events like the Coastal Five expose those weak links because they demand repeated efforts while already fatigued.

That’s the unique challenge of multi-event racing.

It’s not just:
“How fast can you run?”

It’s:
“How well can your body recover, stabilise, and keep moving efficiently when tired?”

Even though only one event is truly technical trail running, every event places slightly different demands on the body.

The Devon Mile rewards turnover and speed.
The Half Marathon tests endurance and pacing.
Lake Mangamahoe challenges stability and control.
The 5km can tempt runners into going harder than planned.
Then suddenly you have to do it all again the next day.

That cumulative fatigue is where small weaknesses often show themselves.

And honestly, that’s one reason I’ve shifted my own training focus recently.

Less junk mileage.
More strength.
More movement quality.
More work on the “support systems.”

Not bodybuilding.
Not chasing huge weights.

Just building a body that holds together better under fatigue.

Things like:

• single-leg strength work
• core stability
• ankle mobility
• Pilates
• controlled strength training

Because the strongest runner isn’t always the one doing the highest mileage.

Sometimes it’s the runner whose body can keep moving efficiently on tired legs.

That’s especially true in an event like the Coastal Five.

You don’t need perfect mechanics.
You don’t need an elite training program.

But having a body that can stabilise well, recover well, and resist fatigue makes the entire experience more enjoyable — and often far more successful.

If you’re training this winter, don’t just train your engine.

Train the body that has to carry you through five finish lines.