Our Coaches

Andy Bentley leads the main endurance group at Tipton Harriers — an inclusive, high-energy session that welcomes athletes of every age and ability, from juniors and veterans through to competitive club runners. One of the most respected endurance coaches in the West Midlands, he is the current manager of the Midland Area team, and carries on a remarkable family legacy: he is the nephew of Ron Bentley, who famously broke the world 24-hour record, with a father equally celebrated in long-distance running. The Bentley name is synonymous with Tipton Harriers.

The measure of Andy's coaching is in his athletes. Tom Bentley — his son — is now at Wingate University in the United States on an athletic scholarship, as is Mikey Banks, who also developed under Andy's guidance. His sessions are known for being structured yet adaptable, drawing athletes from across the club's groups and scaling to every level of runner.

Kate Williams has over 30 years of experience as both a competitor and coach at Tipton Harriers, making her one of the most long-standing figures in the club's history. She leads the older junior endurance squad and provides the key pathway into the senior group headed by Andy Bentley, with a genuine understanding of what young athletes need to make that transition successfully.

As a competitor, Kate represented her county and the Midlands area at junior level, and as a senior recorded top-ten finishes in the women's Midland Cross Country League. That experience as an athlete is reflected in the quality of the coaching her juniors receive.

Martin Williams is a former Great Britain international who represented the nation at the European Championships in the marathon and competed for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games. A late starter to athletics — encouraged by his wife, fellow Tipton coach Kate Williams, to take up the sport in his mid-twenties — Martin went on to win numerous county, Midland, and national titles across distances from 800m to the marathon, which became his speciality.

Martin works alongside Kate on training plans for the junior group and coaches a number of marathon runners individually, drawing on his own experience at the highest level of the sport.

Vicky Charlton came to coaching through her daughter Jade, who began competing at Tipton Harriers as a junior and has since progressed into the senior group. Watching Jade develop inspired Vicky to pursue her own coaching qualifications, and she now serves as an assistant coach to the main group — stepping up as lead coach in the absence of Andy Bentley or Kate Williams. Her presence gives the group continuity and consistency on every session night.

George Cunningham has been a central part of Tipton Harriers' junior coaching setup for many years, leading the younger junior group and preparing athletes for the progression into Kate Williams' older squad. His involvement with the club began when his own children started competing — a commitment that led him to take his coaching qualifications and invest in the next generation of Tipton runners. Many of the young athletes he has developed have gone on to represent the club at regional level before making the step up into the older groups.