PB magazine - Issue 3, 2022

Photos: Bobby Gavin, Mark Shearman, British Athletics/Getty Images, European Athletics, Getty Images/World Athletics

Contributors: David Ovens, Kyle Greig, Katy Barden, Daniel Rees (The Press and Journal), Susan Egelstaff (The Herald)

Advertisers: Lindsays, Joma Sport, Tru Wealth, Athletics Trust Scotland, Inverness Half Marathon

Interviewees: Jake Wightman, Laura Muir, Eilish McColgan, Nicole Yeargin, Sean Frame, Samantha Kinghorn, Beth Dobbin, Zoey Clark, Jill Cherry, Mark Gallacher, Stacey Downie, Don McLeod, Kirsty Dickson, Brodie Young Clubs: Cambuslang Harriers, Law and District AAC, Edinburgh AC, Carnethy HRC

FRONT

PHOTOS: Jake Wightman at the World Champs (photo by Getty Images for World Athletics); Eilish McColgan at Commonwealth Games (photo by Bobby Gavin); Laura Muir in Munich (Daniel Kopatsch for European Athletics)

Nicole Yeargin in action at the World Champs (photo by Getty Images for British Athletics)

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

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

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 07931 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

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

Susan Nisbet Finance Administrator 07801 634198 nance@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

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

Angie Sutherland Welfare Administrator 07393 674262 pvg@scottishathletics.org.uk

Cara Shearer National Club Manager 07508 317606 Cara.shearer@scottishathletics.org.uk

Mark Nixon National Manager – Endurance Mark.nixon@scottishathletics.org.uk 07568 226992

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

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

Allan Hamilton Performance Co-ordinator; National Jumps & Combined Events Co-ordinator 07957 577915 performanceteam@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 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

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

As I am writing this column, we have just finished the Annual General Meeting for 2022.

The AGM provides an opportunity for our members to come together and reflect on the successes of the previous year, while looking forward to the season ahead.

In particular, it provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution to our sport of a wide range of volunteers.

This year, we said goodbye to Alison Johnstone, who has stepped down from the scottishathletics Board after eight years in the post.

Despite having a high-profile job as Presiding Officer at the Holyrood Parliament, Alison has nonetheless been an active participant at our board and strategy meetings, and I have benefitted from her counsel over the past year, as I have settled in to the role of Chair.

We also said hello and welcome to Chuxx Onyia, who joins the Board and brings a strong commercial background as well as his perspective as one of our top jumps athletes in recent years.

We also welcomed back Eilidh Doyle, who agreed to serve for a second term on the board and will continue to provide the perspective of an elite athlete (albeit recently retired) to our Board discussions.

All of these individuals are giving their time as volunteers, without remuneration, and I am grateful to them for that.

The AGM also approved the appointment of Sandra Hardacre, Liz Wilder and John Rodger as Honorary Life Members. Each of these individuals has been involved with athletics for over 50 years and has given outstanding voluntary service to the sport across officiating, coaching and club service.

While Sandra, Liz and John have given a whole lifetime of service to athletics, I have been immensely encouraged to see so many young people starting out their volunteering journey and taking their first steps onto the coaching ladder, by enrolling for the coaching assistant qualification.

I was pleased to see the likes of Euan Cunningham, one of our top young sprinters and his dad Billy, of Falkirk Victoria Harriers, announcing that they had completed the course.

I am also pleased to say that many of the young athletes that I coach have also now completed the course. It is so important for the future of our sport in Scotland to have the next generation of coaches learning and developing their own skills by working with our established club coaches.

It is of course important that there are development opportunities for coaches at all stages in their careers and that is something which the team at scottishathletics will be focusing on in the months ahead.

As we look forward to the winter season, it is worth taking a brief moment to look back on the successes of this summer (and indeed much of this issue of PB is given over to those reflections).

As Chair, I had the privilege of being at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and witnessing the extraordinary performance of our Scottish athletes. It was a fantastic Games for our athletics team with two golds (Eilish McColgan and Laura Muir), two silvers (Sean Frame and Eilish McColgan) and four bronzes (Jake Wightman, Laura Muir, Samantha Kinghorn and the Women’s 4x400m team).

The atmosphere in Birmingham was excellent and our athletes were getting great support from the crowds. It goes without saying that our athletes and their coaches deserve great credit for what has been achieved.

There were also 21 qualified Officials from Scotland who were selected to officiate and who deserve a great deal of credit for their part in what was an incredible week of athletics.

However, I also want to record my thanks to the team at scottishathletics, who made a really important contribution to our success.

I witnessed first hand how hard they were all working to support our athletes and coaches and to deliver timely and insightful communications.

The workload was unrelenting and despite the fact that most of it was ‘behind the scenes’ and out of the public eye, it was a hugely important factor in the success of the week.

Well done to all of the team at scottishathletics with Team Scotland.

At the end of October, we will have the opportunity to come together at our 4J Annual Dinner and awards ceremony to celebrate the summer of success and to say thank you once again to the volunteers who make our sport so wonderful in Scotland.

I very much look forward to seeing you there.

New coaches coming into our sport are as important as our elite medals in 2022

Athlete voices: new recruit Chuxx Onyia and Eilidh Doyle, four more years

David Ovens Chair Scottish Athletics

Ten for Thailand

The World Mountain and Trail Running Champs are coming up next month - and there’s a very strong Scottish cohort headed for Thailand.

No fewer than 10 Scottish athletes are picked in the overall GB and NI team of 35, who will head for the event in Chiang Mai on November 3-6.

Following the competitive mountain running trials in the Lake District and Scotland in September, full mountain running teams for the senior uphill only and up-and-down and the junior up-and-down races were announced.

In the Trail event, the Scots involved are Catriona Graves, Meryl Cooper and Americabased Ryan Smith.

In the Mountain Running event, the Scots involved at Senior level are Scout Adkin

cottish athletes and coaches were prominent among the winners when Scottish Disability Sport staged their annual awards for 2022.

And we were delighted to celebrate with Birmingham 2022 silver medallist, Sean Frame, as he won one of the top accolades.

In all, there were four winners from Para track and field which was a good representation in a very strong year for Para athletes in Scotland across a range of sports.

Athletics Trust Scotland are delighted to announce sponsorship support for the scottishathletics Young People’s Forum.

The Young People’s Forum was a national group established late in 2021 to give young people in athletics a platform and voice in all aspects of the planning, development, and delivery of the sport in Scotland.

(pictured), Holly Page, Jacob Adkin, Andy Douglas, Sasha Chepelin and Ross Gollan.

And Fraser Gilmour joins those athletes at Junior level in the men’s team for up-anddown race.

It’s an excellent reflection on hard work by Scottish athletes and coaches over a number of years in off-road competition.

We offer our warm congratulations to all athletes and their families, coaches and clubs on being selected for World Champs action.

In addition to those 10 Scots, Welsh athlete Kristian Jones is based in Scotland, too, and is picked for the 40k race in the World Trail event.

Scout Adkin was an individual bronze medallist at the 2022 European Off-Road

Running Championships and is joined by Holly Page for both the uphill event and the up and down event.

Jacob Adkin, the 2019 European uphill only champion, is once again part of the senior men’s quartet for the uphill race.

Joining the experienced Andy Douglas in the Senior Men’s up and down team are two athletes who will make their GB and NI debuts: Sasha Chepelin (Carnethy), a regular in the GB orienteering team, and Ross Gollan (Shettleston Harriers).

Sean leads four winners at SDS Awards

S‘I was pleased to attend the SDS Annual Awards and AGM and it has been a very exciting 2022 for Para sport in Scotland,’ said Pamela Robson, our National Disability Pathway Officer.

‘Sean won one of the main awards and that was great to see because the competition was strong with other medallists from the Commonwealths. Sean’s performance in Birmingham was such a strong one and a real highlight.

‘I was also pleased to see awards for Adam Donnachie, Graham Harvey and Ruth Watson.’

The SDS Award winners for athletics were as follows:

Now ATS will support the YPF and contribute to costs associated with the ongoing running of the forum including the first ATS Young People’s Forum National Conference due to take place in spring 2023.

‘We are delighted to become partners with the Young People’s Forum,’ said Graeme Jack, Chair of the ATS Trustees.

‘The initial funding contributing from ATS will go toward the to the costs associated with their conference in March 2023.’

ATS Forum lead member Erin Gillen said: ‘Our two main aims are to look at the retention of athletes in the sport as there

Sean Frame: The Findlay Calder Trophy presented to the SDS Athlete of the Year

Adam Donnachie: The Russell Hogg Bursary is supported by the Russell Hogg Trust which aims to encourage participation and proved financial support for international athletes

Graham Harvey (Forth Valley Flyers) – the Community Champion Trophy recognises an individual or organisation who has gone above and beyond to support the development of Para sport in their local community

Ruth Watson (Aberdeen AAC) – The Russell Hogg Trophy celebrating Development Coach of the Year.

is a high drop out around the age of 16/17 years old and also look at mental health within the young athletes of our sport.

‘Support from ATS for our Conference helps us plan for that event which will look at these aspects among others.’

scottishathletics assists the YPF via ongoing input and guidance from National Club Manager, Lindsay McMahon, and Equalities Officer, Francesca Snitjer.

ATS and the Transforming Lives project – see pages 34-35

Callum sets sights on marathon return

Callum Hawkins has never been lacking when it comes to ambition as two fourth place finishes at the World Champs in 2017 and 2019 testify.

And the marathon runner’s hopes have not been blunted by injury setbacks over the past couple of years.

Callum continued his ‘racing-back-to-fitness’ campaign with gold in the Tru Wealth Scottish Half Marathon Champs by winning the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow.

Them, as he reflected watching Scottish success from the sidelines over the summer, he confirmed he retains real hopes of making headlines again at elite level.

‘I’ve never really been that much of a spectator when it comes to athletics but I have watched it a bit more over the past couple of years when I’ve been rehabilitating or not training because of injury,’ said Callum, who had surgery earlier in 2022 on a foot problem.

‘As a marathon runner I could only have raced one of the champs this summer (Worlds, Commonwealths, Europeans) so I like to think I’ve only missed one.

‘I did watch Laura Muir and Eilish McColgan winning medals and cheered them on. And Jake Wightman has had an amazing year,

too. It was brilliant to watch and support but now I just want to get out there again in big races and overshadow them again!’

Callum said that with a big smile but he was serious when he added: ‘We’re seeing Scottish athletes go from strength to strength at the top level and it’s great for the sport here. Let’s see if we can stretch it all the way to the next Olympics and Paris and see if we can make 2024 even better.’

The 30-year-old from Kilbarchan AAC is due to race in the Valencia Marathon in December.

Callum clocked 63:35 to win gold in Glasgow from Adam Craig and his brother Derek in a strong top three. Inverclyde’s Adam clocked 64:17 and Kilbarchan’s Derek was at 65:32.

Shettleston Harriers athlete Fionnuala Ross won the Women’s title in the Tru Wealth Scottish Half Champs title once again as the Irish international clocked 73:25. Fionnuala was followed home by Giffnock North’s Yvonne McNairn (79:49) and Fife AC’s Annabel Simpson (80:55).

The Men’s Masters (M40) 1-2-3 was: Colin Whitby (Garscube) 70:55; Ian Whittaker (Edinburgh AC) 72:40; Iain Carroll 73:32.

The Women’s Masters (W40) 1-2-3 was: Avril Mason (Shettleston) 82:26; Katy Barden (Gala Harriers) 84:08; Nathalie Brohan (Cambuslang Harriers) 87:52

Awards joy for Sophie, Jim S

The sportscotland Coaching, Officiating and Volunteering (COV) Awards have been held for the first time since 2019.

With nominees and winners ranging from young volunteers to high performance coaches, this awards ceremony recognises the outstanding work and dedication of coaches, Officials and volunteers across Scotland.

And it was brilliant for our sport to land two significant success stories within the range of accolades presented via the COV Awards.

*Sophie Allan has been named as the Young Official of the Year

‘As the highest qualified female starter in Scotland, Sophie is an inspiration for other young people to become Officials in athletics and other sports,’ said sportscotland.

*Jim Hunter of Perth Strathtay Harriers landed a Lifetime Achievement Award.

‘Jim has guided and supported generations of young people over many decades, motivating and inspiring those around him to get involved in sport at all levels,’ said sportscotland.

Congratulations to Sophie and to Jim from all at scottishathletics on well-deserved recognition for their significant commitment to our sport.

hettleston Harriers athlete Weynay Ghebreselasie clocked a new PB at the London Marathon to finish as the top British runner.

The Eritrean, now eligible to compete for Scotland and for GB and NI, was ninth in the race at 2:11.57 – improving on a run earlier this year in Rotterdam (2:12.17).

Though hamstring issues meant he slowed in the latter stages to finish outside of the 2:09:40 standard needed for next year’s World Championships in Budapest, Ghebreselasie is fully focused on winning a vest at a global championships again after competing for Eritrea at the London 2012 Olympics.

‘That’s my plan – to run at the World Championships and the Paris Olympics,’ said Weynay, who is part of our scottishathletics Marathon Project.

‘So I will prepare for my next London Marathon.’

hunters

Aberdeen at 47.30 because I’d had a lot of travelling at that time which caused calf and hamstring issues,’ he said.

‘I will share the prize pot money with my coach, James McMenemy, because he has put in so much hard work. It has been eight years working towards this and the 2022 season was really pleasing.’

The 400m runner was one of half a dozen athletes to share the £5000 prize pot offered up for 2022 (with thanks to our sponsors, 4J Studios).

Gavin Drysdale’s fine performances earned him shares at both 400m and 100m in Race Running, while Fife AC’s T20 athlete Ben Sandilands took a silver via his 1500m victory. Annabel Simpson and Krishawn Aiken earned shares via their 5000m and 100m wins respectively and Owen Miller was another recipient (T20 5000m)

‘I have to admit that trying to get shares in the prize-pot was an incentive,’ said the Kilbarchan AAC athlete Krishawn.

‘The goals I had for the season have not quite materialised – I was within three hundredths of the 200m qualifying standard for the Commonwealths – so I wanted to come here and try and get wins and good times.’

won gold in the 100m Hurdles with a 14.08 performance.

America-based Alix Still returned to familiar surroundings to win the Women’s Long Jump with 5.80m and give Aberdeen AAC another champion.

Among the field event winners over the weekend, there was a strong double performance from Reuben Nairne as he claimed golds in the Pole Vault on Saturday and the Long Jump on Sunday. Reuben’s 7.48m leap was a PB.

‘I’ve jumped 7.47 before but it didn’t count as a legal PB as the event did not have a wind gauge,’ said the Giffnock North AC athlete.

‘It was fun to compete and win a second gold and I am happy with the PB.’

Greg Millar made it 10 javelin title wins in a row with his best measured at 66.34m.

Brodie Young’s summer season featured warm weather training in America, GB and NI vests in Colombia and a crowning glory close to the North Sea.

The Airdrie and Coatbridge Harriers athlete impressed in Aberdeen at our 4J Seniors to win the 400m gold with a run that earned him a slice of our £5000 prize pot.

It was his second successive Senior title and he also won the England Athletics U20 gold over 400m with Bedford another staging post on a hectic year.

But Aberdeen was a ‘farewell appearance’, too, with Brodie then moving to the States to take up an athletics scholarship.

‘I was pleased with the performance in

Aiken took the 200m gold in 21.26 seconds while the closest athletes to joining those ‘in the money’ were Ben Greenwood in the 800m and Megan Keith in the 1500m.

In the Women’s division, there were ‘home track’ victories for a trio of Aberdeen AAC athletes.

Hannah Cameron won an exciting Women’s 800m final and moments later Roisin Harrison took the Women’s 200m gold in a race which saw the Irish athlete run 23.68 seconds. In that 200m final, Stacey Downie took the silver and Kelsey Stewart the bronze, repeating their positions in the 100m final (won by Commonwealth Games relay runner Sarah Malone).

Earlier, Aberdeen AAC’s Jane Davidson had

‘I’m pleased with that because I contracted Norovirus a few weeks ago and lost eight kilos,’ said Greg.

‘Training and competing was impossible and I’m only now just getting back to fitness. I’m from Aberdeen originally and my mum’s family is from here so I like throwing here.

‘Kirsty Law won 13 in a row (or in 14 years, given Covid cancellation) but she’s broken that streak by being selected for the Europeans! I will need to keep coming back and try and get another four to get to 14.

In throws, there was a hammer title win for Inverness athlete, Rachel MacLennan, with 50.47m. Tavistock AC’s Josh Tyler won the men’s shot with 14.63m.

Dawn Russell, the Kilbarchan AAC U20 athlete, won the Senior Women’s javelin with 41.51m.

Sara Barbour won the PoleVault with 3.65m and that was a fifth best all-time U20 Women’s performance by the Kilmarnock Harriers athlete.

There were other title wins for Lewis McGuire, Andrew Peck, Emily Craig, Jack Lawrie and Scott Connal.

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Lap(s) of honour

Eilish McColgan studied mathematics and accountancy at the University of Dundee early in her now illustrious athletics career.

Come the conclusion of an epic championship track season, however, and she didn’t seem too keen to apply the learning.

On the morning of her 5000m final at the European Championships in Munich – her sixth major champs final and her seventh distance race at the Worlds, Commonwealths and Europeans – and her dad, Peter, sought to give her a lap count for the previous five weeks or so.

‘My dad was telling me how many laps I’d done but I just told him ‘I don’t want to know right now,’ grinned Eilish after she had, in fact, completed all 125 laps of her awesome threesome.

‘My mum, dad and Michael, my boyfriend, were all trying to tell me that day that it was just ‘one more race’ and I had to get out there in the 5000m and get it done.

‘It was tough and I was tired, of course, but I am so glad now that I did all three championships. I just felt that when you get opportunities in life then you have to try and take them.’

Eilish of course raced the 10,000m final at the World Champs (finishing 10th) and then had two races in the 5000m (finishing 10th in the final).

That came after illness and injury issues but the peak moment of a truly stunning summer came on Wednesday 3 August when she won gold in the Commonwealths 10,000m final. That was followed by silver in the 5000m in Birmingham.

Then it was silver over 10,000m in Munich as Turkey’s Yasemin Can took the title and bronze in the 5000m as local heroine Konstanze Klosterhalfen thrilled the German crowd. Eilish clocked 14:59.34.

A steady pace early on saw the field well bunched until Can stepped the pace up with six laps to go, followed by Klosterhalfen and McColgan.

As Can faded, the German seized her chance to win gold with the Scot well clear in third.

‘Everyone thought I was mad wanting to do the double or three, but I’ve got four medals now and four medals more than I did at the start of the year,’ smiled Eilish.

‘I am just so proud. Of course I’d love to win a European title but it was always going to be a tough ask after the Commonwealth Games. I would not swap my Commonwealth Games gold, to be honest. It meant so much to me and to my family.

How awesome Eilish completed the ‘double double’ in Germany

‘We have another two years until the Europeans and I’m sure there’ll be another gold there one day, but a silver and a bronze, I had nothing else today. I was looking around thinking ‘I just need to get to the line and not lose this medal’. I’m very tired but proud.’

Three nights earlier, two of those athletes were on the podium for the 10,000m. Arguably, and opinions may well vary, Eilish’s silver that Monday evening was even more impressive – as it took place just nine days on from 5000m silver at Birmingham 2022.

‘I’m sort of happy, sort of disappointed,’ revealed Eilish.

‘Obviously I would’ve loved to have upgraded my (European) silver from 2018 but it was a tough race tonight, I definitely feel it in the legs.

‘It was probably a tough ask to do three races in Eugene (at the World Championships) two in the Commonwealth Games and then to come back here again.’

Hard running early on from Eilish split the field and four athletes in a group became three. Then, just after the 7k mark, Can broke away and, with the gap too big, Eilish and Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter were left to fight it out for the silver medal.

‘Can put in a 67-second lap at that point and it was just tough,’ said Eilish.

‘I have had a lot of races, she didn’t do Commonwealth Games or Worlds either, and I felt that was in my legs. She is an incredible athlete, one of the best in the world. I did my best but she was far too strong.’

Looking at the Munich races, one observation would be the effects of the schedule. Turkish athlete Can put all her focus into the Europeans and won gold and silver; Klosterhalfen raced at the Worlds after Covid but had time to recover (with no Commonwealths obviously) for Munich.

Eilish, of course, raced all three. All 125 laps of it. Plus four laps of honour . . .

Munich anchor run adds to Nicole’s precious cargo

To say it was a long summer for Nicole Yeargin may be something of an understatement.

The America-based Scot had a hectic series of championships competing at individual 400m and the 4x400m Relay for both Britain and for Scotland.

Winning medals in all three team events, therefore, was quite an achievement and the European Champs in Munich set the seal on Nicole’s extended living-out-of-asuitcase season.

In Munich in the Women’s 4x400m final, Holland and Poland relied on their bighitters to take the gold and silver medals with Nicole, handed over in second place from Jodie Williams behind Belgium, running a superb 49.70 split to keep GB and NI in the hunt to the line - losing out on silver by only six hundredths.

The final quartet, led off by Victoria Ohuruogu and with Ama Pipi on the second leg, could certainly be proud of their 3:21.74 time – the second fastest ever by GB and NI in the Women’s 4x400m Relay.

Nicole said: ‘We know the 4x100m girls have been racking up those medals so we’re happy that we are stepping up now and getting our chance to shine!

‘I knew Holland’s Femke Bol was going to be there and I had a little bit of a lead so I was happy about that, but I just had to give it my all and we were even coming off the curve so I held her off until then, I gave it my best.’

Zoey Clark missed out on a run in the final but was among the medallists after racing in the heat.

Nicole for her part had raced in the individual 400m, finishing sixth in the semifinal.

Earlier on that last day, Jemma Reekie had finished in fifth place in the Women’s 800m final.

The Scot was in the hunt for the medals right up until the last 50m or so as she gave everything to make a podium which was duly headed by GB and NI’s Keely Hodgkinson.

Jemma clocked 2:00.31 and had no regrets about her bid for glory after losing out in the heats at the Commonwealths before then taking on the 1500m.

‘It’s been a long season, and tough, and I feel like all I have done since February when I had glandular fever is work so hard to get this season done,’ she said.

‘I would have liked to have gone a lot better and I would have liked to medal today to finish off this season but I have to take the positives.’

In all, there were 13 Scots selected for Munich.

As well as those mentioned above and elsewhere there were the following performances:

Andy Butchart seventh in 5000m final Beth Dobbin DQ in 200m heat

Neil Gourley eighth in 1500m final Kirsty Law tenth in discus qualifying pool Nick Percy fifth in discus qualifying pool David Smith eighth in high jump qualifying Luke Caldwell DNF in marathon

scottishathletics

Hiding in plain sight

By Peter Jardine

Dropping temperatures, biting wind and driving rain: the classic cross country backdrop for Scotland in November.

Those were the conditions which athletes experienced at the 2021 Lindsays Short Course Champs at Lanark Racecourse.

The fields that day, of course, featured thoroughbreds in Laura Muir and Jake Wightman, with the latter finding the going tough as he finished 14th in a race won by a third Olympian, Andy Butchart.

And there, hiding in plain site amid the winter jackets, woolly hats and umbrellas, were their long-serving coaches.

Andy Young and Geoff Wightman kept a low profile that particular day at Lanark – as they often do – but be in no doubt they were plotting and planning for challenges to come the following summer. Swapping Lanarkshire mud and a makeshift podium for massed stadia across America, Britain and Germany, in fact.

Fast forward nine months and the quartet of Laura, Andy, Jake and Geoff were gathered for a special medal photo at the European Championships.

Laura had won gold over 1500m and Jake, on the final night of the event in Germany, took a thrilling 800m silver as he dropped

down in distance following on from Oregon and Birmingham.

It was a sixth European title for Laura as a power surge from shortly before the bellthat only Ireland’s Ciara Mageean sought to challenge – paid a dividend.

The Scot won it in 4:01.08 with Mageean at 4:02.56 to deliver the same 1-2 as at Birmingham 2022.

Awesome statistics around Laura’s career are almost endless but Andy was keen to highlight the double champion element – and the forward planning for a season like no other.

‘It’s pretty special and had never been done before,’ he said of the Birmingham and Munich victories.

‘No Scot has ever won gold at the Europeans and the Commonwealths in the same year before so that is another huge achievement.

‘And then you add in a 3.55 run for 1500m bronze at the Worlds and ‘historymaking’ seems to fall a little short to describe it, to be honest.

Coach double act always there in background – from Lanark to Munich

‘And there, hiding in plain sight amid the winter jackets, woolly hats and umbrellas, were the long-serving coaches’

‘Coaches have never before faced the issue of three major championships in just under six weeks.

‘But when your athlete comes to you and says ‘I want to do all three’ then you have to address it.

‘You have to look at the factors and seek to peak at those different points in the season.

‘As it happened, it was do-able. The way we train there is an intensity to it which should mean that a high level of performance is possible at almost any point of the year.’

Laura, injured early in the year, had to make a decision on chasing glory at three championships.

‘I thought ‘you know what, I’ll give it a go’ and my aim was to win a medal in all three which I’ve done and to win the Commonwealths and to win here I’m so happy,’ said the 29-year-old.

‘This was the hardest one. On paper it was the easiest, one event only two rounds, so physically it was the easiest but it was so tough mentally. It was the most difficult race I think I’ve ever run and credit to all the other athletes that have done the three because it’s so difficult.

‘Andy looked at all the splits and he said ‘nobody can match you over 400m’ and if you give a good kick and get a gap you and maintain it and you’ve got a good chance. So once again credit to him for the tactics, he made a good call there. I stuck to that as

best I could because sometimes 1500m is unpredictable . . . but it went to plan.’

Wightman for his part was just six hundredths away from taking the European Men’s 800m gold as he came home in 1:44.91 just behind Spain’s World Indoor champion, Mariano Garcia, who crossed the line with a Personal Best run of 1:44.85.

Jake had of course won the World title over 1500m in Oregon just over a month previously and then backed up that performance with 1500m bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. A couple of weeks after Munich, he took the Scottish Record at 800m - with his 1:43.65 run in Brussels eclipsing Tom McKean’s 1:43.88 from 1989.

‘I came into this really wanting to add to my World 1500m title just because I feel like

that would have been a great way to end the season,’ said Jake in Munich.

‘I felt in shape to do it and I got very close but I’ve got a gold, a silver and a bronze from this season so at least I’ve got a full set.

‘I knew that I needed to be a lot closer than I was through the rounds. Garcia finishes very strong and I felt as though I was in the right place and I was wiling him to come back.

‘A lot of my training complements both my 1500m and 800m. I’ve always taken pride in how good my 800 can be and that’s why I’ve come into a champs like this feeling like I can be competitive.’

As Munich closed, Muir and Wightman deserved all the compliments coming their way. As did the coaches in the background.

Scottish Record holder Allison Curbishley won 400m silver at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur – and was Scotland’s only track and eld medallist on that occasion..

Now, 24 years on, the BBC Radio 5 Live athletics summariser, who is also an event organiser with Events of the North, re ects on Team Scotland’s athletics medal haul at Birmingham 2022 and what it means for the future of the sport.

By Allison Curbishley

‘If you look back at the Scotland team I was in in 1998 . . . they were good athletes, but they weren’t necessarily household names.

‘At Birmingham 2022, a number of the athletes that performed well weren’t a surprise, they’d been in the system with either scottishathletics or British Athletics

for a number of years and we’d all watched their progression.

‘There’s just this ethos now that Scots can compete, and I think it was borne out of 2014.

Although it wasn’t a great medal haul for the athletics team in Glasgow, it was the start. We’d built on 2012 and we had talent. We were just getting better at everything.

‘It’s about aspiration, believing what’s possible, and taking everyone - coaches, fans, media, the nation - on that journey with you, because the expectation is there.

‘I’m not saying we didn’t have that in my day, we certainly had the talent, but it was just so disjointed.

‘Kuala Lumpur was still very early in my career. The focus for a lot of athletes was the build-up to the 2000 Olympics, but the Commonwealths for me was just such an amazing opportunity . . .

‘You hear Jake (Wightman) talk about it in 2018, you get that medal at the Commonwealth Games, and it almost spurs you onto great things. That’s exactly what happened for me.

‘My favourite Scottish performance in Birmingham has to be Eilish (McColgan) winning the Women’s 10,000m gold.

‘That last lap . . . WOW. I mean, I actually did everything that you’re not meant to do on 5 Live.

Theatre of Dreams How Alexander stadium bore witness to our best Games performance for 40 years

‘I thought I’d become really strict with myself, but when we’re playing out the race commentary from Mike (Costello) you can just hear me screaming in the background.

‘It was just everything about that race. It was world class timewise and the quality of the field she was beating, but it was just the way she did it. Honestly, I never thought I’d hear the noise that was created

in Birmingham that night. I thought that was parked in 2012.

‘A close second was seeing Laura (Muir) win in a Scottish vest. I absolutely loved that she threw herself at the 800m too.

There was a story for literally every page, but just watching Eilish do it, and in the manner in which she did it. There were just so many comparisons with her mum and seeing Liz at the end, it was proper Disney film stuff.

‘I remember talking to Jake just before the Commonwealth Games and I don’t think anyone will really understand what he had to go through. We were chatting about it on 5 Live, not just the physical ability to get through three championships back-to-back, but the mental drain, whether you’ve had a good champs or a bad champs.

‘I probably never said it on air, but I know how much the 1500m meant to him, and I know how much winning a title in a Scottish vest was going to mean to him, but I think he got it the wrong way around.

‘What he did at Europeans was phenomenal, but I still think he could have won the 800m at the Commonwealths. He threw himself into a firepit (in the 1500m).

‘It was probably one of the best quality fields in the whole of the Games. I thought it was very brave, but I knew he’d have to run his heart out . . . as well as everything that came with that emotionally. I absolutely stood and applauded him that he managed to get onto the podium. He gave it his best shot, but he burned all the cylinders when he took to the front. You could see it in his face.

‘Behind all the bigger names, behind the medallists, you’ve got the likes of Jemma Reekie. You can just sense the excitement of the talented youngsters who are vying

to be the best. And the thing is, these guys are going to be around for at least another Commonwealth cycle.

‘We had a great team atmosphere (in 1998), but if you’ve not got medallists, you’ve got nothing to really feed off.

‘Laura talks about watching Eilish run and without a doubt that helps motivate you.

‘Eilish talks about returning to the halls and the guys had all decorated her room and put flags up everywhere...It’s just little things like that (that make it special).

‘I mean, looking back, it was nice for me in some ways to be the only medallist in 1998 because people want to talk to you. But in many ways you would prefer to be remembered for being in this golden age of athletics and that’s what these guys have.

‘We now have athletes who have become the inspiration for the next generation. To have a little kid in a far-flung part of Scotland be able to put on the TV and watch somebody like Jake, Eilish or Laura and go, ‘They look like me, they sound like me, I can do that,’ that’s all you can ask.

‘After the success we had in Birmingham, we should go into the winter celebrating that.’

Allison Curbishley spoke to Katy Barden for PB

‘We now have athletes who can be an inspiration for the next generation’

Writing was on the wall

By Peter Jardine

It was the Commonwealth Games where Eilish McColgan became Eilish McGolden.

And Laura Muir completed the track and field equivalent of the ‘Grand Slam’ as she ensured medals from all six major championships in athletics: Worlds (Indoors and Out), Europeans (Indoors and Out), Olympics and now the Commonwealths.

The Dundee Hawkhill Harriers duo, of course, each won two medals to make it

four between them over three dramatic nights at the Alexander Stadium.

Not a bad haul for one Team Scotland ‘flat’ in the Village at Birmingham University.

‘Eilish got this sign saying ‘Good Vibes Only’ which we put by the door of the flat in the Village,’ explained Laura.

‘When she won her 10,000m medal, the rest of us changed that to ‘Golden Vibes Only’ and had that next to the door.

‘On Sunday evening when I left for my 1500m final, I saw it and thought: ‘Yeah, golden vibes only today. ’ I just saw it and it registered as ‘that’s what we’re doing today’

‘What an inspirational run from her in the 10,000m final on the Wednesday night. I think that’s the best run I’ve ever seen in my life.

‘She was then named Flag-

Bearer for Team Scotland for the Closing Ceremony and took silver in her 5000m final so it was an amazing few days.’

If and when they hang up their spikes – and hopefully that’s a long way distant – perhaps they could take up sports psychology or interior design . . .

Let’s start a look at their four medals with the Eilish gold in the 10,000m.

In many ways it felt like a seminal moment; the culmination of 20 years of work in the sport and the perfect execution of the race-plan drawn up by mum/coach Liz and partner Michael Rimmer.

The time of 30:48.20 was a Games Record and a very decent time given quite a slow opening first kilometre. Gradually, Eilish turned up the heat and then in the final lap was locked in an enthralling battle with Kenya’s Irine Cheptai .

‘Patience required, strength required, speed required,’ gasped BBC Commentator Steve Cram, as the athletes went through the bell.

With just over 100m remaining, it was still in doubt until Eilish somehow surged beyond her African opponent and pushed for the line. It is not resorting to hyperbole to say this

Good vibes and good vibrations as flat-mates peak amid Alexander Stadium drama

race will be recalled for 50 years.

‘It was a long time coming in many ways,’ said Eilish later. ‘There has been a lot of work put in and I’ve been sixth three times at the Commonwealths in the past in first the steeplechase in Glasgow and then both the 1500m and the 5000m in Gold Coast four years ago.

‘I’ve had injuries and illnesses at times which have held me back. A few weeks prior to the World Champs this summer I was in really good shape and then got ill in Oslo and had a hamstring niggle.

‘But, on the night, everything felt right and I did what my mum, dad and Michael had told me – I covered the moves and was brave enough to go to the front for a long spell. It all paid off.’

Eilish spoke of the crowd noise ‘vibrating’ through her body via her feet and the Alexander Stadium was in a ferment again come the Saturday evening.

Laura was locked in a battle for bronze in the Women’s 800m final as Kenya’s Mary Maraa took gold and England’s Keely Hodgkinson the silver.

Jamaica’s Natoya Goule seemed certain for third until Laura somehow closed a significant gap over the final 25m or so. Then came what will now be known as ‘The Laura Lunge’.

‘No way was I accepting fourth place,’ grinned Laura, moments after being given the photo-finish verdict at 1:57.87 by a single hundredth.

Jamaica were not accepting it either, in fact, but and appeal that the photo was inconclusive was duly rejected.

‘I felt I was brave to break as early as I did as it was a long run for home. But I trusted Andy and the tactics worked well.’

Ireland’s Ciara Mageean came home for silver and Jemma Reekie wasn’t far adrift of the bronze before finishing in fifth.

Jemma had picked herself up well for the 1500m after a tough elimination in the 800m heats (with the semi-finals scratched from the programme, which helped persuade Laura to double).

Eilish watched Laura’s last lap in the last minutes prior to her 5000m final.

‘I didn’t know for sure for a couple of hours that I had the medal and it was not ideal,’ said Laura later. ‘We were back at the Village and just trying to think about sleeping with the 1500m final the next day when the news came through.

‘I really wanted that Commonwealth medal and the only issue was how much energy had been expended for the Sunday.’

To run 1:57 for 800m and then, 24 hours, streak away from the 1500m final with just under 500m remaining was a special performance from Laura. And yet in another way exactly what we now expect of the 29-year-old.

‘I’ve always trained hard since working with my coach (Andy Young) and we have done doubles before of course,’ she reflected. ‘I guess this one was a little different with two finals in 24 hours.

Coach Liz, dad Peter and partner Michael had all advised the 31-year-old to stand down from the double after her 10,000m victory and prepare for the European Champs. Eilish was having none of it.

‘I knew it would tough both physically but also mentally and emotionally – but I still felt I’d a good chance,’ she said.

‘I cannot ask for any more. I made the race hard and I’ve landed a silver to go with my gold.

‘Just before we went out of the Call Room I saw Laura win her gold. I knew she would, she is one of the best in the world at 1500m, but it was still an incredible performance after the 800m.

‘I just thought to myself ‘that’s Laura with two medals, so now I need to get two medals for Scotland’.’

There’s nothing quite like a wee bit of flatmate rivalry to help the medal tally . . .

I covered the moves and was brave enough to go to the front for a long spell. It all paid off.

Photos by Bobby Gavin

Seb Coe presented Jake Wightman with his first Commonwealth Games bronze medal in Australia four years ago, as he conducted the Men’s 1500m presentations at Gold Coast 2018.

A few week later Coe told us it would be Jake’s ‘breakthrough moment’ and why he was a ‘fully paid-up member of the Laura Muir fan club’ in a spread which appeared in PB magazine.

Come Birmingham 2022 and the World Athletics President was back on presentation duties for a couple of 1500m events.

He awarded bronze to Samantha Kinghorn after the T53/54 final on the Wednesday night and gold to Laura herself on the Sunday evening after an outstanding Women’s 1500m triumph.

In between, Wightman added to his personal tally and we understand Coe’s role in this success was by no means insignificant. When Jakes returned to Britain after his stunning success at the World Champs in Oregon he had some serious doubts about competing at the Commonwealths.

All the media interest around being Britain’s only champion at the Worlds had left him feeling mentally fatigued as he fielded requests that included one from Piers Morgan,.

And that’s when family friends Coe and Steve Cram, the BBC Athletics Commentator and track legend, stepped in to help the Wightmans.

‘When you get advice from guys like Cram and Coe then you do tend to listen and very much take it on board,’ said Jake.

‘There was a possible switch to the 800 but ultimately I didn’t want to miss an opportunity in the 1500m. I knew there would be guys who hadn’t done well in Oregon who would

Wealth of experience

be shooting for me but I was desperate to contribute to the Team Scotland effort.’

Contribute he did. In a superb final, arguably the race of the championships, three men went sub 3:31 and eight were below 3:33.

Australia’s Oliver Hoare, eliminated in the semi-finals in Eugene, snatched the title on the line from Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot. Jake had led down part of the home straight

How Jake listened to Samantha crowned her

When you get advice from guys like Cram and Coe then you do tend to listen and very much take it on board

before Cheruiyot was the first to pass.

Neil Gourley finished eighth with a PB run of 3:32 while Josh Kerr dropped out of contention over the last lap and came home in 12th place.

Josh headed back to the United States rather than compete for GB and NI in Munich but few would expect the Olympic medallist not to bounce back. There will be opportunities aplenty.

The other presentation Coe did make was the Wheelchair final – with Kinghorn thrilled to reach the podium.

It was a hard-fought race with the Scot home in 3:53.38 - just eight hundredths of a second away from the silver medal.

Australia went 1-2 via the performances of Madison Rozario and Angela Ballard, both of those athletes highly experienced and multiple medal winners. Rozario had won the marathon only a few days earlier.

Nonetheless, third was a fine moment for Samantha after finishing fifth and fourth in

this event in Glasgow and then Gold Coast. Melanie Woods was just outside the medals in fourth place in 3:56.52.

‘It’s insane what I managing to achieve in my sport because I’ve worked for years to break 16 seconds this year for the 100m - and here I am with a 1500m medal at the Commonwealths!,’ said Samantha.

‘I was fifth in Glasgow and fourth in Australia four years ago so to get third now shows I am improving at this distance.

‘I look back to Glasgow and I was really quite young at the time and not all that long since my accident. I didn’t quite realise what was opening up for me – the chance to compete at international level and travel to events around the world.

‘Yes, I prefer the short sprints but one day I want to be in the middle of the 1500m podium at the Commonwealths.’

If that comes in Australia in 2026, and Muir and Wightman perhaps compete, too, then Team Scotland’s 1500m wheel may come full circle.

to Coe and Cram and third Games with bronze

I didn’t quite realise what was opening up for me –the chance to compete at international level and travel to events around the world.

Heroines of the Bronze Age

The text message was short and to the point. Just five words and two of them more letters than words.

‘England DQ. Shhhh for now.’

In fact, the hare was already off running. With a baton. When photographer Bobby Gavin took his place for the Women’s 4x400m Relay medal ceremony, he was advised by Birmingham 2022 there would be a delay in the presentations – ‘something to do with an appeal’.

Even during the latter stages of the race itself, three different individuals – a coach, a physio and a former Scottish Head of Performance – had been in immediate touch with the Team Scotland staff in the stands. They were convinced TV images suggested a lane infringement on the first changeover by England.

Canada, pipped on the line in a dramatic finish featuring England’s Jessie Knight, were ultimately to be promoted to gold medals with Jamaica now to take the silvers. Scotland, fourth in the race in 3:30.15, landed bronzes for Zoey Clark, Beth Dobbin, Jill Cherry and Nicole Yeargin.

The Team Scotland medal tally for athletics, which had moved to six with Laura Muir and then seven via Eilish McColgan, duly settled on eight in a near-empty stadium.

‘It is quite difficult because we are all friends with the England team,’ said Beth Dobbin, with admirable good grace as she clutched bronze after the delayed ceremony.

‘We are on the GB and NI team with them, so it is bittersweet. I’m so happy to have a medal, but I’m gutted for the English girls, they didn’t deserve this. But it was one of those things.’

Regardless of the disqualification circumstances, it was a great moment for those Scottish athletes and their families and coaches.

‘I’m glad now that I ran through for fourth on the anchor leg and it was a great effort by the whole team,’ said Nicole Yeargin, who won bronze with GB and NI at the World Champs in the 4x400m but had tested positive for Covid in between Oregon and Birmingham.

‘My gran was here and she told me to turn around and check the scoreboard as the result had changed. It was a bit of a shock.’

Relay team land podium after years of hard work

‘I’ve been to three Commonwealth Games and worked hard all the years in between so this is very special to me’

Zoey Clark had even raced that lunch-time in the Women’s 400m final (finishing eighth) – suddenly now her Games had a tangible reward.

‘I’ve been to three Commonwealth Games and worked hard all the years in between so this is very special to me,’ she said.

‘I’ve won medals with GB and NI at some big events but I always wanted this to happen in a Scotland vest. It means a lot and, given a number of the circumstances around each of us, we ran well and were not too far away from the Scottish Record (3:29.18).’

Jill Cherry stepped in with Carys McAulay injured and gave a solid run on the third leg. Jill split 53.02.

‘It’s the first time I’ve been involved at an international event at Senior level and I’m thrilled with the medal,’ said Jill, who competed for GB and NI at European Juniors.

‘We feel it hard for Carys as she was in the squad but she had an injury niggle and I was asked to step into the team.’

Back to Dobbin who, at 28, was thrilled to land that medal after also reaching the individual 200m final.

‘Look, I never even thought I would compete at a champs like the Commonwealth in my career – far less win a medal,’ she said.

‘I’ve just worked away to improve over the years and I always say it was my dad (Jim) who got me into and it and kept pushing me on. He really wanted me to represent Scotland so this means a lot.’

Beth could have featured in the Women’s 4x100m team, of course. In fact, one indoor run in 2021 over 400m (at the Emirates Arena) persuaded Mark Pollard and Allan

Silver liningfor Sean

Sean Frame was first on the start-line for Team Scotland for our 33-strong track, field and marathon cohort when the Birmingham 2022 road races took place on the opening weekend. And he was first on the podium, too.

Sean took a super silver medal in the T53/54 Wheelchair Marathon as he finished second following a tense finish.

England’s Johnboy Smith took gold with his team-mate Simon Lawson in third after favourite David Weir suffered a puncture while leading the pack.

Frame clocked 1:45.49 and beat Lawson by only ten seconds – with the positions having changed hands in the final stages.

‘I’m ecstatic, I still can’t get my head around it or comprehend what just happened,’ said Sean.

‘In the last three miles and the fight for second with Simon Lawson, I am thinking ‘I’ve just done this amazing push and I’m not going to let you steal this from me right at the end’.

‘So I made sure I gave everything and it worked out for silver.

‘It was amazing; it just shows me that all the countless miles and all that training over the years has been worth it, and to actually see it come in to practice and see the result felt so good.’

Sean, who is coached by Joyce Rammell, had support from Pamela Robson, our

Scott to pencil her in for the 4x400m.

The 4x100m team for their part had no regrets about reaching the final of their event with a good heat performance and then a quicker run on the Sunday.

Our quartet of Rebecca Matheson, Alisha Rees, Sarah Malone and Taylah Paterson (nee Spence) had clocked a National Record of 44.75 in two qualifying performances in Birmingham and Geneva.

‘The big positives are we were in the final after so long without one in the Women’s 4x100m and also that we ran quicker than on Saturday,’ said Alisha.

‘Moments and memories like these will keep us all going on winter training nights in the wind,’ said Orkney-based midwife Taylah.

National Disability Pathway Officer and other staff members, in Birmingham city centre.

Sean added: ‘I’m so proud to do this and help the Team Scotland medal tally.

‘Coming into the last stages I could hear my mum shouting me on even within all the other shouts. My dad helps train me and he is just ecstatic. It’s a happy family.’

by Bobby Gavin

Wide awake club!

Fans back home up early to celebrate another big Muir moment

By Peter Jardine

Midway through the long, sweltering summer’s night of July 18-19, the hashtag #cantsleep was trending around Britain – as heatwave conditions frustrated millions desperate for some shuteye.

Countless more were sleepless across the athletics community in Scotland and beyond, that’s for sure, when Laura Muir toed the start-line for the Women’s 1500m final at the World Champs in Oregon.

And we were wide-eyed and wide awake within a minute or so later as a truly remarkable race fractured and the ‘run for home’ began, well, with about three laps remaining!

As for the pace set by World Record holder, Gudaf Tsegay, and Olympic champion, Faith Kipyegon, it was as hot as the mercury had been hours earlier everywhere from Burntisland to Brighton.

That Laura was able to remain with that pace – Tsegay clocked 58.8 for the first lap and went through 800m in 2.03 - was encouraging and so it transpired that the Scot delivered a 3:55.28 run that represented the third fastest of her career to duly join Kipyegon and Tsegay on the podium. Her fastest? That was in the Olympic final the previous August.

‘Perform When it Counts’ was once a mantra from Scottish Athletics so clearly the message landed with one or two significant athletes and coaches!

The bronze medal success was also mildly surprising given Laura was injured as winter turned into spring. She was on crutches in February for a stress response of the hip and had to miss being Scotland captain for the DNA indoor event at the Emirates Arena.

‘I had the most significant injury of my

career earlier this year – back in February,’ said Laura.

‘I didn’t run for two months. That is the longest time I’ve had off running since starting but I had confidence in myself and my ability that we have time.

‘I had to trust my coach Andy and the physios and medical team. I had to work really hard on the crosstraining and then started to believe ‘OK, there’s enough time between now and July’.

‘Basically it meant six weeks of aquajogging in the pool, in the gym, anti-gravity treadmills, tiny runs on grass, slightly longer runs. We gradually got there.

‘We were lucky we caught it early. We knew something wasn’t right. We got some advanced imaging. We found out what it was quite quickly.

‘Had it been a fracture it would have been me out for a long, long time. It was lucky it was a stress response.’

We should not have lacked Faith. Chasing Kipyegon is no mean feat currently but Laura looks more comfortable than ever before in this kind of company. There are parallels with Andy Murray in a sense of the Women’s 1500m competition – a point made by Mark Munro of UK Athletics (and formerly of this parish).

‘Laura is a little unfortunate that this is only her second global outdoor medal after the Olympics last year,’ said Mark.

‘In any other era, any athlete that could run as fast as Laura does over 1500m would be winning every championship. It’s been incredibly tough out there and she’s just been phenomenal.

‘She’s so consistent and has been one of the world’s top athletes now for 10 years.’

That 10 year journey of course initially featured a series of near-miss moments. This was Laura’s fifth final in the World Champs, three of the previous four being at her favoured 1500m distance.

‘This was the one that was bugging me –after those World Champs finals over the years,’ she added.

‘After I got the Olympic silver last year, I was like ‘this is the year I am going to get one at the Worlds’ and I’ve got it, I am so pleased.

‘Faith Kipyegon and Tsegay are two of the greatest 1500m runners there has ever been. That is a World Championship final, you have got to expect it to be hard and be quickthe splits on that race were on extra level.

‘It does show if I can get 3.55 under those kind of splits then there is a really fast time in there.

‘This time last year I didn’t have any global outdoor medals and now I have two. I am so delighted.’

To return to the race itself. There was a gap of six seconds between Laura and the fourth placed athlete. Ethiopian Hirut Meshesha, who went with the early pace for the first 600m or so (to assist Tsegay?) finished second from last.

Nine athletes who lined up in a Worlds final perhaps harbouring hopes of a podium place – if Laura was not fully up to speed after injury – were in a different race after a lap.

Two Australians were involved, Jess Hull and Georgia Griffith. Imagine track and field fans right across Australia settling down to watch the final – and finding their interest waning inside 60 seconds.

That happened at Oregon’s Women’s 1500m ‘race for the ages’. The echoes will linger far longer in the memory than the 2022 heatwave.

PAULA RADCLIFFE

‘She is the gutsiest runner I know out there. Every reserve has come out and she was not letting go.

‘I think the Laura Muir we have seen this year is a calmer, more serene, more in control Laura, despite the injury problems she has had.

‘I think this will bring her on another level in terms of that con dence and knowing what she’s capable of.’

‘After I got the Olympic silver last year, I was like ‘this is the year I am going to get one at the Worlds’

interviews, dad set up mock interviews in the boardroom.

‘We didn’t know Gavin at the time (Gavin Lightwood, runbritain manager), but it was Gavin that was doing the interviews and we’d come in all nervous and answer his questions dead serious.’

the leader

Jake learned value of hard work from early age – now he’s inspiration for any young Scot

By Katy Barden

Jake Wightman was taught the value of a job well done from an early age.

He recalls sprinting back and forth to the commentary box with results at the 2008 World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh as if his life depended on it.

Alongside his twin brother Sam, he also undertook a range of admin tasks in the scottishathletics office under the guise of ‘bring your son to work day’. Or at least that’s what his dad Geoff told him.

‘I’m sure looking back on that they were non-existent jobs, but I bet he was thinking, ‘Just give ‘em something to do’,’ laughs the World 1500m Champion.

‘One of the funniest things we did was when we were getting ready to apply for unis and stuff, and because we were having to do

November in Lanark,

Of course, some jobs require greater perseverance than others. He may have won global gold in Eugene, but the medal was made in in when racing in tough conditions at the 2021 Lindsays Short Course Cross Country Championships; it was made in New York in February when running over-distance indoors; and it was borne out of more aerobic work and doing more paced races over the summer

than ever before.

It also came from the deep disappointment of a 10th place finish at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

‘I almost accepted after Tokyo that I might go my whole career without getting the medals I wanted to get,’ admits Wightman.

‘I was so obsessed in Tokyo - I was either getting a medal or I was going to be disappointed - but this year, I said to myself that if I did everything I did last

year, plus change a few things that weren’t quite right, then whatever happened, I’d be content with how I did. I think because of that I didn’t feel any pressure at the Worlds (compared to Tokyo) and I was running free and relaxed.’

His incredible 1500m performance was a tactical masterclass, but like his journey to the top of the podium, his ability to execute didn’t emerge overnight.

‘The only way you learn to race is by making mistakes, and I’ve made a lot of them,’ he says.

‘I’ve had so many disappointing runs where I’ve done something wrong or made a mistake, but the important thing is that you never make that mistake again. I’m at a point in my career now where I don’t have to make that many decisions consciously...I just react instinctively to stuff.

‘Being a young athlete in Scotland, one of the things that helped me was that I could be competitive and win league stuff. I believe that when you stand on the start line of a race you’re there to try and win it, otherwise you’re just a passenger.

the same going through schools and age groups, I was running to win, even if it was the ‘H’ race of a BMC.

‘You have to race as much as possible. The races you don’t want to do because they’re high pressure and you’re scared of being beaten –they’re the ones you need to do to learn how to race and how to win.’

Wightman cuts a popular figure in the sport.The 28-year-old Edinburgh AC athlete is hugely talented, but valuable qualities instilled in him as a junior, notably respect and humility, contribute to his likeable personality.

He’s London-based, but he still opts to compete in Scotland where possible. He comes from good racing stock - his mum, Susan, finished 12th in the marathon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, while his dad (and coach) Geoff finished sixth in the 1990 European Championships marathon in Split. But he never felt entitled. He could have fasttracked his career from his school days but, if anything, his parents held him back.

‘I’ve been with Edinburgh AC since I was a kid and I love being able to show I’m still part of it and that it’s not just the vest I wear at the British Champs,’ he says.

‘It’s tough, like when I went up for the 4k cross country champs, sometimes you have to swallow your pride and just race, but I’ve always felt that no matter how badly I’ve potentially run, people have always appreciated the fact that I’ve come up.

It’s nice to see the same faces that were there when I was a kid, and everyone is so welcoming with it.

‘I’ve never ever felt like I’ve had to do this, I’ve always wanted to do it. Looking back at it now, I reckon dad would have been gutted if one of us didn’t do it, but I don’t think he ever felt like he had to make me, it was always my choice.

‘From the age of seven or eight we loved athletics because we got taken everywhere to watch it, so rather than wanting to be footballers like most kids, I wanted to be an athlete and run.

‘We were the kids that would wait at the Kelvin Hall for autographs.

That’s what’s mad now, I’m doing what I wanted to do at that age.’

Wightman was nine years old when he attended his first World Championships in Paris 2003. He goes into Budapest 2023 as reigning World Champion and will give himself the best possible opportunity to double up over 800m and 1500m. He knows that the opportunity to medal – or to even win both – is one he might never have again.

‘It’s a nice period at the moment, isn’t it?’ he reflects.

‘It’s always the same with this stuff, you don’t really realise you’re in it until it’s done. It’s mad, even the fact that we take for granted now that it was Josh (Kerr), Neil (Gourley) and me in the Worlds for 1500m, having a whole team of Scots. It’s the same with Laura (Muir) being an Olympic medallist and Jemma (Reekie) fourth, it’s ridiculous how good it is right now.’

He’s set himself a hard task, but if a job’s worth doing it’s worth doing well, and the World, European and Commonwealth medallist – with his fellow Scots in tow – is leading by example.

Photos: Athletics Images Below: Jake competes for East District in 2006 (photo by Mark Shearman)

Yeargin fulfils a yearning

Nicole Yeargin played her part to help GB and NI to their seventh and final medal in Oregon – with bronze in the Women’s 4x400m final.

The Pitreavie AAC athlete teamed up with Victoria Ohuruogu, Jessie Knight and Laviai Nielsen to take third at Hayward Field.

It was no surprise America took the golds and Jamaica the silvers before the British quartet clocked 3:22.64.

Nicole, whose mum is from Dunfermline, first represented GB and NI at the Olympics last summer. Her split of 50.2 on the second leg was her best ever at that time (with Birmingham and Munich medals to follow0.

In many ways it set the seal on the Scottish contribution at the end of a week which saw Jake Wightman take gold glory only 24 hours after Laura Muir landed bronze.

Jake and Laura were already back across the Atlantic to prepare for the Commonwealths by the time Nicole closed out her own progamme, which had included finishing fourth in the semi-final of the 400m.

The British team were bidding to put to bed the fact that they missed out on a medal for

the first time in eight editions last time out in Doha in 2019.

Ohuruogu, who’s sister Christine featured in six of those seven World Championship medal-winning performances, got the team off to a strong start before handing over to Yeargin who tucked nicely into third and would create distance from fourth in her leg. Knight immediately moved into second after receiving the baton from Yeargin and, despite being passed by Jamaican Stephenie-Ann McPherson before the bend, she had lengthened the gap from fourth leaving Nielsen to take it home on anchor.

Nielsen, who was part of that team from three years ago in Doha that cruelly finished fourth, stopped the clock at 3:22.64 for bronze and a seventh medal for the British team in Oregon, the same number won at the 2015 and 2013 World Championships.

‘It’s my first medal with GB and NI and I wanted it badly,’ said Nicole.

‘I knew we could do it and we were right in the pack. I can’t wait for next year.’

Nielsen said: ‘It was exciting. I kept thinking ‘I can’t believe we’re in bronze, I can’t believe we’re in bronze’.

‘We knew we could do it. I also want to say thank you to Ama Pipi (replaced by Knight for the final), this medal is as much hers as it is ours and Zoey Clark who has been a fantastic team member.’

Zoey, selected only for the relays, did see some action in the Mixed Relay event early in the competition in Oregon, although GB and Ni failed to progress from the heat.

Eilish McColgan for her part had started her hectic summer by racing in both the 10,000m and the 5000m. She finished 10th at the longer distance and 11th over 5k. There were 11 Scots in all involved in the GB and NI team in America and here’s a summary of other performances: Andy Butchart (5000m) – ninth in heat Beth Dobbin (200m) – fourth in heat Neil Gourley (1500m) – sixth in heat Josh Kerr (1500m) – fifth place in final Nick Percy (Discus) – 14th in qualifying Jemma Reekie (800m) – fifth in semi-final Photos: British Athletics – Getty Images

This golden era of Scottish athletics should be treasured

Olympian-turned-sportswriter Susan Egelstaff is in no doubt that the Class of 2022 deserve a (very) prominent place in the history of our sport.

Here’s a ‘How Others See Us’ column from Susan.

By Susan Egelstaff

There is something both fascinating and futile about comparing eras.

Despite the guarantee there will never be a definitive answer as to which era is the best in any given sport, the debate is endless.

No matter how nostalgic an athletics fan one is, it is impossible to argue that this current era of Scottish athletics isn’t one of the very best ever.

It is, I’d suggest, by some distance, the very best ever.

There is, of course, the inevitable recency bias which favours current-day athletes.

With so many outstanding results over the past few years, and this summer in particular, it is easy to be somewhat blinded to performances that occurred decades ago.

But I refuse to be convinced that Scottish athletics has ever been in as healthy a state as it currently enjoys.

As the third major championship – the European Championships – in the space of five weeks drew to a close, it was almost

impossible to list every notable result by Scottish athletes this summer.

The highlight, without question, was Jake Wightman’s world title-winning run in July.

His 1500m gold, while not entirely surprising considering his consistency over the past five years, was predicted by few and is certainly one of, if not the single greatest achievement by a Scottish track and field athlete in the history of the sport.

Added to that, this summer alone, Laura Muir and Eilish McColgan’s Commonwealth title-winning exploits, as well as Josh Kerr’s Olympic bronze last summer and the impressive performances by Para athletes such as Samantha Kinghorn in recent seasons, the standard is breathtaking.

Over 20 Scottish outdoor records have been set by active athletes in the past few years which is, by anyone’s standards, astonishing.

It is often easy to take for granted success when it comes so regularly to a sport.

Certainly, this current crop of Scottish track and field athletes have set the bar so high that medals are not only hoped for, they are expected.

But we must recognise quite how remarkable this current generation is.

The 80s into the early 90s was, for so long, seen as the halcyon days for the sport in this country.

Liz McColgan, Yvonne Murray, Tom McKean and Allan Wells were regularly competing,

and beating, the world’s very best just as today’s crop are doing.

But the difference now is that the strengthin-depth is unlike anything ever seen in the sport in this country, even at its previous peak.

The men’s 1500m alone has three individuals who all have feasible aspirations to medal at global championships. That is ridiculous.

There are sprinters, middle distance, long distance and field athletes who can all claim to be world-class.

We must appreciate quite how impressive that is for a country with a population of only five and a half million.

What cannot be assumed is that this strength across the board will continue indefinitely.

Certainly, the signs are good that there is talent in the youth ranks that is capable of filling the shoes of some of these stars.

But just as producing another Andy Murray is by no means a guarantee, so too will it be unspeakably hard to produce another Wightman, Kerr or Muir in the near future.

So while we’re in the middle of it, let us all appreciate this current era of Scottish athletics as the phenomenon it indisputably is.

*This piece rst appeared via Susan’s Egelstaff’s column in the Herald on Sunday ‘

Athletics Trust Scotland has launched its rst project to improve the health and wellbeing of communities in Scotland.

Called ‘Transforming Lives’, the project aims to capitalise on record levels of participation in running and athletics and the success of our top stars.

The Trust is backed by Eilidh Doyle, Scotland’s most decorated track and eld athlete, and Paralympic champion Jo Butter eld. Both are Trustees.

It will focus on increasing involvement in running and athletics in areas of higher deprivation and within underrepresented groups in Scotland.

The Transforming Lives project will also fund ‘start-up kits’ for local running and athletics groups in priority areas and provide equipment, development of volunteer coaches and a fund to help talented athletes reach their full potential.

Mark Gallacher was once a promising youngster making his way in the sport but later suffered from weight problems and was a heavy smoker. Three decades later and he’s better-known across our community for outstanding Masters performances.

How and when did you initially get involved in running or athletics?

I ran as a youngster, from 1982 -1990. Then I became an overweight chainsmoker, finding it difficult to deal with certain aspects of my life.

I stopped running until 2011 when I ran a 10k to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Care after my dad and my sister both died of cancer within a year of each other. After a couple of years of back injuries and trying to stop smoking, I joined jogscotland in 2013.

How has it helped?

Running didn’t just help physically. It gave me an entire lifestyle change – 20 odd years of smoking stopped, binge drinking stopped.

Most importantly, running gave me confidence and belief in myself which has gone into other areas of my life.

How would you describe the running and athletics community?

On the whole it’s the most supportive network I have come across. A diverse range of people who wouldn’t have become friends without this shared interest, and common goals. The vast majority are there to help and encourage each other.

Running has enabled me to meet so many people that I wouldn’t have otherwise as I am a very shy, reserved person. Through running and writing my blog on my experiences I have made so many good friends.

Do you have any advice or have you come across any hurdles?

We need to encourage people to encourage each other and also have the courage to call out people doing the opposite.

Runners need to stand up for each other and call this out. It has almost made me stop my journey on a number of occasions.

Has it changed your life?

Turned my life around? Of course it has. I am a different and better person.

I have a new and wide circle of friends and running buddies. I have focus. I have an outlet to clear my head when things are tough, breathing space can be a powerful thing.

I am in good shape physically and mentally. I have used it to set my own targets as I went along, from having the focus to stop smoking and lose weight to being able to run to the next lampost, to joining jogscotland, to a sub-50 minute 10k, sub-45, sub-40, sub-36 , having the courage to join a club, even joining different clubs to suit my circumstances (me having courage to change cannot be underestimated!).

Where are you now?

All this gave me the belief I could enter national champs, then the belief I could medal, then the belief I could win a title, break a record and represent my country for the first time since 1989 (a 32 year gap).

I also received an award for my blog at the O2 in London.

‘After the smoking and binge drinking, running gave me an entire lifestyle change . . . my confidence and belief soared’

Mark Gallacher, Cambuslang Harriers

will also fund ‘start-up kits’ for

Far-sighted

Throws group goes from strength to length

‘We are trying to promote the throws not just within our club and within Lanarkshire but across Scotland,’ says Law and District AAC coach Don McLeod.

It’s a bold statement from the man tasked with leading throws at the club but, after a less than illustrious beginning, the club’s efforts to develop young athletes and provide a supportive coaching environment are gaining traction.

‘From the outset it was hard to recruit people into throwing; they were like, ‘What’s this?!’ says McLeod.

‘But I think the club soon realised that throwing events were very important, especially at league meetings.’

McLeod’s reputation precedes him. A former parent-helper and Level 1 Assistant Coach at the now-defunct Lanark and Lesmahagow, he joined Law and District with his daughter almost 20 years ago. At the time he became the club’s only throws coach. He’s now one of six.

As the number and quality of athletes in the squad has increased, the group’s objective has evolved to focus on performance as well as grassroots participation, in addition

to coach development. Respecting the discipline, which is too often underestimated, is key.

‘What they tend to do with youngsters who cannae run or are too heavy or whatever, the other coaches say, ‘You’ll make a great thrower’ . . . but in order to be a good thrower you need to be athletic, coordinated, balanced,” says McLeod.

‘We now have six throws coaches at Law and I would imagine that’s the most anywhere in Scotland.

‘It comes from the love of the sport, definitely for me. I think there’s a love of the discipline, wanting to see kids do well whatever they choose, and we’ve got a very good squad set up at Law, good squad harmony and talented athletes.’

Colin Gray joined Law as a throws coach mid-pandemic. His daughter was already at the club and he’d seen those strengths - enthusiasm from athletes and coaches, a willingness to learn and hunger to compete - first-hand.

Having developed his own coaching skills, Colin was confident he’d learn more by joining such a progressive group alongside a knowledgeable and respected lead coach.

His daughter Jade, a shot putt bronze medallist at the recent UK School Games, is the latest athlete in the group to represent Scotland. That in itself is exceptional, but Law’s coaches operate on a broad spectrum of success. Their view is that while it’s great to represent Scotland, medals at the Lanarkshire Championships are also significant.

‘Our national schools and West District medal tally – and I’m no’ blawin’ wur own

trumpet here - is amazing,’ says McLeod.

‘If there are no Law athletes in the top three in most of the throwing events, we’re quite surprised. That’s because they’re keen; and the parents are keen. We’re quite lucky we have a talented bunch of kids, but we definitely need the parental support.’

Gray adds: ‘I think we’re also very lucky with our coaches. When you look at the size of our squad, we could have 18 kids plus seniors, and the fact we can split the team up and send a coach to shot putt, to javelin, to the discus and hammer, that helps the athletes improve. We’ve always got someone encouraging the athletes at events too.’

McLeod says: ‘There’s a continuity there which is good for everybody. It’s been a bit of a struggle throughout the years but there is momentum now.’

This is no longer a one-man-band. Law and District’s throws squad is building its own reputation and making people pay attention. Where they once found it hard to recruit, they’re now approached by athletes – and coaches - who want to be part of it.

‘This is a fantastic example of a proactive and innovative club which is starting to make a massive impact on throws in Scotland

‘It’s great to see a club like Law and District not only recognise the need for further throws provision but to drive a programme through people like Don and Colin, recruit and support the training of new throws coaches, and provide a throws coaching environment the envy of many clubs around the country.’

Alison Grey, scottishathletics National Throws Co-ordinator

Wishaw-based throws coaches (L-R): Graeme Ferguson, Don McLeod, Shannon Waldron, Colin Gray, David Lees. (Below photo) Carluke-based coach Paul Dearie

Relaxed approach suits Kirsty

At the European Off-Road Champs in the summer, Kirsty Dickson landed team gold in the uphill only event.

But, as she explained to Daniel Rees, the Carnethy HRC runner’s mindset may differ from others at a high level

Hill runner Kirsty Dickson’s philosophy is quite unlike that of many athletes competing at an elite level.

In fact, Kirsty would not even class herself as particularly competitive. Her approach to hill running – she specialises in the uphill only category – is one which revolves around running’s social element. The times, the mileage, the international call-ups, are all secondary.

That’s not what it used to be, though, and Dickson explains her previous mindset which, at one stage, was quite destructive.

Studying dentistry at Glasgow University, Dickson worked and trained to an unsustainable intensity. It took an invitation from a friend to go for a run up the Kilpatrick Hills for Kirsty to adjust her approach to a sport she had started to lose touch with.

‘From a young age, there’s a focus on grades, it’s about achieving, it’s about winning,’ she said.

‘Even at sport, it’s about achieving and what you can do to win. It was just that (same) mindset at university. I found it very hard going from achieving very highly academically, and going into a pool of high achievers where you’re just someone. For me, that was something I placed self-worth on, and running was the same.

“You are a victim of your environment, and so I found myself drawn into splits, how fast I was running, and everything that goes around it – the disordered attitude towards eating, stress, and sleep. At a young age, I was so impressionable and so vulnerable, and really, I wasn’t able to stand up for what made me happy, because I thought the environment I was in would know better. It was a dysfunctional relationship.”

So, what changed? Often, it takes something spontaneous to wake one up to reality, and so it was for Dickson. Although it may have seemed counterintuitive at first, it was the removal of the goal, the doing away with measuring runs by speed, time, and distance, which brought Dickson back to the root of why she ran. Winning, achieving, and

performing all faded into the background.

‘It just made me remember that it was nothing to do with a time, it wasn’t competitive – it was more about being in nature that was one of the most important things. I just fell in love with it.

‘It just became a thing that I looked forward to the most – going out to a hill. I grew so fond of exploring, and exploring on your feet is an incredible capability.”

Dickson is now running the best she ever has – not that she feels a need to prove it

‘Even if I was the slowest person in Scotland, I would still do this every day – it’s the best thing I do every day.’

Kirsty Dickson (fourth from left)

Competitive edge

By Katy Barden

It wasn’t on the long list of target achievements she’d scribbled down as a 16-year-old, but the retrospective addition of ‘double World Masters Champion’ has sparked a resurgence for West Linton PE teacher Stacey Downie.

The 35-year-old is a Masters athlete and a reigning Scottish Senior champion. The two

are not mutually exclusive. In February 2022, she won the national indoor 400m title, and following her global success over 200m and 400m at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Finland, she took silver in the 100m and 200m at the 4J Senior Championships in Aberdeen in August.

Perhaps most notably - because this one was a bucket list item - she also won the 153rd New Year Sprint, only the third female athlete to do so since the inaugural race in 1870.

Downie’s first outing at the New Year Sprint was in 2003 and she has competed in the event almost every year since. Hers is a career driven by commitment, dedication and talent but also, frustratingly at times, compromised by illness and injury.

She believes that her relatively late development in the sport – she earned her first national age-group vest in 2006 and her first Senior vest in 2007 – has worked to her advantage and contributed to her longevity.

Her first coach, Charlie Russell, a highly acclaimed Scottish Borders-based sprints coach, has also been integral to her success.

‘I first met Charlie when I was around 12,’ says Stacey.

‘He taught me to grow up . . . and he didn’t allow me to get too big for my boots.’

For almost a decade, Russell guided Downie to multiple Scottish, English and British titles from their grass training base in Innerleithen, while she honed her competition skills and learned how to race on the Highland Games circuit.

‘I didn’t even consider leaving Charlie when I started at University,’ she continues.

‘I trained with him five days per week. I think having that stability, that’s why I did so well. He never put much pressure on me, but he knew when it came to a race I’d always perform.’

Winning the New Year Sprint (in the summer of 2022) was a dream that Downie and Russell – now in his 80s – had nursed for years.

Stacey still relishes racing – just like global idol Shelly-Ann

Stacey with Senior 100m medallists Sarah Malone (gold) and Kelsey Stewart (bronze)

Stacey had considered travelling south to compete in the English Championships but was undecided.

‘It was a tie up between winning something versus performing for times,’ she says. ‘I spoke to Charlie, and he thought I had a good mark. He said, ‘If I was you, I’d stay here.’

She did.

Downie’s renewed focus on achievements over times has served her well. It’s had to.

‘Last winter I was looking at all my close friends in the sport and thinking they’d all make the Commonwealth Games team, so why not me?’ she says.

‘I was trying to put everything in place because every provider I worked with had changed, and I thought, ‘Is this a sign I should just retire?’.

Victory at the Emirates Arena in February was a turning point. scottishathletics Historian Arnold Black confirmed that in taking gold she had completed a clean sweep of national indoor titles to add to individual outdoor titles at 100m, 200m and 400m and in doing so, matched an achievement held by Melanie Neef.

‘I ended up running an indoor PB for gold (56.42), so I thought, ‘Oh, OK, maybe I’ve still got it’, she says.

‘Finding out from Arnold that I’d made a bit of history was special and gave me a

Edinburgh AC celebrate Senior Women’s 4x100m gold 4J Relay Champs

boost going into outdoors. It also allowed me to see I was creating a legacy for future sprinters to aim at.

‘I think I was in quite a good place coming out the winter, but from March onwards it just didn’t work out. It felt like every single thing that could have gone wrong did go wrong. It’s meant so much to me over the years to get the best out of myself and to go to the Commonwealth Games, but I ran out of time. I knew I needed to change my focus.’

Her current coach Ryan Oswald, coach and partner to GB Olympian Zoey Clark, had alluded to the fact she was eligible for Masters competition and initially planted the seed of the World Masters Championships.

‘I thought, ‘I don’t feel that old yet, is this something I should take advantage of?’, she says.

‘One of my boyfriend’s worries was that the connotation of going out there was that I’d never compete for Scotland again (as a Senior), but it comes down to performances, and if I run quick enough, I’ll still get selected.

‘For women, I feel like there’s this thing that you get to your mid-20s, and you stop competing. I got my teaching degree when I was 24/25, and I remember getting asked on a podcast if I regretted that – like could I have postponed my teaching degree a little bit longer to explore my running career and come back to it? But I needed a career as well.

‘With the Masters, the connotation has often been, ‘you’re old, you’re past it, why are you still competing?’. But in fact it is a really

decent standard. The fact that everyone is competitive, it’s about getting the best out of themselves. That’s where I’m coming from now.’

Downie’s success in Finland has played its part in her change of perspective. It has also given her a welcome opportunity to re-write her list of athletics dreams.

‘I wrote down on a bit of paper when I got there ‘200m World Champion, 400m World Champion’, because I thought, no matter what, I’m getting through this with some sort of success. Charlie taught me how to focus on what I could do, and he taught me how to win.’

Seeing people achieve their goals across the age groups has re-energised Downie. It has also reinforced the value of taking the opportunities afforded to you; a point evidenced by her New Year Sprint win and her podium performances at the Scottish Senior championships in August.

She has also seen the value of legacy, and points to inspirational athletes such as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, as well as tennis player Serena Williams, as important role models in sport. She knows that she, too, must play her part.

‘There aren’t many folk my age still competing at my level in Scotland, let alone in the UK, so I’ve got a real opportunity to try and influence the sport a bit more on the women’s side,’ she says.

‘Performance-wise, I still don’t think I’ve got the best out of myself, but eventually I’d love to get into coaching and help on the female side, that’s where I see my journey going.’