Written by Trackandmemes, August 21, 2025
NKDMis the Brussels-based team created by Charles Niesen and led by him.
What makes this group stand out is performanceeven from athletes competing at an advanced age.
What made you want to become a coach ?
Charles : " Since I first started in 2011, I always knew I wanted to become a coach, but I thought I would save that ambition for later, probably after my sprinting career. At the beginning, I trained on my own. Very quickly, I realized it wasn’t going to be easy, so I joined a club. Training in a group was more motivating, but I soon noticed that my own training plan was sometimes more relevant than the one I was being given. I felt more comfortable following my own choices: even when I made mistakes, I had no regrets, whereas executing the instructions of a coach you don’t really connect with can become frustrating over time.
Over the years, I joined different training groups, but without much success.
It took me four to five years to improve the personal bests I had already set early on, when I was training alone.
Then I had the chance to meet an exceptional coach, Pierre-Alexis Giraud, who completely transformed my career. I worked with him for several years, until he moved to France. That’s when coaching took on a new dimension for me.
In 2021, I started coaching a close friend, Adam, in one-on-one sessions. In just a few months, he made huge progress, after years of stagnation.
Unfortunately, the Covid period prevented him from confirming it in competition.
But I took immense pleasure in coaching him — so much that it eventually outweighed my own sporting ambitions. I was training alongside him, but I found myself more focused on his progress than on mine. So I decided to build a program that would allow me to keep training while fully investing myself in my athletes’ development.
The following year, my brother started sprinting with me. That confirmed my taste for coaching and everything it involves: progress, challenges, daily work. I even put aside my own ambitions to allow them to give their very best. A few months later, Zola joined the group and together we formed a small team. Training collectively reignited my desire to return to a high level, and that’s how I found the motivation to resume my own progression, with the ambition not just to come back to my best level, but to go beyond it. "
What is your vision as a coach ?
Charles : " What is your vision as a coach? As a coach, my goal is to help each athlete bring out the best in themselves while enjoying the sport. Sprinting is not just about running fast — it’s about learning to know yourself, staying focused, and persevering in order to improve. I want my athletes to grow both physically and mentally, to believe in themselves, and to learn how to push their limits safely.
I create training plans tailored to each athlete, I work on technique, and I pay close attention to recovery, because every sprinter is different.Beyond the results, I want them to enjoy the process of getting better, to be consistent, and to take responsibility for their training. "
At 28 years old, Khalid has smashed his records this season, dropping from 7.53 to 7.18 over 60 meters. On the 100m, he improved from 11.43 to 10.92, and on the 200m, he shaved more than a second off to clock a new personal best of 21.93.
How did you achieve such progress with this athlete ?
Coach : " For me, the most important thing was to organize his training and adapt it to what he really needed. We worked on technique, strength, recovery, and above all consistency. Each session had a clear, simple goal so that he could progress step by step and see results quickly.
What really made the difference was his mindset. He embraced the adjustments, questioned himself, and persevered even when it got tough. We also worked on self-confidence and handling pressure: staying focused, giving his best, and learning from each session.
It’s this combination of clear training and his determination that allowed him to progress so much. Today, he’s stronger, faster, and above all more confident — and honestly, that makes me really proud as a coach. "
What are your hopes for the future ?
Khalid : " I’d like to keep working hard, improve what needs to be improved, while staying humble and patient. And why not, one day, measure myself against the best athletes in the country. "
Ali, the renaissance
But if there’s one progression that deserves the spotlight, it’sAli's. This season, working with his coach, they managed to defy logic... At 34 years old, Ali remarkably broke his previous records in the 60m, 100m, and 200m. In the short distance, he went from 7.54 seconds to 7.36 seconds. And this summer, in the 100m, he went from 11.61 seconds to 11.34 seconds. Not to mention his impressive progression in the long sprint (200m)… 23.24 seconds to 22.80 seconds.
For Ali, was such progress even predictable?
Coach : " Before joining my group, Ali was on the verge of quitting athletics. He felt lost and couldn’t understand why he was running those times despite all the effort he was putting in.
To help him, I organized a testing day to analyze his strengths and weaknesses, and then we reviewed the results together. That gave us a clear understanding of why his performances weren’t at the level he expected and how we could move forward, step by step.
We worked methodically on every aspect, while keeping the process progressive so he wouldn’t get discouraged.
There were some mistakes along the way, a few moments when things didn’t go so well, but he trusted me and I believed in his abilities. Today, the results speak for themselves: even at his age, he has made huge progress, he’s far more confident, and he has rediscovered the joy of running. Seeing someone regain confidence and move forward after being stuck for so long is incredibly rewarding.
How do you experience your collaboration with Charles?
Ali's : " The bond we’ve built goes far beyond the professional framework — it feels like true brotherhood. Honestly, I’ve never experienced that with anyone else in the sporting world.
With him, you feel listened to, understood, and deeply respected.
He does everything for us, absolutely everything, from A to Z.
Given the very limited number of athletes he agrees to coach, his priority is clearly quality, and you can feel that at every moment.
Among the other athletes in the group, there’s also Zola who managed to make his mark this season. He improved from 7.10 to 7.06 over 60m and from 22.74 to 22.53 in the outdoor 200m. Not to forget Gabriel, Charles’ younger brother, who had already confirmed his potential last season with a 6.93 personal best over 60 meters.
You know Charles both on and off the track. As a coach, what qualities would you highlight in your brother?
Gabriel : " Charles is a coach who looks at progression over several years. He himself has had coaches who pushed the body to its limits to obtain exceptional times quickly. Passionate about sprinting, his method is focused on the long term. He spends a lot of time analyzing our race videos, researching recovery, nutrition, and strength training.
What’s more, he’s not afraid to question himself when an athlete underperforms. When that happens, he looks into whether the training was scheduled too close to competition or if it was simply too demanding. He doesn’t carry the pride of thinking he never makes mistakes. Charles also explains that, despite his expertise, he’s no magician: if the athlete doesn’t do the necessary work outside the track, there won’t be any miracles.
Finally, he builds a real human connection. We laugh, we share how we feel, and we’re free to say when we’re hurting.
Do you already have a plan for next season ?
Coach : " Yes, I already have clear ideas for next season. The main goal is to keep my athletes progressing while maintaining enjoyment and motivation. We’ll set precise objectives for each training phase, work progressively, and vary the sessions to avoid routine.
I also want them to get to know themselves better, to manage their effort and recovery, and to stay motivated throughout the season. The idea is to build a solid season where everyone can push their limits, reach their best level, and keep the joy of running. "
NKDM is therefore a team whose athletes are all on an upward trajectory. But it’s not only the athletes who are progressing — the coach is too. At 31 years old, Charles erased his former 60m personal best, set back in 2018 (6.83), by clocking a new record of 6.80 this season. Charles fait disparaître son ancien record sur 60 mètres qui datait de 2018 (6’’83), pour afficher un nouveau record personnel en 6’’80.
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