PB Magazine - Issue 2, 2023

£3.75

INSIDE THIS EDITION

BACK FROM THE BRINK

Candid interviews

Siobhan Coleman

Amanda Woodrow

John Bell

Photos: Bobby Gavin, Mark Shearman, Jeff Holmes, British Athletics/Getty Images, Siobhan Coleman, Adrian Stott, Lewis Millar

Contributors: Colin Hutchison, Katy Barden, John Lenehan, Michael Houston, Susan Egelstaff

Advertisers: Lindsays, Joma Sport, Athletics Trust Scotland, Glasgow Life, Paisley 10k

Interviewees: Jack Lawrie, Reuben Nairne, Jane Davidson, Derek Easton, Andy Butchart, Alistair Hay, Cameron Milne, Duncan Robinson, Amanda Woodrow, Siobhan Coleman, Natalie Sharp, Jim Young, Meghan Porter eld, Mhairi Porter eld, Samantha Kinghorn

Clubs: Central AC, Giffnock North AC, Linlithgow AC, Edinburgh AC, Inverclyde AC, VP-Glasgow, Kilmarnock Harriers

FRONT COVER PHOTOS: Bobby Gavin’s shots of the new Joma Scotland kit are complemented by Neil Gourley celebrating British Men’s 1500m gold (photo by Getty Images for British Athletics)

PAGE PHOTO: Megan Keith savours the moment after winning Women’s 5000m gold at the European U23 Champs in Finland (photo by European Athletics)

CONTENTS

Alasdhair Love Head of Competitions 07584 146 796 alasdhair.love@scottishathletics.org.uk

Allan Scott National Manager Sprints, Hurdles & Relays 07824 015 392 allan.scott@scottishathletics.org.uk

Carol Robison Membership Administrator 07391 845 783 membership@scottishathletics.org.uk

Colin Hutchison Chief Executive 07983 080 925 colin.hutchison@scottishathletics.org.uk

Dawn Allan Head of Operations 07983 080 922 dawn.allan@scottishathletics.org.uk

Jo Stevens Jog Scotland Membership Development Of cer 07903 180 453 jo.stevens@scottishathletics.org.uk

Julie Mollison Head of Coaching Development & Talent 07818 592 639 julie.mollison@scottishathletics.org.uk

Lindsay McMahon National Club Manager 07918 796 648 lindsay.mcmahon@scottishathletics.org.uk

Mark Pollard Head of Performance 07584 102 980 mark.pollard@scottishathletics.org.uk

Peter Jardine Head of Communications 07885 868 164 peter.jardine@scottishathletics.org.uk

Lisa Turner Welfare Administrator 07393674262 pvg@scottishathletics.org.uk

Jennifer Goodwin HR Administrator 07743928625 hr@scottishathletics.org.uk

Ross Mackey Finance Administrator 07801634198 nance@scottishathletics.org.uk

Allan Hamilton National Talent Manager 07597 577 915 allan.hamilton@scottishathletics.org.uk

Sam O’Kane National Field & Combined Events Manager 07743 928 626 sam.okane@scottishathletics.org.uk

Fran Snitjer Executive Of cer and Equalities Of cer 07584 146 795 francesca.snitjer@scottishathletics.org.uk

Jamie McDonald National Club Manager 07776 370 199 jamie.mcdonald@scottishathletics.org.uk

Angela Mudge National Lead – Hill Running 07739 506786 angela.mudge@scottishathletics.org.uk

Robert Hawkins National Lead Of cer - Marathon Project 07903 179 875 robert.hawkins@scottishathletics.org.uk

Shona Malcolm-Martin Of cials Development Of cer 07731 832 567 shonamalcolm@scottishathletics.org.uk

Sue Gyford Digital Communications and Press Of cer 07880 037 574 sue.gyford@scottishathletics.org.uk

Morva McKenzie Welfare Of cer 07983 081 122 morva.mckenzie@scottishathletics.org.uk

Caitlin Watt Competitions Manager 07718 526 373 events@scottishathletics.org.uk

Pamela Robson National Disability Pathway Of cer 07827 343 410 pamela.robson@scottishathletics.org.uk

David Fallon Head of Development 07960 582838 david.fallon@scottishathletics.org.uk

Sophie Allan Competitions and Business Administrator 07522 556771 events@scottishathletics.org.uk

Laura Kirkland Coaching administrator coaching@scottishathletics.org.uk

Alison Grey Coaching Co-ordinator & Throws Co-ordinator 07739 506 733 alison.grey@scottishathletics.org.uk

As I write this column, we are approaching the peak of the summer track and field championship season.

It will undoubtedly be difficult to replicate the magical moments we experienced across three major championships in 2022, but I am sure that we will see some inspirational performances nonetheless.

Internationally, our top Senior athletes will be competing at the Para World Championships in Paris as well as the World Championships in Budapest.

We will see the likes of Owen Miller (gold medallist in the T20 1500m at the Tokyo Paralympics) going for gold this time in the Para World Championships. Later in July, over in Budapest, we would hope to see many of our other top athletes competing for medals too.

Some of our most promising youngsters will be competing at the Schools International against England, Wales and Ireland, the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the European U20 and U23 Championships.

We should never take for granted the huge efforts which these athletes and their coaches have put in to be able to represent their country at these international events, supported at each step on the way by clubs, family, training partners, friends as well as the support systems put in place by scottishathletics via the performance team and elsewhere.

Domestically, our own 4J Senior and U17 Champs will take place in August at Grangemouth, with the Age Group Champs in Aberdeen later in the month.

This is the highlight of the calendar for the vast majority of our athletes and coaches and the prospect of getting a medal at these championships is often the key goal for the season.

These events wouldn’t be able operate, however, were it not for the dedication and commitment of our army of volunteer Officials, who give up their weekends to facilitate these events and to provide encouraging words to the athletes who are competing.

Special mention should also be given to the scottishthletics Competitions Team, led by Ally Love, with the support of Caitlin Watt, Shona Malcolm and Sophie Allan, as well as the Track and Field Commission.

Without the hard work and collaboration between these volunteers and staff members, our championships would not be the great success that they invariably are each year.

David Ovens Chair Scottish Athletics @OvensDavid

In fact, it is this collaboration between the professional staff at the governing body and the army of volunteers across coaches, Officials and clubs which allows our sport to operate so effectively and which enables the pathways and opportunities for our athletes to perform at their top level.

Two volunteers who I would like to particularly highlight and thank for their contribution to the sport are Ron Morrison and Leslie Roy.

Ron is our President and Leslie is Convenor of the Track and Field Commission. Both have served on the board of scottishathletics for 12 years, yet both have served the sport for most of their lives.

Ron and Leslie will be stepping down from their respective roles at the AGM in September this year.

It is impossible to overstate the immensity of the contribution which both of these individuals have made to us as governing body and to the sport in Scotland over so many years.

On behalf of our Board and, more generally, the whole athletics community, I would like to say thank you to both of them.

Whilst not everybody will be able to provide the same level of commitment as Ron and Leslie, we need volunteers at all levels to allow athletics in Scotland to continue to thrive.

We would love to see more people becoming Officials and club coaches. These are our key routes into the sport and we are hugely reliant upon them.

scottishathletics has recently taken over (from UK Athletics) the delivery of development courses for coaches and Officials. Keep checking our website for news on our delivery programme for those courses for the autumn.

Thanks for your support of these course and our championship events.

Synergy between dedicated volunteers and staff is always what drives our sport...

Of cials work tirelessly with our Competitions Team to deliver National Championship events like the 4J Age Groups

Significant seven land Euro U23 medals in Finland

Seven Scots on the GB and NI team that travelled hopefully to Espoo in Finland marked the equal biggest representation on a GB and NI team for the European U23 Championships.

When they returned a week or so later, the baggage was weighed down by significant precious cargo.

There were GOLD medals each for Megan Keith and Alice Goodall after an amazing distance double over 5000m and 10,000m. Relay GOLD, too, for sprinter Alyson Bell after a fine third leg run to help GB and NI to victory in the Women’s 4x100m final with a Championship Record.

And relay BRONZE for Brodie Young as the Airdrie Harriers athlete, now based in the United States, played his part for the British quartet in the Men’s 4x400m final.

With Eloise Walker (fifth), Sarah Tait (sixth, with PB) and Sarah Calvert (10th) all appearing in finals, too, the experience gained by our significant seven bodes very well for the future.

The main focus probably has to be the distance duo.

Megan Keith set the ball rolling for the Scots on Thursday evening with an awesome display in the Women’s 5000m final.

Her break with just over 2k remaining was covered by compatriot Eloise Walker but unfortunately the Edinburgh AC athlete was to fall on the home straight and had to settle for fifth (after bravely getting back to her feet).

Megan had pushed the pace to sub six minutes for the final 2k and the Inverness Harriers/Edinburgh Uni athlete, who is coached by Ross Cairns, was thrilled with gold.

‘I told myself when I make a move, I needed to make it decisive and I’m really proud that’s what I did,’ said Megan, who won in 15:34.33.

‘We knew the race was going to be unpredictable but I was willing to fight for it. I looked at the screen with 300m to go and hoped I had enough after making a gap.’

In the Women’s 10,000m final, Alice Goodall dominated the race from start to finish.

Working the pace from the front, the opposition behind the Scot fell away until only Itlay’s Sara Nestola remained. The determined Italian was still in contact until the home straight but ultimately could not respond to a superb display of front-running from the Edinburgh Ac/Edinburgh Uni athlete.

‘The race was stressful having someone on your shoulder until the final 100m, but it went how I wanted it to,’ said Alice, who added the track European crown to team medals in cross country and mountain running with GB and NI in the past eight months.

‘The plan had been to keep it reserved for the first 5k, and then pick it up lap by lap. It was honestly maybe only in the last 50m that I felt I was going to win.

I am so excited to win a track title because I still love hill running, too.’

By the time Goodall took to the podium, Bell was a winner as well.

The sprinter from Giffnock North/ Edinburgh Uni had finished in sixth place in the

individual 100m final – with a superb equal PB run of 11.31 in the semi-final.

Alyson then linked up team-mates Cassie-Ann Pemberton, Amy Hunt and Aleeya Sibbons to claim the Women’s 4x100m title in a Championship Record of 43.04.

Brodie Young was another relay medallist. After just missing out on the 400m semis,

Brodie was in the British quartet who took bronze medals in the Men’s 4x400m final.

Sarah Tait competed at the U23 Champs for the second time – and finished in sixth place in the Women’s 3000m steeplechase final. Sarah had comfortably come through the heat and then came up with a PB run of 9:54.74 in the final.

Late on the Sunday afternoon in Espoo, Sarah Calvert was the final Scot in action. The Livingston AC/Edinburgh Uni athlete came home in 10th place in the Women’s 1500m final.

Giffnock North land three XC trophies

Giffnock North AC are our winners of the Lindsays Trophy once again.

The southside Glasgow club delivered a remarkable 254 finishers across the three main National XC events last winter at Cumbernauld, Kirkcaldy and Falkirk.

In addition, scottishathletics were pleased to present two further trophies from the Lindsays National XC at Falkirk – the AT Mays trophy for overall male performance and the Pat Spence Trophy for overall female performance.

In the Lindsays Trophy table, the club has topped the 250 mark and it was also superb to see that 11 clubs finished more than 100 athletes at the three #LindsaysXC events across the 2022-23 season.

Edinburgh AC were second with 198 finishers and Garscube Harriers third with 159 as Cambuslang and Central AC completed the top five.

This year, again, the number of clubs with at least one athlete finished at the National XC Relays, the Short Course and the National XC tops 100.

Sandy Lamb, Glasgow partner for Lindsays, awarded the trophy to Giffnock North at a special presentation at a training night at Williamwood High School.

'On behalf of everyone at the club, from youngest Junior to most experienced Masters athlete, let me say how delighted we are to have retained the Lindsays Trophy,' said Giffnock North AC President, Billy Glasgow.

Eight picked for Trinidad trip

Eight young track and field athletes are the latest additions to Team Scotland for the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago this summer.

With just under 50 days to go until the Trinbago 2023 Opening Ceremony, the team is almost complete, with athletes now confirmed in six of the seven sports.

The concept of the Youth Games was created by Scotland in 2000 with the aim of developing young athletes and giving them an early experience of an international multisport environment.

The event, which this year takes place August 4-11, has a proven record of uncovering future champions at senior level, and a host of current stars have competed at past Youth Games, such as Lynsey Sharp, Eilish McColgan, Zoey Clark Nick Percy and Erin Wallace.

scottishathletics worked with Team Scotland on the selection process, with a quota system in place in terms of each sport.

As it transpired, more Scottish teenagers made the tough qualifying standards than the seven allocated places.

Alison Grey and Allan Hamilton will look after the athletes in Trinidad in team manager roles.

Corey Campbell, 1500m and 3000m (Team East Lothian)

Jenna Hilditch, High Jump (VP-Glasgow)

Reiss Marshall, 3000m (Fife AC)

Millie McClelland-Brooks, 1500m (Glasgow School of Sport)

Caleb McLeod, 800m (Pitreavie AAC)

Dean Patterson, 200m (Glasgow School of Sport)

Amy Teasdale, 3000m (Kilbarchan AAC)

Lidya Woldeselassie, T35 LJ and 100m (Shettleston Harriers/Red Star AC)

'It’s a high-profile, tangible reward for all the hard work – seen and unseen – entailed in supporting the cross-country season’s major events.

'Fulsome thanks must go to Lindsays for their ongoing and considerate backing of the sport. Having such a far-sighted sponsor makes a real, constructive difference to the sport.'

GB internationals Duncan Robinson and Hannah Ryding received the Lindsays Trophy on Giffnock’s behalf (see above).

*Duncan Robinson interview – see page 20

‘We’re delighted with the announcement of the track and field athletes for Trinbago,’ said Allan Hamilton of scottishathletics.

‘It was a tough selection process with a number of young Scots making qualifying standards in their events and a quota system for places for sports. Well done to those picked and to their families, coaches and clubs.

‘The Commonwealth Youth Games is an ideal development platform in terms of international competition. We look forward to being with the athletes for Trinbago and, as they compete, helping each of them in their enjoyment and learning.’

Finished article

By Peter Jardine

On a UK Champs weekend beset with thunderstorms in Manchester, it was written in the stars that Neil Gourley would claim gold.

Or, rather, written in the official event programme . . .

The Scot was firmly in focus as the preview for the Men’s 1500m named him as likely favourite in the absence of the 2022 champion, fellow Scot Jake Wightman.

Neil himself of course, with characteristic modesty was taking nothing for grantedand especially in a final shoot-out for Budapest selection with four athletes with the qualifying standard shooting for two places.

‘The goal is to compete well at the World Champs and be hunting for a medal there but that can’t happen unless you come

through your own championships,’ said Neil in the programme article.

‘It is a high level and I’m not going to take anything for granted.’

Anyone with any connections or experience to print (deadline) journalism and publishing will understand such previews are fraught with danger.

Invariably, it seems, the individual featured prominently, or emblazoned across the front cover, is then injured just before the big day (with the programme already away to print) or under-performs when the actual event takes place.

And, as no fewer than eight athletes closed towards the finish amid monsoon conditions in Manchester, concern definitely grew for Gourley among Scottish supporters.

We need not have worried. A dramatic, late ‘lane change’ proved fruitful as a gap emerged – and Neil romped through the door to title glory and onto the plane to Budapest.

The Giffnock North AC athlete’s winning time of 3:46.16 is immaterial. But the fact the top three were separated by 0.79 of a second –and a total of eight athletes by just over 1.5 seconds – emphasises the close nature of the finish.

Yet Neil trusted his kick and ability to take advantage of gaps.

‘I didn’t do a great deal in the race for about 1450 metres,’ he grinned.

‘I had to stay patient. You never know for sure what will happen but I didn’t see anyone in the field who would naturally takes us out faster or wind it up with 700 or 600 to go. So I was ready for it in many ways and while I felt I could have gone on the outside, I made a late decision to switch inside and the gap was there for me to win.’

It clinched a place at the World Champs for the third time and, as grounded as ever, Neil took a moment to think about that record.

‘You know when I was growing up as a youngster at Giffnock North that would never have crossed my mind,’ he said.

‘I probably wondered at one stage ‘can I win a Scotland vest at some stage’ or ‘will I maybe run sub four minutes for the 1500m?’.

‘So when you put it like that, I will savour being on the GB and NI team for a third World Champs.’

Gourley’s training group partner, Katie Snowden, delivered one of the surprises of the weekend to defeat our own Laura Muir in

Neil beats the weather, his track rivals and the ‘curse’ of the event programme to seize superb gold in Manchester monsoon

the Women’s 1500m. Laura made an early burst for home and closed with a very quick 600m but Snowden judged it all slightly better.

‘Katie is probably a sub four minute runner so I need to be really ‘on it’ to make sure and unfortunately I came up short,’ said Laura.

Like Muir, Jemma Reekie had to settle for silver as she raced to Season’s Best 1:58.98 behind Keely Hodgkinson, with the champion setting a Manchester Regional Arena Stadium Record (1:58.26).

Jemma challenged Keely for much of the second lap and the 25-year-old, now coached by Jon Bigg, is healthier now after recovering from glandular fever last year.

‘I wanted that one and I am pleased to have booked my ticket,’ said Jemma.

‘I’m healthy now and happy and the big target with Jon for this season is just to get my confidence back and race as well as I can. I’ve won some races and that feels good.

‘I was fourth at the Olympics a couple of years ago and I want to test myself again on the world stage and do my very best.’

Elsewhere on the track, there were solid performances in terms of places from the likes of Jack Lawrie, Eloise Walker, Georgina Adam and Steph Twell.

Whether Alisha Rees could have matched, or bettered, last year’s seventh place in the Women’s 100m we shall never know.

The race was delayed, after the Men’s 100m memorably went off in torrential rain, and the Scot suffered a painful fall as she came out of the early ‘drive’ phase of the sprint.

Across our community, concern and support for Alisha was widespread, and we all wish her the very best for a quick recovery.

METRIC MILE MAGIC

*Neil Gourley’s Men’s 1500m title win extended a truly remarkable Scottish streak.

It was the sixth time in seven years a Scot has won gold in the event.

2017 Chris O’Hare

2018 Chris O’Hare

2019 Neil Gourley

2020 George Mills (Neil Gourley silver)

2021 Josh Kerr

2022 Jake Wightman

2023 Neil Gourley

Silver lining for our discus duo

Law and Percy sounds like a firm of solicitors or estate agents.

In years to come, however, Scotland’s current prominent discus double act may come to be investigated by the Monopolies Commission - for medals seized.

The length and breadth of the British Isles separates their upbringing from Inverness (Law) and the Isle of Wight (Percy). But there are definitely parallels in their love of throwing, their consistency and a strong desire to wear Scotland kit whenever possible.

Nick has won the UK Champs on five occasions while we are losing count on Kirsty’s success rate at the Scottish Champs, with a few more thrown in (see what we did there?) at British level, too.

Defending champions as they entered the circle in the Manchester Regional Arena this year, both had to ultimately settle for silver this time.

Nick threw 61.26 to miss out by 42cm to winner Lawrence Okoye (61.68m). Kirsty threw 57.30 to lose out to Jade Lally, who was over the 60m mark at 60.13m to win.

‘I've missed four months of training due to injury and I'm currently competing with another injury, and at one stage I was close to not competing in Manchester,’ said Kirsty.

‘But you never know when it might be your last year. I decided to come here and enjoy it and now I’ve thrown a Season’s Best.

‘So I’ve had to work hard for the silver medal and it has given me confidence for a few more competitions this year.’

Nick was less content arguably although he stressed pride at a podium place in the Scotland vest.

‘I was really hoping to win my sixth British title and it is frustrating to lose out by 42cm and have to settle for the silver,’ he said.

‘But there wasn’t one throw I was happy with today and it is a championship event – Lawrence was better on the day and he deserved the victory.

‘I am still proud to be on the podium for Scotland and Scottish Athletics and that is always important to me.’

Will Grimsey was the third England-based Scot who landed silver in the field.

And the GB international High Jumper was not too disappointed with 2.15m for second place.

‘I was very close to not competing at the UK Champs because things were not going well for a couple of weeks,’ he said.

‘I’ve had a couple of injury issues but found a little bit of form to clear 2.09 and 2.15 today. At least I feel like a high jumper again because the Euro Team Champs with GB was one of the worst days of my life.’

Elsewhere in field events, Aidan Quinn and Henry Clarkson featured in the Men’s Triple Jump final with Aidan placed fifth (15.45) and Henry sixth (15.40).

Chris Bennett was fourth in the Men’s Hammer final. Chris improved throughout with 69.00m in the final round but he was a metre or so adrift of the podium.

Teddy Tchoudja took fifth place in the Women’s Shot with 14.44m her best throw.

Sammi sets her sights on new horizons

Countryfile TV role gives Para star a different focus

By Susan Egelstaff

It’s entirely unsurprising that Samantha Kinghorn struggled with separating her identity from her sport.

One of Scotland’s most successful athletes, the 26-year-old wheelchair racer has been on the international scene for a decade, picking up medals from every major Para championship.

And in that time, her entire identity had become, as she describes it, ‘Samantha the athlete . . .and not really much else.’

But with age and experience, Kinghorn began to realise, to be happy, she needed to be more than just an athlete.

Which is perhaps why she’s quite so excited about her newest venture; television presenting.

Kinghorn, though, is not easing her way into the world of television gently.

The Borders native, who grew up on a farm, is the newest presenter of Countryfile, a show that regularly draws in millions of viewers and is one of the BBC’s most popular programmes.

For someone who had not a jot of presenting experience, it was quite a job offer to receive.

‘The show contacted my friend and teammate, Hannah Cockroft, to ask for my number and when she told me they were going to call me, I thought it was just to do a wee interview on my dad’s farm and about me racing,’ she says.

‘Normally, that’s what I’m always asked about.

‘But then I spoke to the producer and he said they’d love for me to join them as a presenter and I genuinely nearly died.

‘I kept asking them if they were sure, were they not making a mistake? It seemed absolutely crazy.’

But the producers of the show held fast with their offer and now, it’s clear how excited Kinghorn is about her latest venture, in large part due to the fact it’s something

entirely separate from athletics.

Samantha is not just a keen presenter, she’s a good one too. Although she admits that presenting a show she watched regularly growing up remains utterly surreal.

‘It’s a show I’ve watched my whole life – my dad’s always loved it and so have I so to now be on it is absolutely mad.

‘I think what helps me is that I’ve done so many interviews and so I know what makes a good and a bad interview. I’ve been interviewed so many times so it helps you learn how to be a good interviewer.

‘I’ve got a year’s contract so we’ll see what happens at the end of it.

‘It’s been so good doing something away

from sport, though. Something I’ve struggled with in the past has been my identity away from sport.

‘When I was young, I never dreamed of being an athlete or of going to the Olympics, I always wanted to be a zoologist and work with animals. And I think that got lost a bit when I came into sport, and then ‘Paralympian became my identity.

‘But at Countryfile, I love not being the centre of attention and it being about the person I’m interviewing.’

Despite the diversion into television, Kinghorn has lost no focus on her athletics, though.

In fact, the double Paralympic medallist is in the form of her life.

A Dubai-based training camp at the start of the year laid the foundations for a quartet of personal bests, in the T53 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m.

‘It was a very nice start to the year - when you’ve been doing this sport for a long time, PBs become harder to come by so it was really encouraging,” she says.

‘As I get older, I’ve learnt that winning gold medals doesn’t always make you happy. In the moment, a gold medal is amazing but that moment fades away and in the bigger picture, you need to be happy in your life as well.

‘The percentage of my time spent racing is probably about two percent – the rest of the time I’m doing other things.

‘While winning gold medals is what I want to achieve, I also know that winning a gold medal alone won’t make me happy.

Scots revel in Paris

Para athletics in Scotland has been a small but significant force in recent years – and the World Champs in Paris firmly under-lined the point in spectacular fashion.

The Stade Charlety in the French capital became the backdrop for a string of visits to the podium by the Scots with GB and NI.

And now boasting three World Champions reflects well on the growth of Para athletics here in recent years.

*Gavin Drysdale won the T72 100m gold with a new European Record of 16.66.

*Samantha Kinghorn won the T53 100m gold with a new Championship Record of 15.93 seconds. Sammi went on to win no fewer than three other golds (two individual and one relay).

*Ben Sandilands won the T20 1500m gold with a new Championship Record of 3:52.42. Ben produced an amazing late race kick to surge beyond the leaders over the last 200m or so. Owen Miller was seventh in the race and Steven Bryce 13th.

*Maria Lyle savoured a bronze medal T35 sprint double glory too but wheelchair racer Melanie Woods missed out on finals a couple of times.

Above all, there was a feelgood factor coursing through the Scottish cohort with the British team via the athletes and the likes of Pamela Robson, Rodger Harkins and Jamie Bowie.

One look at the Scottish Athletics social channels would confirm the interest and support at home and further afield.

Here are a few thoughts from two of our World Champions:

Gavin Drysdale: ‘That felt amazing. I have never raced in a stadium like that.

‘It was an incredible experience, and I am very pleased to be world champion. Well done to my teammate Rafi (Solaiman) for such a close race. He pushed me all the way.

Ben Sandilands: ‘I think I sped up with 200m to go, but I know I have that speed in me, so it definitely helped. I just feel exhausted now. I went into the race thinking I could win and I did, so it has given me a lot of confidence for the future.

‘A lot of hard work has gone into this. My coach Steve Doig has helped me to get here. It’s nice to train with Owen and Steven, we all encourage and support each other.’

Simply the vest Athletes stress pride after competing for Scotland

By Peter Jardine

Jack Lawrie had no fewer than seven previous appearances at the Loughborough International against his name when he toed the line once again this year as the Scotland pick in the Men’s 400m.

Second place five years ago in 2018 was his erstwhile best performance until he broke the mould with a win in 2023.

Lawrie’s run of 51.15 edged out the GB international Chris McAlister and gave the likeable Fifer a moment to savour.

At the age of 27, Lawrie is a classic example of an athlete who has put years of hard work into his sport, yet a National Record in Austria last summer was slightly ‘lost’ amid a rash of medals and major championships for our elite athletes with GB and NI in Oregon and Munich as well as Team Scotland at Birmingham 2022.

‘I have been coming here for a number of years now and that’s my first victory in the Match race – I’ve represented GB Juniors

here and Scotland maybe five times,’ he recalled.

‘So it is a really good feeling. It is always a pleasure to represent Scotland and to have that vest on your back out there is a great feeling of pride.

‘It is always good coming back here and being with the Scotland team. There are not all that many opportunities in track and field so I think it means that little bit more when

you do have the chance and wear the kit.

‘I ran a new Scottish Record last summer in Austria and it would be nice to try and improve that time further.

‘You have to keep setting yourself goals and I will keep training and working hard to try and improve.’

Moments after Jack’s win, Carys McAulay delivered a classy run to win the Women’s

400m Match race with those two victories mid-afternoon – and a Para event success over 1500m for Steven Bryce - the highlight of the track programme for Scotland.

England-based McAulay, who competed for GB and NI at the European Indoors in Turkey, posted a PB run of 52.68 for her win. While Jack and Carys are no strangers to Scotland vests, Jane Davidson by contrast savoured her first Senior selection. But the feelings were the same as her fellow hurdler.

‘It meant so much to me to wear the Scotland vest,’ smiled Jane.

‘I think with there not being too many opportunities in track and field to be picked for a Senior Scotland team when you do get that call-up it is emotional and you feel a strong sense of pride.

‘Both my dad (Mark) and my mum (Fiona) were Scotland international athletes in their careers and the story goes that they met at a Scotland international trip . . .

‘They have wise words for me and that’s helpful as you try to progress through the sport.’

Family ties came up in conversation, too, with 3000m runner Megan Davies. Megan was born in Motherwell and raised in Manchester before moving to London in her 20s.

‘It’s hard to put into words what it means to run for Scotland – it is very special for me and for my family,’ said Megan.

‘My dad is a man of few words and very little emotion but I can see his feelings of pride and patriotism when I wear the vest. He was here watching today and supporting all the Scots.’

Among the rest of the Scottish individual track performances in the men’s division, there were solid runs by Kane Elliott (800m), Jamie MacKinnon (mile) and Michael Cameron (3000m steeplechase). Teenager Conan Harper dipped his toe in the 3000m while Adam Hoole was another debutant in the sprint hurdles.

In the sprints, Ethan Pottie and Finlay Waugh stepped in for the 100m and 200m with Krishawn Aiken missing out injured while Kyle Alexander was in the 400m.

Alyson Bell took second place in the Women’s 100m with the best of the other individual track performances aside from McAulay’s win. Lois Garland and Hannah Cameron were debutants at 200m and 800m with Emily Craig again the 400m selection.

‘Teamwork makes the dream work’

Krishawn Aiken’s most significant contribution to the Scotland cause at the Loughborough International weekend didn’t last much longer than it takes him to complete 400m. OK, maybe 800m (if he ever runs the two-lap event).

30s. High jumper Jenna Hilditch is just 17 while Kirsty Law is 36. Yet their feelings about competing were not all that different.

‘I was just excited to be here so whatever I came away with, I was happy with,’ said Jenna, who cleared 1.67m after a 1.73 PB at Kilmarnock a week earlier.

‘I feel very honoured to be part of the team and I’m excited to be here and taking it all in. It’s a big learning experience.’

Kirsty, who threw in Inverness the week before, had considered not competing this time after countless Scotland call-ups. Feeling not totally ready in May, she duly changed her mind on withdrawing – and once again delivered full points with a discus win in 56.30m.

With spectacularly unfortunate timing, an injury which flared up on the Sunday morning cost the popular Kilbarchan AAC athlete the chance to compete in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m Relay.

Krishawn had been named as our Team Captain and, at the team meeting in the hotel on Saturday night, he addressed his fellow athletes.

‘Let’s really encourage and support each other to try and make this the best possible experience for everyone,’ he said, hitting a perfect note.

Athletics is (largely) a very individual sport. Support from coaches, fellow athletes and indeed the Governing Body, therefore, can be extremely helpful.

At Scottish Athletics we feel strongly the #SALtogether approach fits best for our sport in our country. Happily, there was plenty evidence of that at Loughborough.

‘Teamwork makes the dream work,’ grinned pole vaulter Reuben Nairne in our interview after a PB performance.

‘This is my second time representing Scotland senior-wise and to be with the team staying over and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Just to have the team around you, I think that had an impact on my performance.’

Reuben is in his early 20s and our team featured teenagers as well as those in their

‘I thought it over and asked myself ‘Why would I not represent Scotland?’. There was no real reason not to other than my own ego getting in the way. Who knows, this might be my last year so far better to pull on the vest than sit in the house.’

Nick Percy made it a discus double for Scotland and there was a second place for high jumper Will Grimsey and further performances from Bera Ajala and Alessandro Schenini in the jumps and Greg Millar in the javelin.

Teddy Tchoudja, with an excellent shot PB over 15m for the first time, and Dawn Russell were Senior Scotland debutants in the throws and Libby White likewise in the Triple Jump.

Photos by Bobby Gavin

By Peter Jardine

The excitement around the Emirates Arena was tangible. And this despite the stadium venue and the indoor season being some months distant –in both directions.

Yet the anticipation was genuine when a dozen of our selected athletes for the 2023 Loughborough International gathered in Glasgow.

The primary reason for that was kit distribution ahead of representing Scotland at the Paula Radcliffe Stadium a few days

later in the traditional early-season match. But we had also invited athletes to model the new Scotland kit supplied by Joma as we celebrated a further contract extension with our suppliers.

The athletes were eager and enthusiastic on the kit itself – with the new white tracksuit tops popular. This kit will be worn by those representing Scotland across all disciplines and indeed already has been in both track and field and hill running over this summer.

The new contract with the Spanish-based company will run for the next four years, through to the end of 2026, and thus takes in the next Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Role models roll up in

New kit deal to 2026

We first worked with Joma early in 2018, when we announced our initial agreement with the company.

That was extended later in the year through to 2022 and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, with Team Scotland athletes wearing Joma competition kit.

Discussions over recent months saw the partnership extend and that now runs from 2023-2026.

And such has been the popularity of the distinctive and high quality kit that more than 30 scottishathletics clubs now wear it via different designs.

‘We’re absolutely delighted to agree and

is great Sam Alsop of Joma is anked by (left) our Head of Performance Mark Pollard and Chief Executive Colin Hutchison

models in Joma great news for our sport

announce a contract extension with Joma,’ said scottishathletics chief executive, Colin Hutchison.

‘The new four-year deal takes us through to after the next Commonwealth Games and simply underlines and confirms our already strong relationship.

‘Scotland kit made by Joma has been really popular with athletes selected for representative honours across all the disciplines over the past few years.

‘I know athletes will be pleased to hear we will continue with Joma through to 2026 and the kit will be worn in track and field, cross country, Para athletics, hill running and ultra running.

‘The partnership further extends to kit for our 4J Studios National Athletics Academy, the Commonwealth Youth Games, the District XC Champs and Glasgow Jaguars.

‘We’re really looking forward to working with Joma to keep on delivering superb international kit for Scotland teams and to work with them to help the sport in other areas, too.

‘Between us we feel the partnership is crucial to help to maintain momentum and build growth in the sport in Scotland.’

Alberto López, General Manager of Joma: ‘We are delighted to continue our partnership with scottishathletics, with the last few years only highlighting the level of confidence and trust that exists between us.

Scotland athletes for Loughborough help model our new Joma kit at the Emirates Arena with Sam Alsop of Joma

Back row (L-R): Alexander Thomson, Ethan Pottie, Reuben Nairne, Krishawn Aiken, Murray Fotheringham, Finlay Waugh, Alessandro Schenini

Front row (L-R): Jane Davidson, Emily Craig, Sam Alsop (from Joma), Rachel Callan, Lois Garland and (inset) Jenna Hilditch

‘The support and belief maintained since the inception of our partnership is testament to both organisations, and we are positive that the partnership will only continue to strengthen.’

It remains to be seen how the white tracksuits survive the cross country season but, for one day in May, the Joma kit was certainly Simply the (Best) Vest.

Photos by Bobby Gavin

From Chariots of Fire to winning the ‘Holy Grail of Endurance’

The inside story on how Central AC, like head coach Derek Easton, went from walk-on part at the ERRA 12-Stage Road Relays to centre stage . . . and gold medals to cherish

By Katy Barden

Introduction

Central AC coach Derek Easton features in the iconic Chariots of Fire beach scene. He doesn’t play a leading role - more that of an extra - but his contribution is nonetheless significant.

Easton’s athletics role continues to be very much behind the scenes, but his impact remains substantial.

Central AC won their 12th consecutive Lindsays National XC senior men’s team golds in February, reinforcing the club’s domination of Scotland’s domestic scene. A month later they added golds at the National

Road Relays at Livingston.

‘I’ve always thought that if you are Scottish champions or doing well in Scotland, the next step is to go down and take part in English/British competition,’ says Easton.

‘It is about climbing the ladder. I’ve always had that attitude . . . if you are ambitious, you want to go down there and make your mark.’

On Saturday 15 April, at the English Road Running Association (ERRA) National 12-Stage Road Relays in Sutton Park, Birmingham, Central AC did just that. The first Scottish club to win the prestigious event, they finished in a course record time of 4:09.54.

This is the inside story.

History

‘I was fortunate enough to run it in the 1980s with Falkirk Vics and it made a huge impression on me,’ recalls Easton of his first experience of the famous ‘12-Stage’.

‘That day Seb Coe and Eamonn Martin were running. It was like a Who’s Who of distance running and it gave me such a buzz for six months plus. I got such a high from just being there and watching folk like that run. It’s a great venue and such a super atmosphere.’

Central’s first outing to the ERRA 12-Stage was 2009 where they finished 28th. Prior to 2023, their highest-placed finish was fourth (2014 and 2015). They were 10th in 2022.

Club stalwart Alastair Hay first ran the race

for his English club, Thames Valley Harriers, in 2008.

‘I think the older guys, the guys who’ve been in the sport a bit longer, maybe understand and appreciate the history behind the 12-Stage a bit more,’ says Hay.

‘You hear people talking about it, and you can compare your times to guys like Seb Coe, Steve Ovett and Alastair Hutton. Being part of the club, especially when you know something like that is coming up, it definitely gives you extra incentive to go out and train and push yourself.’

Selection

‘I made a list of 26 names that I felt were all good enough to be in the team, then I started to whittle them down,’ says Easton. ‘You’ve obviously got your top picks. So, there are the ones you definitely want in the team, like Andrew Butchart, Jamie Crowe, Ali Hay . . . there are quite a few of them now. I started approaching those lads and I was encouraged when both Jamie and Andrew were dead keen to do it. That has an impact on some of the younger ones too and makes them keener to take part in it.

‘I had an embarrassment of riches to be honest with you. We had a really strong squad to pick from and in lots of ways the team almost picked itself.’

Central’s Olympian Butchart was keen to play his part.

‘He sold it to me that the team was good,” says Butchart, recalling his conversation with Easton.

‘I feel like I owe Derek a lot. He did so much for me as a coach when I was younger, and the easiest repayment I could give him was to race and to represent Central and him. It was honestly a no-brainer; I was never not going to do it.’

Hay had been injured over the winter and was delighted to be given the opportunity to race.

‘I was quite happy just to get in the team,’ he says. ‘There were probably four or five guys, maybe more, who weren’t far off getting in the counting 12, so it’s quite competitive within the club.’

Tactics

‘Running order in my opinion is very important,’ says Easton.

‘I think you’ve got to weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of your athletes.

‘The race itself lasts over four hours so it’s a long time if someone gets a bit nervous before a race; I like to put those guys on early so they’re not hanging around burning up their nervous energy. Also, some runners are better at pushing themselves when they’re on their own than others, so I factored that into the running order as well.’

Based on the assumption that many opposition clubs would put their weaker runners out later in the race, Easton’s preference was to run his strongest runners on the long legs so they could move through

the field.

But with Hay having been injured over the winter and team-mate Hamish Hickeybronze medallist at the Lindsays National XC in Falkirk’ - managing a niggling Achilles, he saw it as a luxury that he could run them on short legs.

The final running order was Ben MacMillan, Dale Colley, Tom Graham-Marr, Matthew Sutherland, Cameron Milne, Luca Fanottoli, Alastair Hay, Calum Philip, Hamish Hickey, Andrew Butchart, Jamie Crowe, Alastair Marshall.

‘I like to have someone with a bit of a kick (on the final leg) just in case it comes down to that,’ says Easton. ‘He’s (20-year-old Marshall) had a year and a half of injuries and he was absolutely amazing for a young lad - he blew me away how he handled all of that.’

Chances

Having finished 10th in 2022 but only seven minutes behind the leaders - and without star athletes Butchart and that year’s Lindsays National XC champion Crowe - Easton was optimistic of Central’s podium chances ahead of the race.

‘You obviously need a lot of things to go well to actually win the race, but I was optimistic of getting a medal,’ he says.

‘I knew the team we were putting out was at least seven minutes faster than the team we had last year, and assuming everyone else was around the same standard, I knew we’d have a reasonable chance. I knew we’d have a reasonable chance, but with 12 people running, it doesn’t take much for things to go wrong.

Easton’s quiet confidence was balanced by Butchart’s absolute belief in the team.

‘Athletics is an individual sport and you have individual successes and individual downfalls . . . but to share that win with 12 lads and Derek was very special.’

17 scottishathletics

‘Even before I ran, I was pretty confident that if I just had an alright leg that we should be able to finish off strong,’ he says.

‘Because the race is so long and you’re talking to other teams - nobody is trying to hide cards, they were saying, ‘Our last guy isn’t that great’, or, ‘We’ve got two guys who are alright but one of them has had a little niggle or something like that.’ We were like, ‘We’ve got Jamie Crowe and he’s absolutely flying right now.’

‘So, overall, I felt ‘There’s no way we’re going to lose this.’

Hay’s pre-race thoughts were based on experience and pragmatism: ‘When we heard that Andrew and Jamie were running we knew we had a good chance, but it’s such a long race . . .’ he reflects.

‘I was confident we could medal but the prospect of winning it – I don’t think anyone was as confident as Andrew. But that’s Andrew!’

Like Hay, Cameron Milne has raced many ERRA Road Relays over the years and was conscious of the risk that comes with discounting other teams or athletes.’

‘I didn’t really know what to expect,’ he says. ‘I wasn’t sure whether we could win or not. A few of the other clubs asked about our last two long legs and they were like, ‘Who’s Jamie?’. We were like, ‘You don’t need to worry about Jamie, he’ll look after himself.’

Winning

Central AC won the ERRA Road Relays in

4:09:54. Highgate Harriers were second (4:10:38) and Kent AC third (4:10:50).

Easton executed a tactical masterclass and his athletes delivered. Butchart, Hay and Milne all agreed it was the most special of days.

‘Athletics is an individual sport and you have individual successes and individual downfalls . . . but to share that win with 12 lads and Derek, and a few of the boys who came down to watch, it was just so special to share it with other people,’ says Butchart.

‘With a lot of the top teams, they don’t necessarily train together. We had 12 guys and we see each other at least once a week. We all live within ten miles of each other, we all train together, we know each other’s families, we’re all mates. Central AC is a family and Derek has led that. It’s special.’

Hay says the club’s victory in Sutton Park was one of his biggest achievements.

‘It felt special, because there have been other times where we might have had 12 on paper, but it’s getting everyone out on the day fit and healthy,’ he says.

‘I think only in hindsight you realise we might not have that opportunity again. Also, being able to share it with everyone else and you realise how much it meant to Derek as well, I suppose it’s a combination of everything he’s put in over the years as well.’

Milne says: ‘It was one of those days that will live long in the memory. It’s one of my proudest achievements. I was out running over the winter with Hamish (Hickey) and I

remember saying that the one thing I wanted to do in running was to win a 12-Stage medal, I thought that would be really cool. So to win it was right up there with some of the best, or proudest, race results I’ve had. Easton reflects on Central’s success and how far they’ve come. He laughs about the first couple of years when the event administrators hadn’t even heard of the club, to the greatest of victories.

‘In recent times they have heard of us, so it’s less embarrassing,’ he says, in his typically understated manner.

‘I was just so pleased for them all and so proud of how they reacted and responded. It was quite nice (after we won), because there are Scottish people involved with some English clubs and they were straight across to congratulate us and they were cheering us at the prizegiving. It was a nice touch. I got lots of nice text messages too.’

He recalls one in particular, from fellow coach John Mackay of Shettleston Harriers.

‘I think John called it the ‘Holy grail of endurance’,’ he laughs.

From West Sands Beach in St Andrews to Sutton Park in Birmingham, Easton has been a key player.

No longer an extra, he’s now central to the storyline and utterly indispensable. Mackay was right; the National Road Relays trophy is the ‘Holy Grail of Endurance’. Now, deservedly, it’s Easton’s Oscar.

By Peter Jardine

He’s trained at altitude with the East Africans, raced to early-season PB performances and still makes time to run with a ‘training partner’ called Rocket.

Giffnock North athlete Duncan Robinson first crossed the radar of Scotland’s endurance community a couple of years ago as he made a late run to a GB and NI vest at 3000m for the European Junior Champs in Estionia.

It emerged Duncan was a convert from Canicross – running cross country with your dog on a short lead – where he had enjoyed significant success in his late teens.

With coaching support from experienced voices like Lynn Macdougall and Dudley Walker at Giffnock, the focus is now much more on athletics and the track times are starting to fall.

Indeed Duncan went close to eight minutes for 3000m when he won the A race at the GAA Miler Meet at Crownpoint on a sizzling Friday night in early June.

He’s still running with man’s best friend

– that is the aforementioned Rocket (a pointer-cross) – but only when the training programme allows.

‘It was a good run over 3000m in Glasgow and I took a decent chunk off my PB that night,’ said Duncan.

‘The improvement is coming from great coaching at Giffnock North – I have guidance from someone like Lynn Macdougall, herself an Olympian, and Dudley Walker. They show up week after week and make sure you want to come to training and to try and get faster.

‘It helps you push yourself hard. I am chipping away at times and that makes the work you are putting into training feel all worthwhile.

‘I ran for GB Juniors at the Europeans a couple of years ago. That was over 3000m and I had a solid run to qualify for the final in Estonia.

‘As it happened, I didn’t impact on the medals there but it was a good experience with a lot of learning to take away. Being selected and being at the Champs all helped me grow as an athlete.’

That was in the summer of 2021 with a strong run at Linwood opening the door for Duncan’s selection. That and a lot of miles with his dog.

‘My background is in Canicross. The dog –called Rocket – is still very much around and I am still running with him.

‘He’s full of energy and sometimes that gets me out the door for a few miles. We don’t Canicross right now because I am focused more on my athletics – be that road, track or cross country.

‘But whenever I can I do get out for a run with Rocket out at Shortlees Windfarm or on the trails.

‘I had been in Canicross for quite a few years. The family are involved. I started doing it more seriously around 16 or so and had a bit of success at 17 and 18. Then I made a bit of a transition to some track training and that was about three to four years ago. I like variety in my running.

‘The dog is another reason why I am improving! Rocket looks at me with those big sad eyes as if to say ‘Can we get out for a run?’ So you could call it a team effort.’

The Robinson team effort also includes strength and conditioning training from Colin Thomas, who won our Development Coach of the Year award in 2022, and some East African influences, too.

‘The winter before last, I was out in Kenya with Colin Thomas,’ added Duncan.

‘We went out for a month to train with some athletes there. It was a great experience.

‘It takes a while to get used to altitude at first – I was tired a lot for the first week. But you get used to it and also it takes a while to see the effects when you are back down at sea level. There are some good connections between Kenya and Scotland and a few guys have been out there for training trips.

‘There is really good competition in endurance in Scotland at the moment and that can work for everyone to help us improve.’

Very few of them have a pointer-cross for company, however.

‘When Rocket looks at me with those big sad eyes then I know he wants to go out for a run’ Duncan Robinson

Duncan Robinson

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If you use our services, we will give 15% of our final fee for any work undertaken by us back to your club.

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Siobhan still chasing her very own PERSONAL BEST

By Katy Barden

Siobhan Coleman had caught her friends’ attention. ‘Aw behave yourself,’ they laughed in response, echoing the reaction of many others before them.

The truth was that cancer was slowly killing her. It was summer 2019 and Coleman had started to experience significant back pain. She was already struggling to manage breathing issues that had caused her to collapse midway through the Lindsays

National XC at Falkirk earlier that year, and she had no idea what was wrong.

‘I’d be running, then I suddenly couldn’t breathe. It was like I was being choked,’ explains the former Scotland international and multiple national age-group champion.

One month later she ran for Linlithgow AC at the National Road Relays. While she was still looking for answers, she didn’t collapse and was delighted to run quicker than the previous year. The sporadic nature of her condition was adding to the problem’s complexity.

By the time the back pain started, her breathing issues were getting more serious.

She was told she was attempting sessions that she wasn’t fit enough for, but she knew that wasn’t the case.

As a massage therapist she knew it wasn’t just back pain, and it wasn’t related to stress or irritable bowel syndrome or any of the other suggestions made by experts. It worsened quickly and soon became allconsuming. Yet nonetheless she ran a PB of 18 minutes at the Scottish 5km Champs in Edinburgh in May 2019.

There were glimmers of hope, but the bad days were getting worse.

In summer 2021, after months of unusual and heavy bleeding, Coleman was eventually told she had cancer.

‘They said to me, ‘You’ve been ill for a really long time.’ I was like, ‘No!’ (in a sarcastic tone). I’d just gone three years with people telling me there was nothing wrong with me, that I was hysterical, that I wasn’t fit enough, that it was in my head, and in that moment I was like, ‘I don’t believe you’. The gynae (gynaecologist) was like, ‘I don’t even know how you’re standing up’.

‘At follow-up appointments I tried to get more of an understanding - how has this been missed, why has no one believed me? They tried to explain that typically cervical cancer doesn’t have symptoms until it’s end-stage. I

‘I think I might be dying.’

‘I’ve not come this far with cervical cancer to sit in a corner and cry all day. I won’t let it beat me. I am learning what my new body can and can’t do. And I am loving running again.’

Falkirk’s Callendar Park course played host to the 2019 Lindsays National XC but it was a grim day for Siobhan Coleman, who collapsed . (Right) Siobhan as a teenager. (Photo by Gordon Gillespie)

was like, ‘Hold on a minute . . . ’

‘They reckon for the size of my tumour it was there for at least ten years. I was 32 when I was diagnosed, so it would have been lurking about when I was 22. I absolutely had symptoms. I had generalised abdomen pain that would come and go. And I was so tired all the time.

‘You’re trying to go to uni; you’re trying to run; trying to do a part-time job, of course you’re tired all the time, you make excuses, you try to rationalise it, but it just got worse and worse. It was a fatigue I can’t describe and it just wouldn’t shift.’

Coleman was treated quickly, receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy in September 2021 which reduced the tumour from around 6cm to 5cm, then brachytherapy - a ‘roll of the dice’ due to the minimal reduction of the tumour from the initial treatment - which turned out to be hugely successful.

The brachytherapy, a type of internal radiation used to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumours, was traumatic – ‘The only way I can describe it is medieval torture,’ she says - but it undoubtedly saved her life. After three sessions, the tumour shrunk to 2cm.

Devastatingly, a scan and follow-up biopsy in February 2022 showed that the tumour had started to grow again. She was called into hospital in the May to discuss her results.

With no surgery, she was told she’d be dead by Christmas. With surgery - total pelvic exenteration rather than the hysterectomy she had mentally prepared for - she had a chance of seeing out the year.

‘I was like, ‘These are not options! You’re telling me I will be dead or I might be dead,’ she says.

‘I left that meeting saying I wasn’t going to do that surgery. They painted a really bleak outcome, so I went home and I told my family I wasn’t doing it. I was going to live hard and fast for as long as I could.’

But, by the next morning, thanks to the positive power of social media, she had changed her mind. She had posted on a Facebook cancer group and was soon in contact with people from all over the world. Their collective experiences helped her make the life-changing decision to go ahead.

The total pelvic exenteration took place in June 2022. In Coleman’s case, this meant removing her full reproductive system, in addition to her bladder and bowel for which she now has two stoma bags. She’s also been sewn completely shut so that what’s left of her organs can’t ‘fall’ out, while internally, a ‘shelf’ has been built to prevent other organs dropping down into her empty pelvis.

Although she struggled from fatigue, she returned to work in November (2022) and had built up to a three-mile run by December. At 30 weeks post-surgery, she finished an impressive 28th at the East District Cross Country League race in Bathgate.

Returning to the Lindsays National XC at Falkirk in February (where she finished 65th) was an emotional reminder of her collapse at the same venue four years earlier. In April, the National Road Relays in Livingston provided another step forward.

Her most incredible post-surgery run to date came at the Scottish 5k Championships at Silverknowes, Edinburgh on 5 May 2023.

‘I’d run 18 minutes flat pre-illness, so to run 18:35 . . . The time differential is just not reflective of what I’ve been through,’ she reflects.

Coleman’s prognosis is good, although there’s nothing else that can be done if the cancer returns.

‘That’s the reality of it,’ says the 34-year-old who is now in surgical menopause due to her treatment.

‘But I’ve not come this far just to sit in a corner and cry all day. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a stubborn wee besom and I’m not going to let this beat me.

‘It’s so important to remember that you are the expert in your own body. It doesn’t matter what a textbook says or what a professional says, if you know it’s not normal for you, you have to advocate for yourself. I now feel refreshed as a person because I’m living my life pain free and I’m enjoying running again.

‘Now I’m slowly learning what my new body can and can’t do. The way I look at is if I can run 18-flat (5k) when I’m dying, what can I do when I’m no longer dying? What is possible?’

Photo by Gordon Gillespie

scottishathletics

Long running story on the road to

Scotland debut at 100k

Candid Amanda bravely opens up on how she wrestled with anorexia and sepsis . . . but met those battles head on. And won.

By John Lenehan

‘My legs were destroyed but I kept running and didn’t give up . . . ‘

Edinburgh AC athlete Amanda Woodrow has won battles with anorexia and sepsis in the past, so when the going got tough at the 2023 Anglo-Celtic Plate 100km road race, nothing was going to stop her . . .

The ACP event, seen by many as the pinnacle of UK and Irish ultra-endurance running, features international-level teams from Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The annual event rotates around different venues in the UK and Ireland, and was held this year in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, in April.

Woodrow, a 34-year old psychology researcher and qualified athletics coach, originally from Fife, long-time resident of Edinburgh, and now based in the Borders, was making her debut at the 100k distance and representing Scotland for the first time.

She completed the race in a time of 8 hours

and 39 minutes, finishing fifth overall and second Scottish female. Along with her Scottish team-mates Emma Murray (8:26) from jogscotland Kintore, and Portobello RC’s Catherine Cowie (8:52), the Scotland women’s team were triumphant, returning home with the famous ACP trophy.

Selection for the Scotland team followed Woodrow winning the 2022 Scottish 50k road race championships, clocking an impressive time of 3 hours and 47 minutes.

She had also competed successfully in several other ultra-marathons, run the West Highland Way three times, and completed an epic Land’s End to John O’Groats running challenge.

However, the 100km Anglo-Celtic Plate race didn’t go exactly to plan for Woodrow, in what were unusually warm conditions in Northern Ireland.

‘It was an early start and the first half of the race was fine, I went through halfway in under 4 hours,’ she said.

‘But in the second 50k, when it warmed up, I got a bit of heatstroke and sunburn. I started being sick and couldn’t keep any nutrition down. With 15k to go I was destroyed, but I kept running and didn’t give up.

‘It wasn’t the performance I had trained for and hoped for, but I’m delighted to have finished. It was an incredible experience, and to win the Anglo-Celtic Plate with my Scotland team-mates was amazing!’

No stranger to adversity, Woodrow has battled back from a number of difficult and life-threatening situations, making it all the more remarkable that she is now ultrarunning at international level.

She started out as a promising 800m and 1500m track runner as a junior and young adult and competed all over the UK and Europe. But in the early years of her athletics career, Woodrow suffered from anorexia which subsequently brought on a number of serious injuries. Sadly, she was eventually hospitalised.

‘I realise now that back then I was overtraining and under-fuelling myself,’ she reflected, with admirable candour.

‘It wasn’t sustainable, my body and mind were gradually deteriorating, and eventually I reached breaking point.

‘Building back to health was a tough journey. I know now that it’s vital for athletes of all ages, but particularly for young and developing athletes, to fuel their bodies well.

‘I know now that it’s vital for athletes of all ages, but particularly for young and developing athletes, to fuel their bodies well.

‘It’s good to see that nowadays there is much more awareness about eating disorders and RED-S (Relative Energy De ciency in Sport). Sports clubs and coaches seem to have more knowledge and awareness.’

Amanda Woodrow

‘It’s good to see that nowadays there is much more awareness about eating disorders and RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). Sports clubs and coaches seem to be a lot more mindful of the issue. It’s so important.’

Woodrow battled back from anorexia and RED-S, and got her life and athletics career back on track, taking to road racing as well as track running. She also became an ambassador and volunteer for Beat (an eating disorders charity), began a PhD, and continued with her athletics coaching role.

But this hard-won stability was shattered by a freak case of sepsis, brought on by a routine injection, which left her fighting for her life in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

‘Sepsis happens when your body’s immune

system overreacts to an infection, causing serious damage to your organs and tissues,’ she explained.

‘Generally, people don’t realise how serious sepsis is. You deteriorate very quickly and it’s life-threatening. It completely destroyed one of my glute muscles, there’s not much left of it now, but I consider myself lucky.

‘I had a lot of rehabilitation work to do, but I was so determined to get back to running, it’s what I love to do and it really gave my recovery a focus.’

Woodrow persevered with her recovery and rehabilitation, and duly completed her PhD.

But she could never have imagined that within a few years she would be representing Scotland at the 100k distance.

‘I was left with a massive imbalance because the sepsis basically ravaged my entire left glute and I soon realised my body wouldn’t be able to handle the intensity of track running and shorter road races,’ she said.

‘So I started back running slowly, I gradually built up my strength, and I found I was enjoying building up to longer distances. But running for Scotland in the Anglo-Celtic Plate 100km race is beyond anything I thought I could achieve in athletics!.’

Edinburgh AC coach Alex MacEwen has spoken highly of Woodrow’s achievements and contribution to athletics in Scotland.

He said: ‘Amanda has been with our club for nearly 20 years and has competed at every distance, on the track, road, trails and hills, from local parkruns to European track championships to international 100k events.

‘She doesn’t just win medals but also wins total respect from everyone. She has built up a great knowledge of the sport which she passes on to others through her coaching and contributions to discussions on diet

and body image. And she’ll always give you a smile and a wave as she runs gracefully past!’

Woodrow has proven her resilience many times, but could be forgiven for putting her feet up for a while in the aftermath of her ACP exploits.

However, she is already looking to the future, intending to run the 42-mile ‘Devil o’ the Highlands’ race in August, and then the Valencia Marathon in December.

She also has unfinished business with the 100km distance.

‘I know I can do better in the 100k. I learned a lot from my first attempt, and I know I am capable of a much faster time. So I would really love to go back and give the distance another go, and do myself justice.

‘I also hope that my first Scotland vest won’t be my last!’

For further information on the issues raised in this article, please refer to the following websites:

www.red-s.com

www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

www.sepsisresearch.org.uk

Amanda Woodrow

Sole to soul

By Michael Houston

Anewly-crowned Scottish national champion has thanked running for improving his life . . . after spending his traumatic childhood in a broken home and losing both of his parents.

John Bell claimed a cherished gold medal for the first time in his career at the Scottish 10K Championships in Glasgow in May some

eight years after taking up the sport.

That win came only a few weeks after two other podium places in National Championship events. John was third at the Scottish 10-Mile Champs at Strathclyde Park in early April and ended the month with another bronze – this time on the track in the Scottish 10,000m Champs (when he won a photo-finish with Ryan Thomson of Cambuslang Harriers).

John, now 31, started his hobby by running

home with friends from his job at Amazon and the Gourock man joined his local club, Inverclyde Athletic Club, back in 2015.

It was his first job after his mother’s passing, who died when he was just 21. A year earlier, his estranged father – who served time in prison – had died, too.

John discovered the body of his mother just before Christmas and one of her parting gifts already wrapped was a pair of running trainers, which he wore a few months later at the Edinburgh Marathon. He completed that particular race in under four hours while raising money for Help For Heroes.

Reflecting back on his childhood as part of the Athletics Trust Scotland ‘Transforming Lives’ series, John noted the troubles he had from a young age in his family, effectively growing up in a life of poverty.

‘We came from very little and through our time had numerous building and house fires,’ he recalled.

‘One of those actually left us needing to be rescued out the window by local fire services.

Evicted, orphaned and with alcohol issues as a teenager, how Inverclyde AC athlete John Bell found solace in his shoes and out on the road

‘I had been taken to the police station in handcuffs by age nine and we had a break-in on Christmas Day.

‘Eventually we were evicted; my mum with her own struggles vanished on the day of the eviction which left me to move into my sister’s house and stay on a sofa in a onebedroom flat with too many occupants.’

Later, John’s mother attempted to end her life, but made a full recovery to continue raising her children up until her eventual death.

Following a brief spell in the Armed Forces as a communications system operator at the age of 16, John returned home earlier than expected due to family circumstances and lived between the homes of his mother and his future wife, Nicola.

Losing his mother was the ‘final straw mentally’, he said, thanking Nicola and her family for their support during that period.

‘My mental and physical state at this point were not great,’ added John.

‘I ended up getting therapy as I couldn’t handle my own thoughts and was pushing everyone away from me in various ways.’

Meeting brothers John and Stephen Cooke, two local runners, at Amazon reignited his interest in athletics and soon he tried the local Parkrun in Greenock, recording an impressive time of 17 minutes 28 seconds.

‘I got some attention after this and started running a little bit more and this is really where my journey in athletics properly started,’ explained John.

‘I was in a better place physically and running helped, but I was still not a good mental place.

‘Running became a way for me to channel

my pain into a positive manner. It became a huge crutch in my life and I wouldn’t be the same person I am today if I hadn’t put on my running shoes.’

Having had his own problems with alcohol as a teenager, John has now been sober for a decade and married his childhood sweetheart Nicola last year. He now works as a personal trainer in Greenock.

Through the support of his wife, his family and the sporting community, John claimed his first Scottish title at the Shettleston Babcock 10k race at Glasgow Green in May and has ambitions to win a senior Scotland

vest in road running to help complete his remarkable personal journey.

‘In my 20s, between running and a support network of amazing people I had/have around me, I started to get more serious as a runner,’ he said.

‘I continued to put in the hard work not just for times but for my own mental well-being.

‘The running community is full of selfless and like-minded individuals that will support and cheer you on no matter the weather or your position in the race. It is great to part of that community in Scotland.’

*John’s story was told through Athletics Trust Scotland, a charity focused on making athletics more accessible across the nation’s most underrepresented groups, including those with a disability, those in poverty and people from culturally or ethnically diverse backgrounds through the ‘Transforming Lives Project’.

‘I put in the hard work running – not just for times, but for my mental well-being’ John Bell

John with fellow 10,000m track medallist Jamie Burns and Michael Ferguson after (below, left) photo nish with Ryan Thomson (photos by Bobby Gavin)

Like mother, like daughter

By Katy Barden

Meghan Porterfield, the

Scottish U17 record holder in discus and shot, is talented and wise beyond her years.

A first-year U20 with an already impressive CV, she could be forgiven for setting grand goals and assuming a sense of entitlement. In reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

‘My top goal for this season is to be mentally consistent, relaxed and confident in competition, and I think once we’ve got that nailed, technique and distances will come,’ says the VP-Glasgow and Glasgow Jaguars thrower.

In a world of social media highlights and skewed perspectives, her honesty and pragmaticism is welcome.

While she’s working hard to adjust to a new age group with heavier implements and higher standards, her mum, Mhairi Porterfield, is working hard to stay ahead of her daughter in the rankings.

‘That definitely keeps me motivated,’ laughs the 42-year-old who is also a multiple

Scottish champion, former National U20 record holder and represented Scotland in the hammer at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

‘I know it’s coming . . . it’s just trying to keep ahead of her as long as I can.’

Both athletes are now coached by Alison Grey, a former Scottish record holder herself who represented Scotland at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.

‘At first it was about finding our ground and seeing what kind of relationship we had as coach and athlete,’ says Meghan, who first linked up with Alison in 2021.

‘Now we’ve developed a good relationship and the progress is showing in 2023. Obviously it’s not all gone perfectly, but you can see that there’s lots of potential.

‘We made the drastic move of changing my shot put technique completely after the indoor season. I’ve gone from linear - shifting across the circle - to rotational. That’s been a huge adjustment, but I think if I want to progress my career and eventually reach the distances and standards that I want to meet, I’d have had to make that change eventually.

‘I’m adjusting to the technique pretty well. We’re showing great potential in training, I think we just need consistency and to make that transition from training to competition. That’s a mental change as well because I’m still finding my feet (as an U20).’

Meghan was inspired to throw by her mum who was, and continues to be, her role model. Mhairi was also inspired by her mum, Isobel Walters, who started out in athletics as a coach before becoming an accomplished Masters thrower. Even after she received a liver transplant in 2017 she continued to excel, winning two silver medals at the 2022 British Transplant Games.

‘When I was younger my mum found me coaches and took me to every training session that she could,’ says Mhairi.

‘When coaches came up from down south she took me to see them and threw me in at the deep end. She took me to see Alan Bertram when I couldn’t even turn with a hammer.

‘I’m definitely still enjoying it. We’ve got so many youngsters coming through now which it’s great, and if I’m being realistic, I think this will be the first year that I‘ve done the Scottish champs that I’m not going to be on the podium but that’s good for thing for throwing in Scotland.’

Domestically, while she welcomes the improving standard in Scottish women’s shot put particularly, Mhairi would still like to sneak a place on the podium at the national championships.

She is also aiming for the British Masters Championships in September, a competition she hopes her own mum will also compete in, with a longer-term international goal of competing at a future European or World Masters Championships.

Meghan, who has just finished school, is planning a gap year in before going to university. Her focus is on achieving long-term goals rather than to fixate on immediate success.

‘Ultimately I want to go to the States for the throwing programme and athletics side of it,’ she says.

‘I feel like it’s a necessary step I need to take towards reaching my potential.

‘I always think of progression, where I’m at right now and where I want to be in the next few years.

‘It would be nice to have a PB further than my mum, at some stage.

‘To be selected for the 2026 Commonwealth Games would be amazing, but I’m just going to work really hard for the next few years to try and reach my potential and see where that takes me.’

Making it happen at the Sharp end

Natalie Sharp, 21, is an athletics enthusiast who made an early commitment to coaching and now guides eager U11s at Kilmarnock Harriers. Natalie is also a strong voice on our Young People’s Forum. She spoke to Katy Barden.

Natalie Sharp describes her coaching style as ‘strict but fair’.

It’s a mature assessment from the 21-yearold Kilmarnock Harriers U11s coach.

‘Sometimes I like to play the bad cop,’ she says. ‘But I also like to have time in the session where I feel like I can be a kid with them, because there’s not that much of an age difference.

‘We play games, we have laughs – and they’ve got the biggest smiles on their faces - but they’ve got to get their session done first and they all understand that.’

Sharp’s introduction to coaching came during her third year at secondary school when she was working towards her Duke of Edinburgh bronze award.

Through East Ayrshire Leisure, she started volunteering at children’s Run, Jump, Throw sessions where she supported paid coaches:

‘I was mainly doing the toilet run (acting as a chaperone),’

she laughs, but it didn’t put her off. ‘I just got hooked. When I finished my bronze Duke of Edinburgh an opportunity came up for a paid role as a coach within the leisure trust, so I went for it.’

After two years of delivering Run, Jump, Throw, Sharp began coaching with Kilmarnock Harriers in her late-teens and was put through her coaching assistant qualification. Since January 2023, and with the assistance of more experienced Level 2 coaches, she is now head coach for the club’s U11s and will soon complete her own Level 2 qualification.

Her transition from Run, Jump, Throw to athletics club coaching, and to a lesser extent from athlete to coach, has resulted in a complete shift in her emotions.

‘At the Harriers (compared to RJT), there are kids who want to compete, they want to PB, and they want to win medals,’ she says.

‘They also want to run on a track where elite athletes have run. When we’re at the Emirates, they’re like, ‘Who’s run here?’.

‘Seeing the kids happy makes me happy. It can be stressful, I won’t lie, but just seeing them compete in an arena that’s hosted global indoor events . . . then they’ll come off the track and say, ‘I’ve just run on the same track as Mo Farah - I can go to school and tell all my friends that!’’

Sharp is competitive. She has taken part in a range of events since first competing for Kilmarnock Harriers as an U11, but this year has proven to be a period of reflection.

‘I was at Grangemouth . . . and I hadn’t been at Grangemouth since I last competed there, and it felt like quite a shift,’ she admits.

‘You realise you can come so far within the sport but still have an impact.’

That impact extends beyond track and field. Having joined the committee at Kilmarnock Harriers as their youngest member in the summer of 2022, Sharp is already experiencing positive change including greater awareness and recognition from the club’s older members.

Additionally, having approached scottishathletics Head of Development David Fallon to explore placement opportunities while at university, she is now active on the Young People’s Forum, a group set up to focus on mental health and clubs’ retention of young athletes, working in partnership with stakeholders such as the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) and sportscotland.

‘I feel like it’s a motivation to stay in the club

Natalie pitches in with club coaching role and as key voice in our Young People’s Forum

Natalie on our YPF Forum panel (L-R) with Paul Forbes, Derek Rae, compere Jess Robson, Diane Ramsay and Annabel Simpson

for a younger person,’ she says.

‘If they are an U13 athlete and they know someone like me on the committee - and I’ve got a good relationship with the majority of the athletes that go to competitions and compete regularly - and if they see me as a person they can go and talk to as a friend, I think that helps. I hope it gives them the motivation to stay in the sport, because they know they’re going to get constant support no matter what.

‘I feel that’s really important for athletes, especially for their mental health aspect as they get older.’

The Young People’s Forum meets quarterly. Amongst other things, it discusses how it can impact clubs.

‘One of our members set up a buddy system within their club for younger people coming in, and those sorts of initiatives have gone down really well,’ says Sharp, with other YPF members having taken up courses to train as an Official.

‘It is giving the young people within the sport a voice to speak to those at the top of the sport.’

There is no textbook route into coaching, but Sharp has been proactive with every move. A sports coaching and development graduate, she has most recently been selected to be part of Scottish Club Sport’s Young Persons’ Working Group.

‘Make it happen,’ is her advice to those who are considering a move into coaching.

‘Speak to someone that you know who can get you involved as quickly as possible and find something you enjoy doing. This sport runs on volunteers. So the more volunteers we have, the better the sport is going to be as a whole.’

90 years young 75 with his club

For many reasons, we’re not in the habit of celebrating birthdays on the Scottish Athletics channels. There are too many to mention!

But we made something of an exception in May and more than happy to do so again here given the extraordinary achievement - and commitment to our sport - of a Kilmarnock Harriers (and athletics in Scotland) legend.

Jim Young has turned 90 and thus also toasted a truly remarkable 75 years with his club.

Kilmarnock Harriers hosted a series of celebrations including the Jim Young 5k and a celebratory presentation lunch with 80 guests.

Jim is still coaching and became an Honorary Life Member of Scottish Athletics as long ago as 2008. It is brilliant to hear his legacy will now include a Junior Athlete Grant Fund to help emerging athletes in East Ayrshire.

Jim savoured it all in fine style and later posted the following message . . .

‘I have just about recovered from Sunday - one of the most memorable days of my life.

‘That’s now 90 years long of course and 75 of those have been spent as a member of this amazing club - a huge thank you

from the bottom of my heart to all the members (friends) for making this day truly special.

‘I was delighted to:

*Host the Jim Young Big Breakfast Run.

*Present race awards and special awards to Donald McIntosh and Connell Drummond

*Enjoy lunch with friends and a giant birthday cake

‘I want to say a special thank you to our events manager Ian Gebbie and his cohorts Kate Todd, Lindsay McMahon, Alisdair Murray and Laura Haggarty for making it all happen.

‘Thank you, too, for the club gifts - flowers for Morrie, vintage Jim Young wine and special box topping it all off with the launch of the Jim Young Junior Athlete Grant Fund and thank you for all the individual birthday gifts and best wishes.’

Just as inspiring for us all is that while Jim is very special indeed to Kilmarnock Harriers, we are acutely aware that many of our clubs are founded on dedicated individuals of a similar ilk.

Truly #PeopleMakeAthletics . . .

‘You realise you can come so far within the sport but still have an impact.’