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2021

Issue 2

PB INSIDE: 16 PAGES OF TOKYO GLORY

The official magazine for members of scottishathletics

Securing the future of athletics in Scotland Transforming lives Targeting medals Strengthening communities www.athleticstrustscotland.org.uk

04 Contacts

scottishathletics 05 Chief Executive Colin Hutchison 06 News:Record breakers 07 News: 08 4J Studios: Senior Champs 10 4J Studios: Age Groups Aberdeen 11 4J Studios: Age Groups Picture Special 12 British Champs 14 Ultra Running: ACP100k

issue...

15 Tokyo 2020: Olympics Special 16 Tokyo 2020: Laura Muir 18 Tokyo 2020: Josh Kerr 20 Tokyo 2020: Olympic Reflections 22 Tokyo 2020: Jemma Reekie 23 Tokyo 2020: Dobbin, Yeargin, Clark 24 Tokyo 2020: Marathon

26 Tokyo 2020: SAL Tokyo Twelve 28 Paralympics 2020: Maria Lyle

in this

25 Tokyo 2020: McColgan, Butchart

29 Paralympics 2020: Kinghorn, Woods, Rowlings 30 Paralympics 2020: Miller, Rae 31 Paralympics 2020: Clegg, Reid, Butterfield 32 Euro U23 Champs: Tallinn 33 Euro U20 Champs: Tallinn 34 PB Interview: Kirsty Costello 36 Grassroots: Motherwell A.C. 38 PB Interview: Michelle Sandison

The official magazine for members of scottishathletics www.scottishathletics.org.uk

Issue 2

PB2021

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Chief Executive

Colin Hutchison

o much has happened over the past five months it is difficult to know where to start.

Cautious optimism was probably the message back in April and now thankfully the focus is on continuing the momentum that has built up in athletics in Scotland through the summer. In amongst the uncertainty that has continued externally, particularly in late spring/early summer, one thing that has been clear throughout is that nothing has ever emphasised more the contribution of volunteers to the sport than the recovery from the impacts of the pandemic. The commitment that has been required to plan and implement a return to training ontrack and off-track is remarkable. Add in managing new booking systems, recruiting and training new volunteers, remaining compliant with Covid-19 procedures, and resuming competition, I’m sure every club in the country has never been more thankful to the thousands of volunteers that keep our sport alive. One of the highlights of the summer has undoubtedly been the return of National Championships. The support from the community for these events has been tremendous with entry numbers returning to pre-pandemic levels and our National Relays in September receiving its biggest ever entry.

Colin Hutchison Chief Executive Scottish Athletics

@SALChiefExec

Volunteers have never been more important ... and ours have stepped up once again One of the real positives to take from the past 18 months has been the acceleration of online learning for athletics coaches and officials which has helped make courses more accessible. The value of face-to-face learning and networking cannot be lost but the flexibility that can be offered through online learning is helpful. As we move into autumn, the National Academy will return with a cohort of new athletes joining the programme and event group projects will restart as we continue to evolve support for athletes and coaches across the pathway.

Medal moments are always to be savoured and after a 33-year wait for an individual medal at the Olympic Games, Laura Muir and Whilst caution is required and good practice Josh Kerr delivered two within 24-hours. Our needs to be reinforced, we look forward to Paralympians returned with an impressive continuing the return of the sport into the haul of six medals from four athletes (Libby As always, our purple army of officials Clegg; Sammi Kinghorn; Maria Lyle and winter season. have turned out to support the return to Owen Miller) and provided us with some competition locally and nationally, and we are By the time you read this, Ian Beattie great moments to remember. extremely grateful to them for their efforts. will have concluded his term as Chair of Outside of competition, it has been scottishathletics. It’s been fantastic to attend events once refreshing over the past couple of months to again and personally I have missed these begin focussing once again on existing and Ian was appointed nine years ago and opportunities to meet with club leaders, future projects to support clubs, coaches, has led the sport with great passion and coaches, officials, athletes and parents. officials and athletes. knowledge. Although there is significant coverage Our new development project ‘On the Right throughout the magazine, it would be remiss Track’ has started and will provide further His collaborative approach to modernising of me not to mention the achievements education to leaders across Scotland. sport has been welcomed and the progress of Scottish athletes at the Olympic and of athletics in Scotland since 2012 is Paralympic Games. The project recognises the role we all play in giving people across Scotland an opportunity reflected in strong membership across the Firstly, the selection of 21 athletes across country and repeated successes of athletes to participate in athletics and running and the Games was fantastic and congratulations explores how we can positively influence the on the global stage. to them all for representing Team GB and lives of participants. Scotland so well. On behalf of everyone in scottishathletics In October, we will see the return of our and the wider athletics community, I would Across a cohort of 21 athletes within bigger National Club Conference alongside our 4J like to thank Ian for his commitment and teams, there will of course be highs and Annual Awards which is always one of the forward-thinking approach to modernising lows during a Games. That is the nature of highlights of the year. the sport in Scotland. We look forward to sport. +++ continuing to work with Ian in his role as But whether it was gaining valuable Chair of Athletics Trust Scotland. experience, achieving a PB, reaching a final In coaching and officiating we have moved or winning a medal there was so much to be towards a blend of online and face-to-face scottishathletics celebrated across all the performances. learning.

Keep up to date with all the stories @www.scottishathletics.org.uk

Relay runners are Record-breakers!

cotland claimed a new Women’s 4x400m U20 National Record at the Manchester International.

The victory for the young quartet was the highlight of a series of strong performances by young Scots at the Manchester Regional Arena. It was a first taste of international action for many of the team and the results reflect more than dozen top two finishes as well as PBs.

Scotland competed in the U20 match against England, Wales, Northern Ireland and GB U18s. In total, there were five event wins for Scots: *Women’s 4x400m success in 3:43.08 *5000m win for Megan Keith in 16.10.35 *400m win for Rebecca Grieve in 55.38 PB performance *Shot put win for Teddy Tchoudja with 13.90m

NEWS And those four athletes from Pitreavie AAC, Edinburgh AC, Falkirk Victoria Harriers and Giffnock North delivered a superb performance to win in 3:43.08 – taking five seconds off the Scotland U20 Women’s Record for the event, set back in 2000 in Cyprus. The running order in Manchester was Vidak, Johnson, Callan and Grieve. Just as important as the good performances was the whole Manchester International experience for these teenage athletes.

*Discus win for Kiera Maxwell with 42.70 PB performance

The U20 age group (like others) been

*Katie Johnson of Edinburgh AC represented GB U18s in the Junior 800m race and won in 2:11.96.

to take a team and give as many athletes

Those victories for Grieve and Johnson set them up perfectly for the 4x400m Scotland U20 Women’s 4x400m set a new age group Record in Manchester (L-R): Sofia Vidak, Katie Johnson, Relay, where they were joined by Sofia Vidak and Rachel Callan, Rebecca Grieve Rachel Callan. (photo by Mark Shearman).

gave their time and experience to join the

opportunities, so it was felt very worthwhile as possible the chance to compete against others in the age group from around Britain. *Thanks to the volunteer coaches who Scotland team in Manchester alongside staff: David Watson, Bryan Roy, Duncan Flockhart, Linda Smith, Kirk Smith, Ryan McAllister, Anne Scott.

UK School Games

he UK School Games was held at Loughborourgh University in early September, with 35 Scottish athletes making the trip. Organisation was slightly different this year with criteria set before selection, and athletes arranged into teams named after Olympic host cities, with Scotland providing management team for two of the teams. Scots bringing home individual medals were: Gold - Libby White (TJ), Kai Crawford (800m), Katie Johnson (800m), Rebecca Greive (300m), Louisa Brown (3000m) and Dean Patterson (200m). Silver - Freya Howgate (Para mixed class shot put), Dawn Russell (hammer), Calum Mackenzie (400m) Cameron Deverill (1500m)

affected by Covid-19 hitting competition

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Bronze Cameron Thores (Para mixed class ambulant 100m) Samuel Kane (LJ), Meghan Porterfield (SP), Kate Harvie (TJ). There were also relay medals: 4x400m Gold - Katie Johnson, Cameron Deverill & Rebecca Greive; 4x100m Gold Dean Patterson 4x400m silver – Kai Crawford; Para Universal relay silver Freya Howgate. There was a particularly strong performance in the Triple Jump, where Scottish athletes filled 1-3-4 places (Holly Kirkwood in forurth). That 3000m gold for Louisa of Garscube Harriers was also

impressive, securing the win by 20 seconds in a new PB of 9:30.89 and a new School Games record. There were, in addition, a number of excellent PBs across many events congratulations to all the athletes taking part and gaining valuable competition experience. They were, as a group, praised for their commitment and team spirit, supporting other Scots as well as their team.

#SALtogether! Why you are all part of the podium moments

o Pavey believes the whole athletics community in Scotland has helped contribute to a superb summer of success at the Olympics and Paralympics and all points in between. The five-time Olympian will be our Guest of Honour at the 4J Annual Awards Dinner in Glasgow next month. And Pavey’s vast experience in the sport tells her that there’s no elite success without a pathway and the hugely influential support of volunteers at club level – be that as coaches, helpers or qualified Officials. ‘Scottish athletes made a huge impact on the medals won by Team GB in both the Olympic and Paralympic games and there were so many outstanding performances

It was the day Scotland owned New York. Jemma Reekie won the Women’s 5th Avenue Mile in 4:21.6 and Jake Wightman quickly followed that up as he claimed victory in the Men’s race in a fine 3:49.6. The race is a highly prestigious one but the Scots topped the podium as two of our Olympians ended memorable seasons on a high a few weeks on from Tokyo. Jake had won it in 2018 and repeated that but with a quicker time. ********************************** Eilish McColgan made her half marathon debut at the 40th anniversary Great North Run and came up with a superb performance to finish second to Hellen Obiri. The British 5,000m record holder - whose

‘There are so many people who have been there for the athletes from the time they first ‘The strength and depth of the talent in the joined an athletics club to the moment they country is admirable and as a small nation go on to compete at events such as the Scotland has been punching above its weight Olympic and Paralympic games. to great effect. ‘During my own career, I was always grateful ‘It’s also really important to celebrate the to the people who helped me along the way. fantastic work members of the athletes support networks have carried out to help ‘When I’ve stood on the start line of an Olympic Games, I’ve always taken a moment the athletes gain such great results. to look up at the flame and feel thankful ‘These are the people who support athletes to the people who have enabled me to be throughout their careers. Without their there. support, it would be impossible for athletes to achieve their goals. ‘So I’m very much looking forward to the 4J Annual Awards as a night when we can all ‘The selfless hard work they put in forms the show our thanks to the amazing volunteers, backbone of our sport enabling athletes to officials, coaches and clubs that have played train and compete and enjoy their athletics. such a key part in the success.’ across so many events,’ said Jo.

mother Liz won the race three times in the 1990s - finished only six seconds behind Obiri in 67:48. That’s the third fastest time ever by a British woman with only Paula Radcliffe and Liz McColgan having run faster for the half marathon. ‘I can’t ask for any more than that from today,’ said Eilish, who of course competed at her third Olympics in Tokyo. ‘I wanted to be competitive and I’m quite proud of myself of not mentally giving in.’ ********************************** Adam Thomas has moved to third in the Scottish men’s all-time list for 100m. Adam clocked a new PB of 10.18 at Newham to get inside the qualifying

standard for the Commonwealth Games next summer. Allan Wells leads the list with 10.11 with Ian Mackie second at 10.17. But Adam’s run was the best by a Scot since 1996 and took him above the trio of Jamie Henderson, Elliot Bunney and Cameron Sharp. ********************************** Scotland’s Charlotte Morgan continues to impress in the WMRA World Cup series. Charlotte won the Canfranc race in Spain on September 12, a 45k event with 4000m ascent/descent. Charlotte finished first in 6.38.09 from France’s Olivia Magnone (6.57.14).

scottishathletics

4J Studios Senior Champs lingering through Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. ‘It still means something to me to be Scottish champion. It is a big goal when you are growing up. Athletes often then start to look towards British medals, or selections for Commonwealths, Europeans or Worlds and your aims change a wee bit. ‘But I’ve found I usually jump well at Grangemouth and I’m delighted to get a Season’s Best, slice of the prize pot and a Commonwealth Games standard.’ Smith’s 2.23m was one of the standout performance and there were two more to savour in the horizontal jumps.

Carrying the torch Field stars fan the flames at Grangemouth By Peter Jardine

onument Mile event organiser and Central AC coach Michael Wright kicked off a Twitter theme in the countdown to the return of National Championships at Grangemouth. With commendable bubbling enthusiasm, Michael likened the flickering ‘eternal flame’ at the petrol-chemical plant close to the stadium as Scotland’s answer to the Olympic flame and others were quick to carry the torch. And, despite winning her 13th Scottish Senior title and being more that entitled to contemplate putting her feet on the sofa,

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Kirsty Law candidly revealed the fires that still burn within.

Bera Ajala was centre stage on Saturday with 15.89m in the Triple Jump as he broke a Scottish U20 Record held for 38 years since Craig Duncan reached 15.69 back in 1983. The Edinburgh AC athlete, now studying in Michigan, has set his heart on atoning for missing out on the Euro U20 final in Tallinn four weeks previously. ‘I didn’t want my season to sign off on that note in Estonia because everything was set up that weekend – physically and mentally – for me to make the final,’ said Bera.

‘I want to give it another three years in the sport,’ said the 34-year-old who set a Alessandro Schenini’s motivation was 60.13m discus PB before her season ended. different. He didn’t make the Euro U23 ‘I have this feeling that I have not yet fulfilled qualifying standard of 7.70 in the long jump but used our Jumps GP series to find some my potential and that’s driving me on. The rhythm. Commonwealth Games are next year, and the Europeans, and I’d love to throw at both.

‘Then it is only two years left until the Olympics and I would love to have a crack at qualifying for Paris in 2024.’ It was pointed out, and not too subtly (by yours truly), that keeping on throwing until then would take Kirsty well beyond 20 years in the sport. ‘Eh, I started at U13 and I am 34 now so I think we could be looking at 25 years or so . . .’

Come the Sunday at Grangemouth and he leapt to fifth on the all-time list with 7.76. ‘How far can I jump? That’s the always the question I guess and I think for all Scottish long jumpers the 8m mark is always a big target. ‘I’d love to make the Commonwealth Games standard (7.85m) next summer and then try and make the team for Birmingham.’

Law’s attitude is brilliant and her loyalty to the Scottish Champs was rewarded with a three-way split of £2000 from our prize pot. She has missed it in the past but 56.34m was well clear of the 54m standard.

Andrew Murphy, with a pole vault and hurdles double; Rachel Hunter, in a hammer competition delayed by a cage issue; and Greg Millar in the javelin, were other notable names among our field medallists.

Nick Percy did likewise the following day as he threw out to 59.47m for his discus gold before David Smith took to the high jump runway. The Giffnock North athlete needed to clear 2.22m and did so at 2.23m with a first time leap.

Craig Charlton (shot) and Sarah Warnock (long jump) had the satisfaction of defending titles they won in 2019 with improved distances.

‘This has been my toughest year in athletics,’ said David, with a series of injury issues

Arguably as important as all of the above, many of those mentioned kept the Scottish Senior Championship flame burning brightly at Grangemouth . . .

4J Studios Senior Champs

Coaching journey reaches podium platform

‘It was my last competition up in Scotland with Gordon as my coach. I know it’s been a life-long ambition of Gordon’s to have a Scottish senior champion and he’d been close a couple of times in the past.’

he trip from East Kilbride to Grangemouth is neither too far nor too arduous.

Yet for Scotland international sprinter Greg Kelly and his trusted, long-time coach Gordon Bury, the journey lasted almost ten years and carried real sentimental significance on Sunday 15 August. Gordon had missed Greg’s silver medal run on the Saturday as Allan Hamilton claimed gold. The East Kilbride AC coach was absent with good reason – he was after all father of the bride for daughter Amelia’s wedding. Then, late in the Sunday programme, Greg delivered the 200m gold in the final race for the partnership before the 22-year-old heads to Loughborough to study for a Masters degree.

Ben Greenwood was more than entitled to savour his 800m gold – as tangible recognition for a strong ‘comeback’ this season. The Perth Strathtay athlete saw off the challenge of Kane Elliott to win over two laps after being coached and coaxed back to full fitness in 2021 by Carol Sharp.

The two 1500m finals witnessed exciting races with Inverclyde AC athlete, Ben Potrykus, taking the men’s gold and Sarah Calvert of Livingston coming up with one of the performances of the championships to strip five seconds off her PB to win in 4:14 . Allan Hamilton dedicated his 100m gold to his late grandfather, George Sinclair, with the former Edinburgh coach having passed away a week or so before the Senior Champs.

‘I’ve won indoors in the past but I’ve missed the outdoors a few times being in America or Aberdeen AAC’s Roisin Harrison took the injury,’ said Ben. 100m gold but a hamstring injury midway ‘The last one I did was in 2016 and I was through the 200m cost her a potential sprint pipped at the finish by an Irish athlete (Kieran double. Kelly) and took second. ‘It’s nice to be back. With the form I’ve been in during this year I wanted to come back and try and finally win a Scottish National title.

The PB run of 21.37 simply made it sweeter as did the fact that it ended a significant wait for Gordon to coach a Scottish champion.

PBs this year at 800 and 1500 confirm Ben’s progress.

‘I was delighted for Gordon as well,’ said Greg.

‘The main thing now is I’m training well and I am in touch with my speed,’ he said.

‘I didn’t actually know the coaches got a medal at the Scottish Championships, so I was pleased for him because it is a team effort.

‘I’ve had to get used to racing again. I went to Manchester for the British Champs and ran a PB in the 800m – after waiting for four years!

‘It’s been nine years coming and I’ve won various age group titles. I have two senior silvers and a bronze, so to get the gold now and Gordon get his recognition, he deserves it as much as myself.

‘I’ve had a few years of just trying to stick at it and hoping, really, that ultimately I would see some improvement. Now this year there has been a shift forward again and I feel good and am enjoying it.’

Instead, the gold was bound slightly further north than the Granite City – as Orkney AC’s Taylah Spence won in 24.86 seconds. ‘It’s taken a lot of hard work, that’s for sure ,’ said the Kirkwall midwife, who is coached by Eoghan MacNamara. ‘I don’t think some people realise that it’s not just summer training, it is working all year round. When you get these results, it really makes it all worth it.’ Not to forget the lengthy and expensive journey from Orkney to Grangemouth and back; so different from coming to and from East Kilbride. And yet, in some ways, not that different at all.

scottishathletics

Header 4J Studios Age Groups

Aberdeen

Clearing the Covid-19 barriers

ith a big entry of 723 athletes on start-lists, and clubs from the length and breadth of Scotland represented, the prospects for the 4J Studios Age Group Champs looked good in advance.

knowledge proved useful.

Late August sunshine against the backdrop of the superb facilities at Aberdeen Sports Village merely added to the anticipation.

‘It is absolutely fantastic to be back,’ said Inverness Harriers President, Duncan Flockhart.

But there was still something different about the atmosphere inside the venue early on the Saturday morning as the U20 programme began and the U15s gathered for their champs.

‘Competition is really important and of course it has been missing at national level because of Covid-19.

An upbeat mood, the anticipation of competition via a first National Championships in two years, folk meeting again after long absences – all were very much in evidence. Above all, with masks no longer mandatory outdoors, simply seeing the smiles across the faces of young athletes, parents, coaches, volunteers and our dedicated team of qualified Officials was a key weekend highlight. Those smiles stretched all the way from the podium in Aberdeen to other parts of the country via our Vinco live stream – the first time we’ve done these events with that form of coverage. Former Banchory and Stonehaven athlete, Daniel Rees, was in the chair as the main commentator for the weekend and local

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So did experience of the Age Group Champs and Daniel and his Sunday co-commentator, Kelsey Stewart, had plenty of reference points in that regard.

‘Just to see the enjoyment across the faces of young athletes has been very special. ‘Medals are important and of course athletes competing want to make that podium – but just getting out there and competing with your rivals from around Scotland is essential for the overall development of the sport. ‘If you look at the U13s and U15s then there are kids in those age groups who haven’t competed before (with so much cancelled in 2020 and into 2021).

her 23.96 run over the longer distance an impressive PB. On Sunday, with Murray Fotheringham having won the 200m, Sol Stewart edged out Dean Patterson by a single hundredth of a second in 10.90 in an exciting 100m final. Edinburgh AC athlete Katie Johnson arrived in Aberdeen with a quadruple mission in mind – and duly achieved it as she added the U20 800m gold to the Scottish U17 title and victories over the same distance at the England Athletics events for both U20 and U17. Johnson was pushed back into second by Sophia Vidak at 400m the following day with the Falkirk Victoria Harriers winning in 55 . Fotheringham completed a gold double in the High Jump and Ben Sandilands of Fife AC wrapped up an 800m-1500m double – with his Fife AC club-mate, Sarah Coutts, winning the U20 Women’s 1500m. Rachel MacLennan of Inverness, Rosie Sharples of Falkirk, Amy Kennedy of Cumbernauld and Exeter-based Scot Josh Tyler were among our field event champions at U20.

‘So for many of them, and even the U20s too, there’s a big learning curve. It’s here that you find out about competing at National Championships and progress and develop as As the weekend drew towards a close, Jane Davidson gave Aberdeen AAC a ‘home win’ in an athlete.’ the sprint hurdles with her dad, club stalwart Former sprint legend, Ian Mackie, echoed Mark, among those instrumental in helping Duncan’s thoughts as he cast his eye over us stage the event. the event as a ‘nervous parent’ to Harris and As the hurdles were put away, the feeling Sophia. lingered that the sport had beaten some of He watched Alyson Bell land a 100m/200m the significant barriers placed before us by Covid-19. double in the U20 Women’s division with

4J Studios Age Groups

Aberdeen Header

Throws and Jumps Picture Special By Bobby Gavin

scottishathletics

British Champs

Simply the vest Club bond very clear as Scots impress in Manchester

ass participation is a label we normally associate with cross country or road running. For big occasions such as the Lindsays National XC or indeed the Great Scottish Run, in preCovid-19 times, of course. Yet in an odd way it seemed applicable to the Scottish presence at the Muller British Champs in Manchester at the end of June. The sheer strength of the Scottish cohort in Manchester was evident both in numbers and at the podium. We made it around 65 athletes competed

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with many having headed south or arrived from other parts of the UK. One or two even flew in from further afield like Americanbased duo Josh Kerr and Nicole Yeargin. More on them in due course. Above all, the impact over three days at the Manchester Regional Arena next to the Etihad Stadium felt like a strong statement: track and field is back and we’re ready once again for UK-wide competition. As it transpired, the medal count reached an impressive 14 as half a dozen of our elite won their ‘Race to the Olympics’ via the trials element of the Muller British Champs. It’s not possible to capture every

performance from a Scot in Manchester (although we did give it a right good go to do so on our social media channels at the time). Instead, let’s pick a couple of highlights. Starting at the finish, so to speak, the final event of the weekend saw Beth Dobbin claim a top two place in the Women’s 200m and secure her place at the Olympics for the first time. Beth, who had issues with epilepsy while growing up, is never anything less than candid on these occasions. ‘I’ve had sleepless nights over this over the past few weeks and so much stress,’ she said.

British Champs ‘That’s what the British Athletics Champs are like when you know you have to be in the top two. Five years ago when Rio was on I was nowhere near this level. My coach, Leon Baptiste, has done an amazing job and even in 2018, my breakthrough year, I was doing 40 hours a week in part-time jobs. ‘Now this is my job and I’ve got support but that brings a bit of pressure. My family were all in tears there when I went off to celebrate with them. I am sure my dad (Jim, a former professional footballer) was in tears but he will probably deny it!’ Sticking with the Edinburgh AC connection, the men’s 1500m was one of the most eagerly-awaited events of the championships. It did not disappoint, even if the home straight bore the look of the EAC Club Champs as Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr battle for the line. There were only five hundredths between them – the width of the well-known white Edinburgh vest – as Kerr took it in 3:40.72 to Wightman’s 3:40.77 after a fairly pedestrian opening 1200m or so. Automatic selection for Tokyo was their reward, as well as the British Championships 1-2. ‘I love wearing the Edinburgh vest and we’ve had a few showdowns now over the years at the British Champs,’ said Josh. ‘We just needed Chris O’Hare alongside us to make it the club champs! Jake and I battled for second in 2017 and 2019 and this time it was for top two and that’s the main thing. ‘But I am thrilled to win the British title for the first time because that’s what I came here to do.’ Talking of vests, Yeargin wore the colours of Pitreavie AAC for the first time as a nod to her mother being from Dunfermline. Again, a top two finish was enough with the ticket to Japan as precious as the silver medal on a British Champs debut for Nicole. ‘My family in Scotland were watching and everyone is absolutely thrilled,’ she said. ‘Five years ago I took up track and field to

stay in shape so it is crazy to think how far I have come. I was 18 and wanted to be a high jumper at that time!.’ Yeargin certainly made the leap but what of our throwers in Manchester? Kirsty Law was won the British title twice in recent years but unfortunately a bad day at the (circular) office saw that podium run end.

and the pride felt by clubs, coaches and the wider athletics community here was very evident across social media.

MULLER BRITISH CHAMPS 2021 MEDAL HAUL GOLD for Josh Kerr in Men’s 1500m SILVER for Nicole Yeargin in the Women’s 400m

Four other Scottish throwers, however, beat a path to the podium.

SILVER for Andy Butchart in the Men’s 5000m

Greg Millar pitched the javelin out to 71.90m on his final round throw to land bronze – adding a metre to his PB. Greg is unchallenged as Scotland’s No 1 javelin thrower and has been in the sport more than a few years. But he still very much sees the point in javelin.

SILVER for Erin Wallace in Women’s 1500m

It is an attitude reflected across the board by Scots in Manchester that weekend

SILVER for Jake Wightman in Men’s 1500m SILVER for Nick Percy in Men’s Discus SILVER for Beth Dobbin in the Women’s 200m SILVER for Jemma Reekie in the Women’s 800m SILVER for Chris Bennett in the Men’s Hammer BRONZE for David Smith in Men’s High Jump BRONZE for Sarah Tait in Women’s 3000m steeplechase BRONZE for Rachel Hunter in Women’s Hammer BRONZE for Greg Millar in the Men’s Javelin BRONZE for Laura Muir in the Women’s 800m

Ultra Running

ACP 100k ‘It felt like a real rennaisance for our men’s team to come back from East District XC in 2019 with a bronze medal. The competition to count for the team that day was what won us that medal. ‘If the fitness behind Scotland’s ACP victory was built running round an Aberdonian industrial estate, the belief and ambition came from my team-mate Kyle Greig. ‘I’m not sure if I’d considered racing 100k before Kyle won a Scottish silver medal in Perth in 2019 but that was certainly the first time I had heard of the ACP. The seeds were sown in my head that day.

Scotland runners line up for the ACP with winner Chris Richardson (wearing No 192)

How Chris took the Metro to ultra success

hris Richardson made his Scotland debut in ultra running in the Anglo Celtic Plate on a motor racing circuit in Ireland in August. Within seven hours (or so) he crossed the line in first place to lead a trio of Metro Aberdeen men home in a 1-2-3 that gave Scotland the men’s team golds.

Chris, in fact, battled hard with Jason Kelly for the individual gold to win in 7:00.49 with Kyle Greig in third in 7:07.07. Kelly finished in 7:05.15.

Scotland women took silver medals with Jo Murphy placed best at second in 7:50.58. So how did the whole experience feel for Scotland debutant, 30-yeard-old Richardson? Here are a few thoughts from Chris . . . ‘Pulling on the Scotland vest I paused to consider the journey which led me to that point. ‘When I joined Metro Aberdeen Running Club in 2015, our senior men’s team was regularly outclassed by our more successful women’s and veterans teams. Since then, we have gradually built a culture of performance that culminated in a Metro men’s 1-2-3 at the Anglo Celtic Plate 100k. ‘What’s changed at Metro is the definition of normal. 60-mile weeks were impressive six years ago. Now consistently churning out 80, 100 or more miles on a weekly basis has become an expectation. Strong training groups have been built and the pace required to keep up in sessions has gradually increased.

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‘Cameron Strachan was perhaps an anomaly in racing at the sharp end of national events, but there were a motivated group of us behind him hungry for medals and willing to learn from each other.

‘I didn’t want to jump straight into it, but as a marathoner who had always underperformed relative to my peers at shorter distances, I wondered whether this would translate into relative over-performance at longer (but runable) races. Kyle showed the route to a Scotland vest and Jason and I both adjusted long-term plans to follow in his footsteps. ‘At that time a Scotland vest was a lofty ambition but I was in the early stages of a run of marathon breakthroughs from 2:39 in 2018 to 2:24 earlier this year. ‘It was when I broke the Speyside Way 60k record last year that I felt ready to take on 100k. ‘The race itself was a learning experience. I felt that medals were possible before the event and didn’t really have much reference as to what time to expect so I prioritised placing over time. ‘In that regard - coming first, with my friends, national team mates and club mates completing the podium – it was a complete success. However, post-race I feel that the lessons it has taught me about pain, nutrition and pacing can be learnt to run faster in the future. ‘Any race run well is painful. At the shorter distances you are required to dive headfirst into the pain, something I am perhaps not brave enough to do. ‘The marathon, and to some extent the half, are about gently wading out into the sea of pain in a controlled manner. ‘The nature of pain in a 100k was new for me. You don’t go looking for it – you lie down in the sand and patiently wait for the tide to come in and submerge you in suffering.’

Inside: 12 pages of reports and photos on our Scots with Team GB at the Olympics

Tokyo 2020

Laura Muir

Laura lights up Tokyo! From candles on a teenage birthday cake in Glasgow to the Olympic flame

aura Muir spent part of her 19th birthday at a Glasgow Athletics Association workshop about ‘periodisation’ and tapering training so performances peak at the right moment. After the session ended, a dozen or so coaches, athletes and parents were kindly offered a slice of birthday cake, the athlete clearly not of a mind to over-indulge even on a special occasion. That education session, when Iain White addressed those interested in a spartan meeting room at Nethercraigs, came to mind as Laura ascended the Olympic podium in Tokyo. A silver medal ended 33 years of hurt for Scots in terms of individual medals at the Olympics but it was also a huge triumph of patience and perseverance for athlete and coach. And of peaking at the right time. Andy Young had only been coaching the then Glasgow Uni student for a matter of months back in May 2012 but he was

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already assembling spreadsheets to forecast be both fast but also tactical is for qualified Laura’s times for various distances in the coaches to confirm, but that’s how it seemed years ahead. to the rest of us. All that planning, preparation and plotting came good on the evening of Friday 6 August under the night sky of an empty stadium in Tokyo. Laura Muir, so to speak, was able to have her cake and eat it. Quite how an Olympic final and 1500m can

The opening lap of 62 seconds immediately set the tone and there were still effectively four – of maybe even six - involved in the fight for the medals at the bell – with Faith Kipyegon and Sifan Hassan leading the charge as expected. Come the final 150m or so and Steve Cram was able to utter a line in commentary which

Tokyo 2020

Laura Muir

sounded like manna from heaven to those roaring at the screen around Scotland and beyond. ‘Laura Muir is going to win a medal, it is just a matter of what colour’. Those watching knew he was right but still wanted absolute confirmation. Within a few seconds it had been delivered as Laura had swept beyond Hassan and into second. ‘I honestly can’t put it into words,’ said Laura afterwards. ‘Missing out in global finals since 2015, coming fourth, fifth twice, sixth and seventh, and then for my first global medal not only to be an Olympic one but a silver and against the calibre of that field as well, and a British record just to top it off too, I couldn’t be happier. that showed in coming fourth and fifth (at London 2017 and Doha 2019). This year the training had no interruptions.

What they said

‘This is what I’m capable of and I’m just so happy that I was able to go out there and deliver what I feel I’m capable of doing.’

‘Laura is such a well-liked member of Team GB and to the athletics community in Scotland.

Muir expressed her gratitude for coach Young – live on TV just after the race, and in many other interviews.

‘That’s because there are no airs and graces about here. There’s not a shred of arrogance about Laura.

‘I’m such a different runner now to what I was then (in 2016), physiologically I just couldn’t deal with it, mentally I was going to go with it but my body just couldn’t cope.

‘Andy has planned for this for years,’ she said. ‘He’s sacrificed so much of his life in the past ten years. Was he pleased? Yes, I had that feeling . . .’

‘She just gets on with things and always has done. You see how hard she works in training and you see that determination when she races.

‘This time I’ve prepared for it, I’m 100% fit, in past years I haven’t been 100% and I think

As the Olympic coverage opened some 10 days earlier, Gabby Logan had neatly summed up the target aimed at by athletes, coaches and support teams:

‘But, off the track, she is so quiet, so friendly, so nice. On the track, she’s a fierce competitor.

‘I knew I was going to cry whether I did or didn’t get a medal, it was always going to end in tears, so I’m just so happy it was happy tears. ‘There’s been a lot of sad tears in the past few years so it’s just so great that I’ve finally got this and I think obviously after Covid and everything being delayed, it’s such a huge relief to have got a medal against everything that’s happened.

‘Laura Muir is going to win a medal, it is just a matter of what colour’. Steve Cram

‘The trouble with the Olympics is that after four years, or in this case five years, you have to peak at 6pm on Tuesday . . .’ Nine or so years after the planning began at Nethercraigs, the Muir/Young spreadsheets came good.

EILIDH DOYLE

‘I am certain being an Olympic medallist will not change her at all. We know her personality and Laura doesn’t forget her roots or her family. EVE MUIRHEAD: ‘Every Olympic medal is precious and the product of so much unseen dedication and sacrifice. ‘But when golds are being picked up left, right and centre you should never lose sight of the fact that the achievement level of a bronze or silver can sometimes be much higher than being on top of the podium. ‘Laura’s silver certainly fits into that category. ‘Because there have been so few track and field medallists for Scotland down the years, because the 1500 metres is such an iconic distance, because her final was absolutely stacked with world class runners.’

scottishathletics

Tokyo 2020

Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman

Seize the day Josh is front and centre after bronze medal dash By Peter Jardine

osh Kerr and big brother Jake took sibling rivalry to extremes as both honed their competitive edge growing up in Edinburgh. On the rugby field, the athletics track or in fact any kind of sporting arena whatsoever, oneupmanship was up for grabs, apparently. Come the evening of Saturday 7 August in Japan and Josh may just have been able to put one over on Jake – a Scotland international in Rugby Union – as he dialled home to share some good news with his family. As it transpired, two other Jakes were in his wake in the final of the Men’s 1500m at the Olympics. Team GB and NI celebrated three men in the final of the metric mile for the first time since Seb Coe, Steve Cram and Steve Ovett contested the 1984 medals in Los Angeles. This time, pre-race, it did look as if the best of the Brits – from the trio of Kerr, Jake Wightman and Jake Heyward – might be in the hunt for the podium.

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In fairness, the competition stretched considerably beyond that, too, with the likes of Australia’s Stewart McSweyn and Asbel Kipsang likely to challenge as well as the strongly-fancied Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Timothy Cheruiyot. None other than four-time Olympian Nick Willis, who lost out at the semi-final stage in Tokyo, called the final the best-ever at the Olympics. So huge kudos to Kerr, then, for a superblyexecuted last 650m or so which saw him come through from seventh to third in a new Scottish Record of 3:29.05 – and within four hundredths of silver-medallist Cheruiyot.

‘You dream about things like this and when it comes together it’s very difficult to handle it emotionally,’ said Josh later, with the tears having flowed in that call home to Edinburgh. ‘It takes such an army to get to these places. Even Colin my coach from when I was 12 years old, those kinds of people help you through tough times as well. Without them you don’t get to that next stage. ‘It was just making sure everyone who’s sacrificed something to help me out is part of this process because it’s as much for them as it is for me.’ The army behind Josh extends to a sports psychologist, or mindfulness coach, called ‘Jose’ with whom he has worked during 2021. ‘In this world of sport you need someone to get your mind right,’ he said. ‘My man Jose is helping me tenfold in that. I came in and my mindset was bulletproof. That’s the way I raced and the way I’ll continue. ‘Mental health is so important and when you’ve got this high intensity of racing, it’s all part of the game. It’s exactly like training.

Tokyo 2020

Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman

‘But I sneaked through and made sure that I didn’t take any step out there for granted. Once a week I’ll see him and we’ll work on the mind. It’s as important as the body.’ There was some repair work to be done, mentally, after the opening round heat when Josh was edged into seventh on the line and out of the six automatic places for the semis. Fortunately, that first heat was fast and his time was enough to progress. ‘So I was very happy with the way I raced the semi-final and then in the final. I had this weird confidence in myself - some may call it ‘It was time to go home (to the Village) and cockiness - when you put the effort and work recalibrate, have a little think to myself about in and you’re surrounded by a team, you can the way I wanted to present myself here. It go all the way.’ wasn’t my day. ‘How bad was that first round huh? That really gives you a kick up the backside!

‘I feel like I perform every single time I go to the track and it’s kind of annoying that the one off day in the last two years being the first round of the Olympics ‘But I sneaked through and made sure that I didn’t take any step out there for granted.

Being surrounded by your peers in the Olympic Village doubtless affects different athletes in different ways. For Josh, watching 19-year-old Englishwoman Keely Hodgkinson return to the GB camp with a silver medal from the

Women’s 800m final simply stoked the fires further. ‘When the first medal came back to our GB camp with Keely Hodgkinson, I had to take myself away and think about that. I felt she had gone and seized the moment for herself and I wanted to do that. ‘To be honest, I wanted a bit of the limelight and the attention, too. I’m that self-centred!’ A candid admission; and a competitive edge to make his big brother proud.

scottishathletics

Tokyo 2020

Olympics

Wait off the shoulders How Laura ended our 33 years of hurt and then Josh repeated medal feat just 23 hours later

By Peter Jardine

rom Perth and Kinross to Perth, Australia. From Melbourne to Milnathort. From Aberdeen to Albuquerque.

Nine days in August saw athletics in Scotland go global as Laura Muir and Josh Kerr captured attention, and commanded headlines, which stretched way beyond these shore. Sounds fanciful? Consider the Facebook comment posted on our page on one of our bulletins on Laura’s 1500m silver medal success after almost 10 years as a GB and NI international and a first outing in cross country back in December 2011.

All the way from Down Under, our correspondent confirmed that despite the presence of two Australians – Linden Hall and Jessica Hull in the Women’s 1500m final in Tokyo - he was ‘supporting Laura’ after following our page a few years ago. We also noticed messages from Melbournebased family friends of the Muirs who, of course, hail from Milnathort hear Kinross. Kerr’s success the following day, when he took bronze in a thrilling Men’s 1500m final, was similarly well-received as our posts racked up thousands upon thousands of ‘likes’ and multiple reactions. From his Edinburgh AC roots to the University of New Mexico where he earned his track spurs, Josh was big news on either side of the Atlantic. Laura, of course, had become the first Scot to land an individual track and field medal at the Olympics for 33 years. Just 23 hours later and Josh joined her in our Olympic roll of honour. Incidentally, no lesser a judge than Nick Willis, the New Zealand icon eliminated at the semi-final stage in his fourth Games, later insisted the 2021 Men’s 1500m final should be remembered as the best ever in that event. Quite an endorsement.

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The Men’s semi-finals were seconds away from taking place around noon (our time) on

Thursday 5 August when the phone rang for your truly. It hardly counted as investigative journalism but nonetheless the caller from BBC Scotland Sport was persistent with his inquiry. ‘Eh, I wondered how long it has been since a Scot won an individual medal in track and field at the Olympics – just in case it happens tomorrow for Laura Muir?’ The timing wasn’t ideal with the temptation to shut off the call and firmly focus on the TV screen with Jake Wightman and then Josh lined up to compete. Would answering simply draw attention to that 33-year gap? Is it fair to burden the Class of 2021 with the weight of history? We need not have worried. Laura blew history to smithereens on that superb final lap in Tokyo and then revealed (to BBC Scotland Sport !!) that she had been on Google in the countdown to the final. ‘I wondered about the last individual medallists in track and field in terms of Scots and went online for the answer,’ she said.

Tokyo 2020

Olympics

London stop-over on the road to Tokyo ‘I saw it was Yvonne Murray in the 3000m and Eilish McColgan in the 10,000m in Seoul back in 1988.

It almost felt like: ‘Of course, he is good enough and of course there’s another Scottish medallist. Why ever not?’.

‘These are great names in athletics in Scotland. So to get up there alongside them is a great feeling.’

Pride in our athletes was already running high, it has to be said. To have a dozen selected for a GB and NI team at an Olympics is itself an achievement – as is making finals.

After a number of near-things in global finals, Laura took an emphatic silver as he headed Sifan Hassan on the closing straight behind imperious champion, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon. Later, on reflection, the raw emotion felt by many across the athletics community in Scotland as that Women’s 1500m final unfolded probably had source in two aspects: the weight of history collectively and secondly a deep desire to see Laura given due recognition for her career. Come the following day and the feeling when Josh pushed ahead of Asbel Kipsang (among others) and himself went desperately close to silver, was something more akin to rightful fulfilment

Medal success for Laura Muir and Josh Kerr met with a huge seal of approval from the athletics community in Scotland – and much of that is because of the bond established in their teen years. Laura and Josh were recognisable figures through the age groups and indeed featured in road and cross country events as well as track and field.

Time and again over those nine days we watched Scots finish in the top three, four or five in races, be that in heats, semi-finals, finals or Relays. Of course there were a couple of individual disappointments, with fitness issues afflicting our marathon runners, but that is the nature of sport. So is re-writing history – all 33 years of it. Laura broke the spell and Josh waved the wand again. Wonderful. And well worth watching from any corner of the globe. Both cut their teeth in an international sense via the London Mini Marathon, with Scotland having taken age group teams south for many years. Laura raced in 2010 in the Women’s race (for 15,16,17-year-olds) and placed 22nd with 17.45 for three miles. Her Scotland team-mates that year were Kathryn Pennel, Halina Rees, Hollie Young, Rachael Dunn and Katie Bristow. Josh competed first in 2012 at U15 and was fifth in that race in 15.14 for the three mile course. His Scotland team-mates that year were Euan Gillham, Jonny Glen, Robert Bough, Aidan Thompson and Fraser Glass.

scottishathletics

Tokyo 2020

Jemma Reekie

Mettle detector Reekie has steel to recover from final pain

t was back in the summer of 2015 that Jemma Reekie captained Scotland at the Celtic Games U18 international against young athletes from Ireland and Wales. Grangemouth was the backdrop for battles over 800m and again in the Women’s 4x400m with Reekie on the anchor leg for the young Scots. In both races, the outcome was similar as Jemma was caught just before the line to lose the verdict by fractions of a second. Fast forward six years and there was an agonising repeat of those circumstances in the slightly higher echelons of the final of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – as the Scot delivered a PB performance but missed the podium by some nine hundredths of a second. The reason for drawing the comparison isn’t to rake over old race defeats. Far from it. Rather, it is to compare the reactions. After the tears had flowed, Reekie left Grangemouth that day absolutely determined to work harder at her sport and improve her strength, her speed and her endurance. Moving to work with Andy Young as her

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new coach and training with Laura Muir was part of that plan. And it is a plan that has delivered. So nobody should be left in any doubt about how the 23-year-old will react to Tokyo. Five short words in a remarkably composed BBC Sport interview only minutes after being pipped by American athlete, Raevyn Rogers, bore testament to that. ‘Paris isn’t too far away,’ she said, referring to the 2024 Olympics in the French capital. ‘I definitely wanted a lot better than that. The time was good but I know that I’m in even better shape than that and it’s just frustrating when you don’t perform on the big stage because I’ve been flying in training and everything else. ‘I didn’t quite get out as fast as I wanted to and into the position I wanted to, but that’s 800m racing, it’s always going to be really tough, and the girls have done so well out there today. American sensation Athing Mo took the gold in 1:55 and young Brit, Keely Hodgkinson, came through to take the silver in a PB of 1:55.88 to break the record held by Dame Kelly Holmes.

But if England has Keely, Scotland has ‘Steely’ Reekie. ‘You can’t complain if you’re fourth in the Olympics, but you can because you’re just outside those medals,’ she said, refusing to take comfort in platitudes and plaudits, of which there were plenty across the athletics community in Scotland. ‘I’m not going to be that happy about it, but there’s nothing I can do about it now and I can’t reverse time, I can just progress and get better for next year. ‘I will learn from it and come back stronger.’ Be in no doubt, these are almost certainly the mantra adopted six years earlier at Grangemouth in her first, lowkey, international experience at the Celtic Games. And, we are reliably

Tokyo 2020

Beth Dobbin, Nicole Yeargin, Zoey Clark

Trio fulfil Olympic dream Beth Dobbin, Nicole Yeargin, Zoey Clark my personal best I probably still wouldn’t have made the final anyway. I would’ve had to have run a huge personal best, so that kind of makes me feel a bit better.’ Nicole Yeargin had entered the Women’s 400m with high hopes.

hen the day comes for Beth Dobbin to hang up her sprint spikes, she can certainly reflect on the day she beat the Olympic champion. Yes, it happened in the heats and fabled Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah knew she was certain to progress via third place, but the Scot’s second place in that opening heat race stands in the record books!

The American-based sprinter qualifies for GB via her Scottish mother, Lynn (nee Brock) from Dunfermline, and the countdown to Japan saw Nicole command headlines and wear the Pitreavie AAC vest. Nicole lined up in the heats facing a tough job to land a top three place but did exactly that with a run of . Unfortunately, TV replays soon showed she had stepped out of her lane for just a couple of strides not long after emerging from the blocks. An inevitable DQ decision followed.

Fast Elaine duly took ‘revenge’ in a stacked semi-final which saw Beth run slightly slower than the heat and take fifth place in a stacked filed which also had nine athletes (as opposed to eight).

informed, the competitive streak stretches even further back. ‘Oh, I remember her really well from primary school because I knew she had great potential,’ former Beith Primary teacher Liz Duncan recalled. ‘Jemma’s determination stood out. She didn’t win many races then but she worked so hard. Afterwards, she would say ‘I’m going to do better, I’m going to do better’. She did. And few would bet against her doing so again.

A run of 22:85 – after 22:78 earlier on the same day in Tokyo’s steamy heat – ranked the Edinburgh AC athlete 15th out of 25 in the semi-finals and indeed as the second European. ‘It feels so bizarre, and I do have to pinch myself every time I run with these girls, but I am getting more used to it,’ she said. ‘This year’s been the first year that I’ve been on the Diamond League circuit and it’s been really good to get that experience, so I think this morning that helped me a lot because I wasn’t fazed that I was running with Elaine Thompson, because I’ve done it a few times now. ‘These girls are my idols, I look up to them, so I’m just living the dream but I also have a job to do’ Heats and semi-final on the same day was a new experience for the athlete coached by Leon Baptiste for a number of years now, with impressive progress.

Having already run in the Mixed Relay final, where GB finished sixth, it was then all about Nicole’s reaction for the Women’s 4x400m. She played her part in the semi-final progression, with a strong anchor run as GB and NI took third. ‘I was fired up after the DQ in the individual event and that spurred me on that anchor leg,’ she said at the time. Nicole kept her place for the final but the top three teams – America, Poland and Jamaica – were too strong and GB and NI were not really in the medal battle at any stage. Zoey Clark raced twice in Japan and on both occasions guided GB and NI through to relay finals! Unfortunately, the Aberdeen AAC athlete then missed out on selection when the teams were changed, first for the Mixed Relay final and then for the Women’s 4x400m final.

‘I would have liked a bit quicker after my heat The first of those may have been the more felt really controlled and comfortable,’ said frustrating given the second team (for the Beth. final) ran slower than the initial quartet in the heat. ‘I did come off the bend and my legs felt quite heavy so I don’t know if it’s the two But, after a difficult season in many ways, rounds in the day that I’m not quite used to, but it’s the same for everyone and I probably Zoey can reflect on becoming an Olympian just don’t have the experience to get through after almost 10 years in and around GB selections. that. ‘Seeing the times that made the final makes me feel a bit better because even if I’d ran

scottishathletics

Tokyo 2020

Marathon

Japanese test of endurance Top half finish for Davis but so tough for Twell and Hawkins

he Women’s marathon runners faced tough conditions in the heat and humidity of Japan early on the final Saturday of the Olympics but, afterwards, Steph Davis could feel real pride at a top half finish in terms of places. Davis is relatively new to the marathon with the London-based athlete, who once ran cross country for Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds, landing her GB and NI debut at the Olympics after an impressive win in the trials. Steph set off in sensible fashion and then managed to move up the field somewhat and duly posted 39th place in a time of 2:36.33. More than 85 women were in the field. It was a hard day for Steph Twell but she showed typical determination to finish in 2:53.26 for 68th on the day. There were 73 finishers and no fewer than 15 with a cruel DNF against their name on the official Tokyo 2020 results. ‘The last 400m was like the longest ever - my legs were like they were running in circles,’ said Steph Davis. ‘I thought I started sensibly and I felt in control until 15km. I had in my mind I would assess things every few km and at 30km I thought I might be able to push on a bit. But you just can’t. I am so glad I paced the way I did early on and I was really consistent after that. ‘You can’t go out too fast. I stayed at the back of the pack, I watched them go and that was ok. I didn’t panic, stayed patient and I am an Olympian and I can’t believe it!

‘I want to thank my coach, Phil Kissi, who has coached me and supported me through all the highs and lows of marathon training. Scottish Record holder Steph Twell had some injury issues ahead of an appearance at her third Olympics after also competing for GB and NI at Beijing and Rio. ‘I had a problem with my foot,’ said Steph. ‘I was running with some neural pain the whole way through. I couldn’t find my rhythm very easily. I felt I was running with the brakes on, as I couldn’t fully connect in my neural pathway. I did so well finishing, and I am proud of that. ‘It was a long, lonely race for me today and I really just had to embrace the atmosphere and get it under my belt. It is my first step up to the marathon at an Olympic Games, coming at it from a tough starting point being injured throughout lockdown.’ ********************************

he Men’s marathon provided a sad finale for our #TokyoTwelve as Callum Hawkins had to drop out following ankle issues which have troubled him for some time in the preparation. ‘I didn’t struggle too much with the conditions, it was warm and you could feel it, but it was my ankle that I’ve been dealing with for the past year that went,’ said Callum. ‘I kept getting slower, couldn’t put any power through my ankle. I probably went through a bit of a bad patch at 18, 19km, and then from there my ankle just got worse and worse. ‘I would have just ended up hurting it more and being back where I was last year, and I can’t do another year like that.’ Callum’s GB and NI team-mate Ben Connor unfortunately had to join the 30 men with DNF against their name and Chris Thompson finished 54th in 2:21.29.

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Good luck to Steph, Steph and Callum as they recover and look to resume racing later in 2021 or early next year.

Tokyo 2020

Eilish McColgan, Andy Butchart

Eilish and Andy relish their tests against the best

ilish McColgan and Andy Butchart can now count five Olympic appearances between them.

That, in itself, is a strong achievement by the distance duo who were originally familiar figures across the athletics landscape in Scotland in the colours of Dundee Hawkhill Harriers and Central AC. Both expressed a little disappointment with the final outcome – and Eilish in particular was unhappy with her failure to qualify from the 5000m heats – but in sapping conditions to finish 9th and 11th in Olympic finals deserves credit. The conditions were tough for the long distance athletes in Tokyo and that was exemplified by a number of DNFs in Eilish’s 10,000m final. Nonetheless, the 30-year-old managed to stick it out and a run of 31:04.46 wasn’t too far away from her own PB – and her mother Liz’s Scottish Record which is at 30:57.07 and was set in Holland fully three decades ago. ‘I know I’m in the shape of my life so I’m a little bit disappointed, but I suppose I have to take into account the heat and humidity,’ reflected Eilish, while still in Japan with Team GB and NI. ‘It’s all fair and well saying I think I can run a PB and I can run fast, but the conditions were just so, so tough.

‘I definitely feel there’s more in me, so it’s definitely given me a lot of fire for the end of the season. I know a lot of people are excited to be done now but I feel like I’m so motivated now to come and try to do more.’ Making amends for a ninth place finish in the 5000m heats a week earlier motivated McColgan through tough laps. ‘It was tough, one of the toughest races I’ve ever run, so I’m proud of myself for finishing,’ she said. ‘There were definitely points where I didn’t think I was going to make it, but I think mentally for me I just wanted to have a better race than I did in the 5000m, I was determined to bounce back and have a better run. ‘I would have loved to have dipped under 31 minutes, I think I ran 31:04, so a little disappointed to not have had my eye on running my Mum’s Scottish record, I would’ve loved to have sneaked under that and got a PB.’ Butchart for his part didn’t leave Japan with too many regrets, albeit he faced disciplinary issues in the countdown to the Olympics. He was within three seconds or so of his own Scottish National Record as he posted 13:09.97 in Tokyo for 11th place. ‘It was hard that one, those boys were fast,’ said Andy in Japan. ‘I wanted to do better than that but I can’t

really complain it was a hard, hard run and I’ll take that. ‘It was fast and hard. I didn’t think it would go out from the gun considering the weather outside but hats off to those boys they pushed it. ‘I’m a double finalist in the 5k for Britain at the Olympics and I think that is pretty rare so I have to take the positives from it.’ Eilish McColgan stormed to the British Record at 5000m only a couple of weeks prior to the Olympics, felling the mark set by Paula Radcliffe in 2004 along with her own Scottish best. Running in the Oslo Diamond League meet just days after her selection for the Tokyo Olympics in both 5000m and 10000m, she finished in 14:28:55, knocking a stunning 18 seconds off her PB and previous Scottish record. The Dundee Hawkhill athlete finished fourth in the race, won by Hellen Obiri in 14:26.38. Eilish thus moved to fifth on the European all-time list, and made her just the seventh European to break the 14:30 barrier. Radcliffe’s previous British record stood at 14:29.11 and she was among those to congratulate Eilish in the wake of her run.

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Paralympics 2020

Maria Lyle

Smiles better

aria Lyle only turned 21 earlier this year yet somehow it still seems appropriate to label her a ‘veteran’ of the international Para athletics scene.

just focused on what I needed to do for my race. I know from my heat I seized up a bit so I knew I had to relax more.’ Maria took that confidence into the 200m final a couple of days later and again made sure of a place on the podium with SB run of 30.24 seconds.

The Dunbar athlete was only 14 when she ran to prominence at the IPC Europeans in Swansea a couple of weeks after the Commonwealth Games had been held in Glasgow.

‘I was fine in warm-up but I was so nervous just before the race,’ said Maria.

Records and medals flowed for the young sprinter as she embarked on a journey which, as for so many in sport, has had significant ups and downs. Maria herself has revealed the hard times behind the success after winning an individual medal double at the Paralympics in Rio. Tokyo smiles therefore were very precious for family and friends, as she again celebrated a bronze medal double in the T35 100m and 200m events. Jamie Bowie has been with her each step of the way for five years now and Maria paid tribute to her coach after her podium moments at the Paralympics. ‘This is my second Paralympic Games, I really struggled with Rio due to my mental health, so for me it was about going out there and enjoying the experience,’ she said.

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‘To run the times I have, and to enjoy the experience, I am really happy. ‘My coach Jamie (Bowie) who has been here supporting me out here in Japan. It’s been great to have him with me and supporting me over the last five years.’ Maria had a great run in the 100m final as she clocked 14.18 to take third – with her best time for the shorter sprint distance since 2016. ‘It was always going to be difficult to challenge for gold and silver so I really had to stick to my own race plan,’ she said.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever felt like that during a race before. I’m so happy that I had the opportunity again to come away with a medal and a season best. ‘I’m proud of how I held myself, focused on what I had to do and won another bronze medal. ‘Winning a medal is never set in stone; you’ve got to work hard for them. I think I’m happier with my 100m races but times don’t really matter for me. No one will remember the time next week but they’ll remember the medal.’ East Lothian’s finest now has a veritable vault of medals to go with the memories.

‘I didn’t expect the time. It was hard to gauge Maria’s continued dedication to her sport, with the support of her family and her coach, where I was because the other two girls commands our unstinting admiration. (Zhou and Holt) were quite far ahead but I

Paralympics 2020

Sammi Kinghorn, Mel Woods, Ben Rowlings

PARENTAL

GUIDANCE S ammi Kinghorn’s reflections on a superb double medal haul at her second Paralympics included the revelation that her parents, Neil and Elaine, firmly believe she can ‘conquer the world’. The Scot hasn’t quite reached global domination yet in the T53 class but few would doubt another of her Tokyo testimonies . . . that she believes a gold medal will ultimately be delivered. Of course, Sammi’s comments about her parents were in fact centred on the support and backing she has received on her journey to the Paralympics podium. A fourth place in the 800m only fired her determination and the first Paralympics medal of her career duly arrived via bronze in the T53 100m final. A couple of days later, the Borderer added silver in the T53 400m final with a push of 57.25. ‘I started at 17 years-old, not being able to drive with my mum driving me to training,’ said Sammi after the bronze medal ceremony in Tokyo. ‘She didn’t like sport at all but she’d come out and watch me go round and round the track when it was absolutely freezing cold weather in Scotland. ‘My mum and dad believe I can conquer the world so, without their support, I wouldn’t be here today and I wouldn’t be the determined person I am without them. ‘I am absolutely ecstatic with bronze! I was fifth in Rio, and third now. I am learning every time I’m going out on the track. I know I made some errors there but I came away with the bronze medal so I am very happy. ‘I just can’t wait to ring my mum and dad. No one is going to forget these Games, but it was tough not seeing them up in the stands

cheering me on. I know they’ll all be having a massive party at home and having a few drinks to celebrate. ‘The world championships in 2017 (where she won the T53 100m title) was incredible, but there were a couple of Chinese athletes missing. But winning gave me the hunger. ‘I wanted to be on the podium every time, I don’t want to be missing it. Obviously that fourth in the 800m was hard, so I wasn’t going to come fourth again, I was going to get on the podium!’ Wet conditions affected the 400m final but Sammi, who is coached by Rodger Harkins, was thrilled to take silver and mentioned the influence of her parents again. ‘I am so proud of the silver and bronze from here and that missing one, the gold will come. I am constantly learning and improving my mental state to be the best in the world.

three years ago I was moving back home with my parents with my life stripped away from me,’ she said. ‘So to be at a Paralympics, I couldn’t ask for more than that, could I? ‘The Tokyo experience has given me confidence. I want to be back at a Paralympic Games three years from now. I think I need to give myself the belief that if I keep working hard that I can be up competing alongside these athletes in Paris.’ Ben Rowlings competed in the T34 100m and 800m in his first Olympics. Ben left Japan with a series of memories and learnings as he vowed to improve.

‘My family are having a massive party - my dad has put a big marquee up and my friends are all there. It is great that my mum and dad are not on their own and have their support. I have my team here to support me - my race family. ‘It has been an incredible experience. Even for a pandemic Games I have felt so supported. In the holding camp in Yokohama the volunteers were out every day clapping us and, out here, it has felt like a normal stadium because we are getting cheered right from the call room all the way through to here. It’s been brilliant.’ In contract to Sammi, fellow wheelchair racer Mel Woods made her debut on this kind of stage in the T54 class. PBs in the heats and the final of the 800m saw Mel finish fifth and she also competed in the 400m heats. ‘In this moment I need to remind myself that

After his 100m final, he said: ‘I’m not happy with how I started the race, technically it wasn’t the best. I needed to be with the guys at the start. The class has got really strong over the last few years so I know I’ve got work to do on the 100m. ‘Thanks for all the supportive messages and to everyone who was up at silly o’clock back home to watch.’ Those sentiments could apply to all nine Scots with Paralympics GB in Japan.

scottishathletics

Paralympics 2020

Owen Miller, Derek Rae moved up to second and then surged clear on the home straight to cross the finishing line with a beaming smile. It was a medal cherished all the way to from Tokyo to Steve’s training group, Fife AC, Woodmill Secondary School and Disability Sport Fife.

Sensational!

Runs of 3:58, 3:56; 3:54 and then 3:52 – which is effectively a European Record (although it may not be ratified) – suggested the 29-year-old would be a bona fide medal contender come the Paralympic final.

How Owen went from the Kingdom to the podium ... and Derek a hero, too

wen Miller waited 15 years to become an overnight sensation.

There are no short-cuts in athletics, of course, but the ‘sensation’ label fits in this instance as gold in the T20 1500m final at the Paralympics in Japan.

But to convert that opportunity in a debut at the global champs while wearing a British vest . . . well, no wonder a few in Fife were ‘complaining’ of dust in their eye in the early hours of Friday 3 September watching the Channel 4 coverage from Tokyo. ‘It feels really good to be Paralympic champion,’ Owen told British Athletics in Tokyo after winning in 3:54.57.

And the fact it was ‘overnight’ for those back home in Fife, Scotland and the rest of the UK, only makes it more apt!

‘Sport is a huge part of my life so I am so proud to have won a gold medal. I want to thank everyone back home for their support. One glance at Power of 10, however, reveals They’ve all been watching me at home and that has really helped me to perform well. Owen’s long record of competition in the sport. He’s been running 1500m since 2006 ‘I just knew I could do it so I gave it all I as a first year U15 athlete. could, I just tried my best. I went for it with 200m to go, I felt really good. The improvements over the past few years under the tutelage of coach Steve Doig were starkly emphasised with a wonderful last lap in Tokyo when he first

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‘I have been really nervous leading into this race but this gives me a lot of motivation for future races and Championships. ‘All my team-mates have helped me so much on this trip. I am very happy for Hannah (Taunton) on winning a bronze medal in the T20 Women’s final, she is a great athlete.’ If anyone understood the excitement around Owen’s podium moment at the Paralympics then it would be fellow Fifer, Derek Rae. Both are hugely popular figures across the community in Scotland and renowned

for their hard work. That was never more evident than in Derek’s ninth place in the T46 marathon in Japan after a troubled build-up earlier this year. Derek suffered a stress fracture in his spine and did not return to running until . But, guided by coach Ron Morrison, and with a lot of help from the Paralympics GB team, he didn’t just make the start-line – he made the finish in a heroic 2:47.07. ‘I’m proud of myself and I’m proud of my support team because it was a challenge to get to that start-line,’ said Derek. ‘At the beginning of June I had a setback when I had a stress reaction in my sacrum so I had to have a significant amount of time off my feet. There were some doubts in my mind about making Japan but in the end I got there fit and healthy so it was worth all the hard work. I’m grateful to all who backed me. ‘I ran pretty much the whole race on my own but the crowds pulled me through it, they were a great support. It’s been like that ever since we landed in Japan. We’ve been greeted by a warm welcome wherever we have been during these Games. ‘After Rio (DNF), I’ve remained focused and grounded; this was always the target. The setback in June is the way of the world, and it was unfortunate. The lows simply make the highs feel even higher.’ There could well be more highs to come for Owen Miller and Derek Rae.

Paralympics 2020

Silver lining to Libby’s farewell tour

And Stef and Jo are so close

ibby Clegg’s contribution to Para athletics in Britain has already been acknowledged at the very highest level.

After all, her not inconsiderable medal haul includes one from the Queen’s Honours List with the partially sighted sprinter having been the recipient of the MBE back in 2017. Libby added another to that collection as the Universal Relay gave a tangible silver lining to her fourth Paralympics. The 30-year-old had revealed prior to the trip to Japan that it would be her last major international appearance on the track. But not the end of her sporting journey. Libby is looking at the possibility of Para cycling and also has hopes to help lead the new generation of young athletes in various classifications. ‘To finish my career in the Paralympic stadium in Tokyo is amazing,’ she said, after Libby and guide runner Chris Clarke finished third in their heat in the T11 200m to miss out on the final before then competing in the Universal Relay.

Libby Clegg, Stef Reid, Jo Butterfield

‘I wasn’t even sure I was going to be here so I’m happy. ‘It has been such an honour to be on such a successful team. There are some incredible young athletes coming through on the Futures programme who are just starting their journey so I’m happy to see them developing out here. ‘For me, this Games is a year too late. I was ready for it last year, I was in phenomenal shape. It’s been a really tough 18 months for all athletes; it’s hard but it is what it is. ‘The girls in that field [T11] are really pushing on and the class is developing so it’s been a honour to have been a part of it for all these years. The Relay event saw GB finish in third place but later elevated to silver medals as Libby (and guide runner Chris Clarke) linked up with Jonnie Peacock, Ali Smith and Nathan Maguire. The Chinese team were DQd. ‘I’m so pleased to finish my career on the track with a medal,’ said Libby.

‘The Universal Relay is hard – it is uncomfortable doing the changeovers. There is a lot of things to contend with. For me, it is terrifying running into someone else so I put a lot of trust in Chris to make sure it all goes smoothly. ‘ Stef Reid has been in teams with Clegg for many years and, this time, unfortunately had to settle for fourth place in the T64 Long Jump final. Stef had emotions mixed after an excellent 5.75m leap. That’s the second best of Stef’s career and came as part of her best-ever series – yet she couldn’t replicate podium finishes of 2012 and 2016. ‘Fourth is new to me, it is so hard to describe,’ she said. ‘That is actually the best I have ever jumped, my best series. Coming fourth is kind of bittersweet. But I’m so proud of turning my season around. It was a massive season best for me. ‘There was a stage during this season where I wasn’t sure I would make this team – jumping 5.10s, 5.20s. So I’m really happy to be performing at that level. ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been at a meet of this calibre. Two women over six metres is huge.’ Jo Butterfield competed in the F51 Seated Club Throw, taking 4th place with a Season’s Best of 21.77m. It was a tough contest that saw a new Paralympic Record of 25.12 thrown by Ukrainian Zoia Ovsii. However, although fourth is such a hard place to finish in any athletics event never mind the Paralympics, Jo was content with her efforts.

scottishathletics

Euro U23 Champs

Tallinn

Fall yours Erin’s lunge lands bronze in Estonia as Sarah takes fifth in steeplechase

ven a few hundred miles from home in the Estonian capital of Tallinn, and with little family support in the stadium, Erin Wallace felt the love of the athletics community in Scotland. None other than esteemed training partners Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie led the cheerleading on our Twitter feed as the Giffnock North AC athlete prepared for her 1500m final.

‘It was worth it for the medal. I think I ran the race well although the last lap really hurt but I am so glad I made the podium. I saw a wee space at 200m so took my chance and then pushed on towards the finishing line.

‘The medal probably reflects quite well the All the support was appreciated and Erin duly progress I’ve made – and a delivered a podium place with third in the silver at the Senior British race – by just two hundredths of a second Champs. I’m a lot more after a lunge on the line in a desperate bid to confident in myself when I edge out Spanish opponent Agueda Munoz. stand on the start-line now and that’s come from committing full-time to athletics (after But the 21-year-old was typically honest a triathlon). couple of days later as she reflected on that medal success after a Diamond League ‘And, of course, training and learning from debut in a mile race at Gateshead. Laura and Jemma definitely helps. You can see every time they train what it takes to be ‘I’ve had a lot of compliments about diving that fast and that helps spur me on.’ for the line but my legs went from me in the final stages of the race and it was not Wallace’s progress over the years also deliberate!’ she grinned, after finishing in includes a Team Scotland gold at the Tallinn in 4:14.85 (Munoz was 4:14.87) Commonwealth Youths, Triathlon Junior behind an Italian 1-2 led by pre-race favourite success and a bronze in the 1500m Gaia Sabbatini. at the European Youths – so amassing ‘championship experiences’ remains a ‘I just sort of fell towards the line to get there benefit. but it turned out the way I’d hoped and I landed the bronze medal. Sarah Tait of Lasswade AAC, by contrast,

was a GB and NI debutant in Tallinn but was by no means over-awed as the redoubtable steeplechaser came up with two strong performances in three days. The conditions were tough for the Saturday afternoon final, with temperatures touching 30 degrees in Estonia. Nonetheless, Sarah ran a very strong race as she stayed with the main group of eight athletes before managing to push on for fifth over the last couple of laps with a run of 10.04.53. That performance followed a controlled run in the heats where she made sure she claimed the fifth automatic place in the opening race, to leave nothing to chance (10:06.71). Sarah’s GB team-mate, Elise Thorner, was eighth in the final. Sprinters Georgina Adam and Alisha Rees both made it through their opening heats in the 200m and 100m respectively. But they befell the same fate in similar circumstances in the semi-finals as both went close to places in the final – Georgina clocked 23.57 for third in her semi-final and Alisha was at 11.57 for fourth (in a photo) in her second race. Georgina and Alisha were also involved in the Women’s 4x100m team who looked good in their heats as they progressed to the final but sadly that delivered a DNF situation - as Alisha suffered a hamstring injury during her leg. It was such a shame for the Scot and the GB and NI quartet when a podium place had looked a real possibility.

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American-based Scot, David Melville, had a tough time in his 10,000m final and came home in 19th place in 31:11.42.

Euro U20 Champs

Tallinn

Team effort Record Scottish cohort at Euro Juniors and medals for Alyson and Brodie

wo gold medals in the sprint relays; two fourth place finishes in endurance and a couple of Personal Best performances within finals along the way. That was the overview for the collective Scottish effort within the GB and NI team at the latest instalment of the European Juniors in Tallinn in July. The event has been in place for more than half a century now, since it was first staged in 1970, and 10 Scots on the British team counts as the biggest representation of Scots for these Euro U20 Champs. It is therefore only right and proper that any summary of Tallinn starts with our congratulations to those 10 athletes and their coaches on making the selection – especially after the difficult times of the past 12 months.

The Airdrie Harrier kept his place for the final (despite a couple of changes) and again a rapid first leg proved the platform for a gold medal-winning performance from the British quartet.

to savour for our U20 4J Studios Athlete of the Year, who is coached by Ross Cairns, and has made such an impact in the past couple of years, first in cross country and now on the track.

It was a similar story in the Women’s 4x100m. Alyson Bell had to wait all week for her chance and she grabbed that with a strong opening leg to help the team qualify for the final on the Sunday afternoon.

‘I ran as well and as hard as I could have, so I can’t really ask for any more than that. And I’ve got a personal best time out of it.

The Giffnock North AC athlete was retained for the medal chase and, like Brodie, a really strong run from Alyson was the catalyst for the British team to edge out a very strong Germany. ‘It was absolutely amazing,’ said Alyson, who clocked a 12.13 leg in the final.

“I deliberately stayed on the outside of the group early on as that’s where I felt most comfortable. I wanted to be in a position where I could respond if anyone made a move so I didn’t mind running the slightly extra distance. “I believed the race was wide open after some of the favourites failed to qualify for the final, so I decided I’d put myself into the mix.

‘Hearing the crowd cheer for us really helped me and made me want to go fast and hard “The pace really picked up over the closing We talk often, too, about the support from right from the start. We had great exchanges stages and I think I ran the last 800m in clubs in developing young athletes and that and that really helped as it was down to 2:18. My last lap was 65.9. milliseconds at the finish line.’ The men’s 3000m followed soon after and Reuben Nairne, another coming through the Duncan Robinson came up with a 12th place ranks at Giffnock North like Alyson, finished finish in 8:26.33. eighth in the pole vault after performing well both in qualifying and the final itself where a It was good to see Kirsty Costello make a GB debut at the Euro U20s in Estonia this 5.05m clearance equalled his PB. morning in the Women’s Hammer. Some 24 hours earlier, the Saturday The Kilbarchan AAC athlete threw out to afternoon action in high temperatures saw 56.45 in her third round (after a foul and a Megan Keith and Kane Elliott go close 54m throw) and took 9th place in her pool, to the medals over 3000m and 1500m input was very clear that particular week, missing out on a place in the final. It is worth respectively. with a lot support and pride evident across noting 34 athletes were involved, with only our social media channels. Megan, in fact, lost out on bronze by just 12 to go through. three hundredths of a second. Finnish athlete The final day excitement in terms of the It was a similar story with triple jumper Bera Ilona Mononen won the race in 9:15.66 Scots centred around the relay events and Ajala on Saturday afternoon. In fact, Bera and less than a second covered the top the pole vault final. was within a couple of slots of reaching four with, agonisingly, the Scot squeezed the final as his 15.04m best jump in into fourth in 9:16.50 by Norwegian Halle Brodie Young had reached the semi-finals of qualifying placed him 14th – with the top 12 Haugen’s late burst for 9:16.47. the individual 400m event before then, as progressing to the final. the first leg runner, giving GB a great start to Nonetheless it was a performance and a PB their 4x400m heat.

scottishathletics

PB Interview

Kirsty Costello

How pandemic break helped Kirsty reset her goals By Katy Barden

‘Is this something I really want to do?’, pondered Great

Britain international hammer thrower Kirsty Costello as she navigated a challenging 2020.

The then-18-year-old had a lot going on. She’d passed her driving test just prior to lockdown and had moved out of her family home to go to university. Amidst the nerves and excitement of a new start, she questioned whether athletics – a sport she’d been involved in for over a decade - still fitted into her life. ‘It was a really difficult year, but the pandemic was honestly a blessing in disguise,’ she admits. ‘I had a little bit of time off and I thought ‘you know what, I do want to do this. I’ve wanted to do this since I was a kid, I want to travel the world and do the best I can doing this,’ so having that time to re-evaluate really helped re-motivate me.’ Costello’s decision to commit to athletics is paying off, and following a lifetime best performance at the England U20 Championships (59.19m), she made her GB debut at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, in July. ‘There wasn’t a better time to do it,’ she says of her PB and European qualifier. ‘It was an amazing feeling because it validated all the hard work I’d put in.

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‘It (European U20s) was my first GB vest and it was really emotional. It’s what I’ve been dreaming about since I was a wee kid and I had so much fun during the competition. ‘There were obviously some nerves, but when you think about how amazing an opportunity it was to be there . . . I want to look back in ten years and say ‘I had so much fun, I looked really relaxed’ and not ‘oh I wish I hadn’t been so nervous, I wish I’d enjoyed it more’. ‘I didn’t quite execute as much I wanted to, but it’s definitely given me that level of experience and makes me want to work harder to do better at the next big opportunity that I get.’ Costello, who is studying Dentistry at the University of Glasgow, has committed to an extended period of winter training in a bid to achieve Scotland’s Commonwealth Games qualifying standard for the hammer early next year (62.57m). She does so with the support of her coach Chris Bennett - also a GB international hammer thrower – the financial backing of Tru Wealth, and Kilbarchan AAC. ‘Kilbarchan have supported me since I was a little kid so I’ll always stick by them,’ she says of her ‘amazing’ club. ‘It’s so good to see other people from your club doing so well and it makes you think ‘I can do this’.’ Not only that, but she credits the club’s fantastic indoor facility for playing its part in her success this year, admitting it was a godsend and enabled her to train in a motivational environment with other athletes throughout the winter.

For his part, Bennett - who also coaches Costello’s brother Andrew - offers the invaluable experience that comes with years of international competition, as well as an example of what it takes to succeed as a senior athlete. ‘Because Chris is a professional athlete it makes you step it up,’ she says. ‘You do your warm ups properly, your conditioning behind the scenes . . . and it’s always good to train with someone that’s throwing so much further than you.’ Costello is wise. She is also energised and committed to achieving Scotland’s Commonwealth Games standard for Birmingham – a mark which she now believes is achievable. ‘Last summer I wasn’t in shape at all, I wasn’t strong, I really had to work hard to build back any sort of degree of quality in my throwing. Now I believe there’s a lot more to come.’ Is this something she wants to do? You bet it is. *Tru Wealth have been supporting scottishathletics since 2018. In addition to sponsoring clubs, athletes and events they also operate a Cash4Clubs funding scheme which gives scottishathletics members – as well as their friends and family members – the opportunity to earn cash back for their clubs in return for doing business with Tru Wealth. For more information: https://www. scottishathletics.org.uk/tru-wealthcash4clubs/

Grassroots Athletics

Motherwell A.C.

Early club photo with John Hughes far left, Jim Tracey front row second left and Joe Hoolaghan top row third from right.

Let’s grow again Motherwell plan recruitment drive as 30th birthday looms By Katy Barden

n a move masterminded by Tommy Boyle, one of Scotland’s most successful coaches ever, Motherwell YMCA Harriers and Bellshill YMCA Harriers merged in early 1992 to form the impressively named Lucozade Motherwell District Athletics Club (now Motherwell AC). The merger was formed on solid foundations with the backing of a major sponsor; the support of a forward-thinking local council; the popularity of athletics at the time and the presence of talented athletes-cum-role models - most notably Tom McKean and Yvonne Murray (now Yvonne Murray-Mooney MBE). In fact, one year after the club merger, McKean and Murray, both coached by Boyle, were crowned world indoor champions over 800m and 3000m respectively.

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‘After the clubs came together a couple of things happened which led to massive growth of athletics in the area,’ says Joe Hoolaghan, an endurance coach at the club and one of its founder members from Bellshill YMCA. ‘Firstly, Motherwell District invested heavily in Sportshall Athletics with the club central to its development. The district won Scottish heats and competed in the national finals in Birmingham in 1994, 1995 and 1996. ‘Secondly, in 1997, following local government reorganisation, the newly formed North Lanarkshire Council introduced Community Athletics 2000, again with Tommy Boyle spearheading the initiative. ‘Eight satellite centres were set up across the district supporting more than 1000 young people to engage in athletics with Motherwell AC again at the heart of the programme.’ While Bellshill YMCA’s legacy remained prominent with the medal-winning performances of McKean and Murray

at international level, it should be noted that Motherwell YMCA’s Jim Brown had been crowned world junior cross country champion in 1973 and John Graham had finished fourth in the Commonwealth Games marathon in 1982 and 1986. Success was not an entirely new concept for either of the founding clubs. The joint venture was paying off, however, and before long - in addition to the medalwinning performances of McKean and Murray at international level - the new club celebrated an impressive six Scottish junior track champions along with two silver and one bronze medallist in 1997.

Grassroots Athletics

Motherwell A.C.

Further contributing to the club’s growing profile in the local media, founder member Jim Tracey shares this anecdote of another world-class athlete to grace Motherwell’s track. ‘An African athlete named Billy came along to a few sessions as a guest of a member,’ he recalls. ‘John (club coach John Hughes), as usual, was doing his potential new member talk and asked the guy how much he ran and what sort of distance. The guy humbly replied he mostly just did track stuff. ‘So, chasing the issue to the end, John asked him to elaborate, and managed to get Billy to admit he did 800m on the track. John asked what sort of time he did, to which Billy replied 1:43ish. Turned out he was Billy Konchellah (former world champion over 800m).’ Today, Motherwell AC has around 150 members in total across its senior endurance group and track and field section. Like most clubs across the country, Covid-19 has had an impact on numbers, but Hoolaghan says they have plans to expand. ‘We’re in a good position to take on more members and we’re looking at a recruitment drive,’ he says. ‘For example, with Strathclyde parkrun on our doorstep and Drumpellier parkrun just a few miles along the road, there are opportunities to engage with them and promote the club. ‘We could definitely do with more female runners in our senior endurance group, as well as more coaches for our junior track and field athletes to support growth in that section of the membership.’ The club’s 30th anniversary is in 2022 and celebrations will take place in February. The glory days of McKean and Murray may be a distant memory, but the return of Scotland’s athletes from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has provided role models for the next generation to aspire to. Now is the time for clubs to capitalise and, three decades on from its formation and riding a new wave of positivity, Motherwell AC is preparing to find new stars of the sport.

Better late than never By Katy Barden Motherwell AC’s Jim Smith (77) enjoyed a brief fling with fame when he featured in The Herald alongside his granddaughter Amy Carr in early 2018. Carr, who has Cerebral Palsy, quite rightly took centre stage on that occasion having been selected to represent Scotland in the T37 long jump at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. Her grandad, a successful Masters athlete, was her inspiration.

was going to find a club, and I thought, ‘I wonder if I could do the same?’. So I looked up the papers and found Motherwell AC.’ Smith had flirted briefly with athletics as a junior but didn’t continue beyond his teenage years: ‘Knowing what I know now, I wish I’d done it to be honest.’ Following his call to Motherwell AC – and five decades after his last race over 100m at the Renfrewshire Championships – he returned to running. ‘It felt great, absolutely great,’ Smith says of getting back into the sport.

Representing opposite ends of the athletics age group spectrum, the pair have a lot in common including PBs over 100m (14.33 – Jim/14.62 Amy); 200m (29.98 – Jim/30.69 – Amy); and long jump (4.19m – Jim/3.97m – Amy).

‘The competition was good and the company and the club was good. It was great fun. I was just one of the boys, they didn’t look at me like I was 70, I was just ‘Jim’ rather than ‘that old guy’ or ‘Mr Smith’.

They also took up athletics around the same time.

‘Masters athletics is fantastic. It’s not just the running – it’s meeting the guys and getting the back chat.

‘I was visiting my son and out of the blue Amy said: ‘My teacher says I’m a good runner and I should join a club’,’ says Smith, the Scottish Masters champion over 100m and 200m for his age group.

‘The number of stories I get from the youngsters who say, ‘you’re 77, you’re older than my grandad and he just sits around doing nothing’.

‘Neither of us knew how to do that, but we ‘I feel younger now than I did in my 30s – contacted British Athletics . . . we got a reply and a lot fitter.’ that same night with lots of information, so scottishathletics we talked about it for a wee while and she

PB Interview

Michelle Sandison

Loneliness of the long dista But running solo and virtual events still helped Michelle By Katy Barden The fierce brutality of the Shetland winter is unrelenting. On the island of Whalsay, which is situated east of the Shetland mainland, the rugged terrain mainly peatland and heather - is completely windswept and shrouded in darkness. There’s no shelter and there’s no respite. Michelle Sandison’s determination to keep running on this tiny island is admirable. At around five miles long and three miles wide there’s no opportunity to explore undiscovered trails or fuel a passion for adventure. The running reality here is comparable only to tough love. 41-year-old Sandison – the Scottish Masters 10,000m champion - grew up on Whalsay but was most recently based in Glasgow where, until March 2020, she taught primary school age children with additional support needs in West Dunbartonshire. As lockdown came into force, she made the decision to return to Shetland to spend time

with her dad before he sadly passed away in April 2020. Almost 18 months later, and with continued family commitments, Sandison remains on the island. Her job in West Dunbartonshire has been held for her until August 2022. ‘I arrived with one pair of shorts, one pair of running leggings and three long sleeved tops and very quickly realised I was going to need some sent up from Glasgow,’ laughs Sandison, who initially thought she’d be back on the mainland for the start of the 2020 summer term. ‘In my head I thought I’d tick along (with my running) and that I’d maybe get some of the cross country season in, but, as the time passed, there was a realisation that there wasn’t going to be a cross country season. ‘I think at that point I was so aware that every runner was having a similar challenge, that they weren’t allowed to train with other people, that they had potential goals that

they had made for the year that they weren’t going to fulfil, and that I wasn’t any different. ‘It was important for me just to get on with it because everybody else was doing the same.’ The difference for Sandison, however, was facing up to the harsh reality of running through a Shetland winter. ‘Because we’re so far north, you don’t really get proper daylight in the winter time so all of the runs are in the dark,’ she says. ‘It’s really hilly, it’s definitely the most challenging place that I’ve ever run during the winter, and it’s relentless. ‘The wind never gives up and there were some days when I was nearly crying at the thought of going out. During some sessions you have to trust your breathing because you can’t hear it and you can’t feel it leave your mouth . . . and the wind chill is so severe that at times you can’t move your hands or get your shoes off because you’re just so cold to the core, no matter how many layers you’ve got on.’ Sandison grew up running in Shetland so the monotony of Whalsay and the severe conditions were familiar, perhaps even contributing to her resilience and determination to keep running.

PB 2021 | ISSUE 2

She also realised how fortunate she was that running was worth more to her than competition alone.

PB Interview

Michelle Sandison

ance Shetlander grieve and stay connected ‘Virtual events gave me a sense of still being part of the running community even though I was alone.’ ‘It’s my default button,’ she says.

Remarkably, Sandison ran in total isolation for 23 weeks. She has another Shetland winter ahead but she’s better prepared this time, both physically and mentally. Massage and physiotherapy are back on the agenda, as is group running.

‘When my dad died and when there was so much unknown, running was the thing that regulated my breathing, it just grounded me The prospect of racing is back down, it cleared my head and it was my realistic, too, and with that therapy. comes an opportunity to regroup ‘It was just my natural place to go to help and refocus. myself. I feel lucky about that, as a lot of ‘I still have a desire to run a faster the runners I know seemed to go through 10k on the track,’ says the island a period of feeling really lost because they didn’t have their running groups or a goal to 5k record holder (17:16.38) who work towards. I missed all of those things, has a 10,000m best of 36:14.70. yes, but just to run was really important.’ ‘It’s definitely in me, so that’s my unfinished business.’ Typically a low mileage athlete of around 30 miles per week, Sandison - a long-serving Longer term, she wants to Scotland international - has delivered a represent Shetland in the series of incredible performances over road, International Island Games in track and cross country over two decades. Orkney in 2025 – an event in which she won the 10,000m in In the total absence of competition she has also thrived, and excelled, on opportunities front of a home crowd in Lerwick afforded to her through the scottishathletics in 2005. virtual events series. For now, however, in the face of adversity ‘They gave me a sense of still being part of and the harshest of winter storms, the the running community even though I was simple things will suffice: alone,’ she says. ‘They gave us (her running friends) something to chat about and we had a few jokes. ‘The virtual events gave me rhythm too. I was so used to training a certain way and you get into a rhythm and the virtual races gave me that rhythm back.’

‘The thing that I’ve missed is a bath,’ laughs Sandison, who has recently moved into a new home - with a longed-after bath - with her husband. ‘All I wanted when I came in from a run (last winter) was a bath and this year, at last, I’m going to have one.’

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