The Coaches

Joshua Duff (Head Coach & Director)

Josh (a.k.a. Smurf) has been coaching runners and triathletes for 15 years including beginner to experienced athletes, and junior to masters athletes. There have been many successes in this time including;

* 70.3, Ironman and Long and Short Course World Championship Athletes

* Junior State Triathlon Championship Athletes

* Sprint, Olympic, 70.3 and Ironman AG Champions and Podium Places

* 70.3, Ironman and Ultraman Finishers

* Numerous 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon finishers

* Ultramarathon finishers including 200 mile, 100mile, 100k, 50mile and Backyard Ultra's

Combine this with his previous experience in education as a teacher, middle leader and principal, Josh brings a range of experiences to his coaching and work with athletes.

Josh also brings his success as an athlete in both triathlon and running to his coaching. His CV includes;

*Australian AG Team, 2011 Short Course Triathlon World Championships and 2013 Long Course Triathlon World Championships

*6 Ironman finishes, completing all of the big Oceania races (IM Cairns, IMNZ, IMWA and IM Australia)

*Winner 2021 and 2023 3 Marathons 3 Days in Cairns

*36 yards, 240+km and the "Assist" 2022 Dead Cow Gully Backyard Ultra

*2nd 2022 BVRT 50 Mile

*Winner and course record 2023 Kuranda to Port Douglas 60k Ultra

*2nd place 2023 Unreasonable East 200 Miler

Qualifications:

MEd. (Gifted & Talented), BEd (Secondary), Cert III Fitness, Athletics Australia Level II Distance Run Coach, UESCA Ultrarunning Coach, UESCA Triathlon Coach, RunDNA Level I Certified Running Gait Analyst, AURA Endorsed Coach

Kryssi O'Hare Siplon (Run Coach)

As the owner operator of her own business, gym and run squad (GETFIT) since 2007, Kryssi has a wealth of coaching experience. This experience covers a breadth of areas including not just run coaching, but also cross-fit, strength & conditioning and sports nutrition. She prides herself on helping everyday people achieve what they never thought possible, as well as helping seasoned runners reach their potential. Her coaching experience includes;

* Coaching over 250 runners in the past 17 years

* 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon finishers

* Numerous age group and overall podiums and champions

* Ultramarathon finishers from 50k to Backyard Ultra's

Kryssi is an incredibly athlete herself in both running and cross-fit, and brings these experiences to her coaching. Her CV includes;

* 3:15 marathon PB - 2023 Melbourne Marathon (top 10 age group)

* 30 Marathon Finishes

* 3rd Overall Female - 2023 Cairns 50

* 3rd Overall Female - 2022 Cairns Marathon

* 2nd Overall Female - 2022 Cairns 30

* New York and London Marathons Finisher

Qualifications:

Cert III & IV Fitness, Athletics Australia Level II Distance Run Coach, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Sports Nutritionist

Our Success

Kona Qualifiers

70.3 Worlds Qualifiers

70.3 Wins & Podiums

Ironman Wins & Podiums

50+ Run and Triathlon Event Podiums

10+ Ultra Marathon and multi-day run event Wins & Podiums

Our Philosophy

Our coaching philosophy at Smurf Endurance Sport is all about balance, consistency, positivity and life first. Being an age group endurance athlete is a challenge and we are here to support you in reaching athletic performance while balancing this with your life circumstances. Endurance sport is a lifestyle but, unless you are a professional athlete, life comes first and endurance sport comes second. We design programs to meet your needs which will also support you in reaching your athletic goals.

1:1 Programs

Our triathlon and run 1-to-1 programs are designed to support you in reaching your triathlon, running and athletic goals while taking in to account your lifestyle and other commitments. These programs include unlimited adjustments and communicaiton to ensure you get exactly what you need week to week to reach your athletic goals while maintaining balance. We know from experience how challenging it can be to find balance and consistency, so we are here to help.

We develop programs for a large range of events and abilities including;

* Beginner, intermediate or experienced athletes

* Sprint, Olympic, Half Ironman, Ironman and Ultraman

* 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, Marathon and Ultra Distances from 50 mile to 200 miler and multi-day events

* All ages (including junior athletes)