The 1992 Olympic champion answers your questions on switching from sprint to 400m hurdles, her finest moments and her favourite and least favourite training sessions

Glimpse into the lives of world-class athletes as they answer questions from YOU each week on ‘Ask the Athlete’.

This week AW is joined by Sally Gunnell – Olympic, world, European, two-time World Cup and five-time Commonwealth champion.

She chats to AW about the reason for changing from 100m hurdles to 400m hurdles, the insight into winning Olympic gold at Barcelona 1992, her favourite and least favourite training session and loads more!

Have a read of some of her answers below and then enjoy the full episode.

What does it mean to be one of the few British athletes to have achieved the grand slam of holding Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles at the same time? 

I think it’s not until you retire when you start looking back at all those things and what you achieved. I think I was very lucky to win the hardest one first which is that Olympics and the others just sort of rolled on. I just had an amazing three or four years where I was fit, healthy and I was able to do that. Sometimes I have to remind myself I was able to do all of those things and especially when you think of the group that you’re in, you realise how hard that is.

What made you switch from 100m hurdles to 400m hurdles. Was it your choice, your coach or someone else suggesting it? 

It was the choice of my coach. I’d just won the 100m hurdles in the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and he told me that it was great but not world class – probably ranking me 20th in the world or something like that – and he was the one who thought I’d make a great 400m hurdler. I just remember thinking that it was a horrible event as it hurt! I’d done the heptathlon and that was horrible and it hurt and then I’d done the lovely 100m hurdles which was amazing!

I didn’t know whether I could do it or if I’d like it but we just tried it and he was so right. As I was technically good and I had the strength it just clicked within about three or four races. Whether he had that planned in his mind for years before I wouldn’t be surprised.

From all of your incredible achievements in athletics, what is the one moment/race that gave you the most satisfaction? 

Do you know what, there’s probably three really. One is obviously that Olympics. It’s the one I dreamt about. It’s the ultimate and it only happens every four years which means it’s hard to get. The following year [1993] I broke the world record and won the World Championship but there were so many things that went against me – being ill, the pressure and expectation – so I just learnt so much about myself, about mental strength and ability so that also blew me away. The other highlight was the World Cup in Gateshead and the final points in the relay, which was the most amazing feeling to be a part of that team and to captain the GB team.

What was your favourite and least favourite training session?

My favourite sessions are hill sessions and I still do them now because I just love them! I guess they hurt for a bit but I quite like the speed of them and the jog back. My worst session, which was horrible, was the long track session of the week. It was always the killer session on the training plan and the one that I looked at three months in advance and still dreaded. It would’ve probably been an up and down session starting at 200m and going up to 600m with about three or four minutes recovery at the top end and then a bit which was short on the way down.

Would you have rather won another individual or a team Olympic gold medal?

Definitely individual! I always remember at school playing in the hockey or netball and wondering why everybody wasn’t doing the same as me when it came to working hard. I was much more of an individual person and taking responsibilities for my own actions. Even though I had an amazing team of sports coaches and psychologists working for me, on the day it was me it was me that had to perform. If I didn’t, it was me that mucked up and I liked that feeling and took full responsibility. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the relay and after doing an individual event it was so much fun. You could look around, have the camaraderie and chat – although I never used to chat before races – and I just loved the relay. Medal though? Definitely individual.

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Paralympic javelin gold medallist Hollie Arnold on her ultimate role model, controlling competition nerves and how athletics compares to I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Glimpse into the lives of world-class athletes as they answer questions from YOU each week on ‘Ask the Athlete’.

This week AW is joined by reigning F46 javelin Paralympic champion, Hollie Arnold.

Arnold is also a four-time world para-athletics champion and won European and Commonwealth titles in 2018. She chats to AW about how she battled to become No.1 in her event plus, of course, her experience on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Have a read of some of her answers below and then enjoy the full episode.

Who was your role model growing up when you were competing? 

The person who was major role model was Jessica Ennis-Hill. You know, she’s a fantastic person, she’s so strong, she didn’t get to go to Beijing because of her injuries and she just blew my mind when she came back. She’s an inspiration for everybody out there and especially for women. So yeah, definitely Jess. 

Were there ever times when people told you that your disability would hold you back from achieving your dream and did this just motivate you even more? 

So I remember a time at school and it was a career advisor who came around. He sat me down, asked me questions and he said, “What do you want to be when you get older?” I said, “I want to be a Paralympic athlete” and he kind of smirked a little bit and told me that it wasn’t a real job and I mentioned to him that it was as you can get paid to win medals and there’s funding involved. He wasn’t really supportive and didn’t understand that I wanted to be a Paralympic athlete.

I guess sitting here today is kind of proving him wrong as I am a Paralympic athlete and champion. It did motivate me that I wanted to prove him wrong. Of course, that wasn’t the reason I wanted to be a Paralympian but I wanted to prove him wrong. 

If you can’t reach your target you set yourself, how do you mentally overcome it? 

It’s always disappointing when you set yourself goals and you don’t achieve that. For me mentally, I’ve learnt, in the last few years of being an athlete, we have to set little goals. It doesn’t always have to be in athletics but it’s sometimes making sure you do the washing, if you’ve got the food the night before training prepared and answering emails because all of these little things have had an impact on me during my training. 

For me it was organisation and everything ran smoothly. We need little goals in our life because we can sometimes set the bar too high with expectation and we can’t live up to that. But it doesn’t mean that the dreams and high standards aren’t there. It’s just setting those little goals each time to get to the big goal and that’s how I mentally deal with it. 

How did going on I’m A Celeb mentally, emotionally and physically compare to athletics? 

I think it was very similar because there were always challenges for me. I went in there [I’m A Celeb] to show people around the world that just because I have a disability it doesn’t affect me and wouldn’t want it to. However, I could prepare for training but I couldn’t prepare for whatever challenge I was going to be doing. We didn’t have a preview of what you were to be doing, you just had to do it. 

I think I’m A Celeb was more mentally challenging at times because it was cold, we were living on 600 calories (a day) with no nutritional value and the tiredness was tough as you had no energy but you couldn’t sleep because it was so cold! I used my strengths and found out that I was a lot more resilient than I thought. It just invigorated me though and I just took those challenges on like I do in athletics. 

How do you overcome your nerves when it comes to competition day? 

So I’m a really nervous person! For me I try and plan things. So I try and listen to music a lot and I’ve got certain set songs for training and competition. Sometimes you can’t always plan things however as you can’t control the uncontrollable and I just do what makes me happy that eases the nerves. You know, you’re always nervous as there are exciting nerves and it’s good to have fire in your belly. So I know if I am nervous it means I want it, it means I’m passionate about it and I’ve sacrificed a lot to get wherever I am. Personally though, it’s music and just having really good vibes which energises me! 

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The European, Commonwealth and World Cross medallist answers your questions on new spikes and shoes, cross country in the 1980s to now and the impacts of sleeping in the day and altitude training for athletes

Glimpse into the lives of world-class athletes as they answer questions from YOU each week on ‘Ask the Athlete’.

This week AW is joined by Tim Hutchings – European, Commonwealth and World Cross medallist, founder of the Brighton Marathon and commentator.

He chats to AW about commentating on Haile Gebrselassie, the debate about carbon shoes and Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-two-hour marathon, how cross country has moved forward from the 1980s and so much more!

Have a read of some of Hutchings’ answers below and then enjoy the full 22-minute episode.

Who’s the toughest opponent you’ve faced and why? 

“Well, my career was about from 1978 to 1990. Like I say, I lost a lot so I met plenty of tough opponents! Probably Carlos Lopes. He was an absolute beast, he was so strong, his speed endurance was incredible, he beat me in the world cross country in 1984 in New Jersey and it was a very flat horserace course. Then he beat Charlie Spedding of course to take Olympic gold in Los Angeles.

“I remember having a beer with Charlie on the Sunday after the marathon (in LA) which I think was on the Sunday – I think my 5000m final was on the Saturday – and Charlie said to me, “There was one point that we were coming towards the stadium with about a mile to go, the three of us were running side by side, John Treacy, him and me, and by the time we all looked at each other he [Lopes] had gone up the road. That’s pretty much what he did in the cross country. With about a mile to go, we were bombing around, I think four of us had got away and Lopes just changed gear and went for it and that change of pace was incredible.

“John Ngugi was an animal, a different animal. I was leading in the world cross country and he came past me on a dreadfully muddy course when I was leading comfortably and then disappeared into the sunset and won by about half a minute.”

What is your favourite commentary moment? 

“I’ve been so bloody lucky to commentate on so many races over the years, where it’s 100m, 400m or steeplechase. Commentating on world records is an enormous privilege of course. I’d have to come back to the Olympic 10,000m final at Sydney 2000 where Paul Tergat and Haile Gebrselassie were knocking chunks out of each other down the home straight. It is the most astonishing battle with two guys who just refused to lose and I think Haile won by a couple of inches. You wanted to sit back and enjoy it but I had to yell into the microphone but sounding coherent wasn’t always easy when you were enjoying it so much!”

The two-hour mark in the marathon was passed last year – something we once thought impossible. What’s the next big landmark? 

“Well, I’d like to take issue with this question because the two-hour mark in the marathon was patently not passed last year. Basically, the race in Vienna was set-up such that the organisers basically cherry picked the rules that they wanted to adhere to and then threw out the ones they thought were inconvenient. Then Eliud [Kipchoge], who I have enormous respect for, but the shoes he wore at that time were illegal and went on the market for other runners to buy. He could’ve gone a lot quicker than he did.

“Two hours therefore has not been broken for the marathon but the two-hour barrier has been broken by a runner over the marathon distance. Other than that, we shouldn’t dignify it by calling it a marathon and that’s a fact, it’s not even debatable.

“What’s the next big landmark? Great question. We’ve seen the hour mark go a few years ago for the half marathon. I suppose with these spikes doing what they’re doing, 26:00 for 10,000m, 12:30 for 5000m, and I think while these spikes remain legal and it looks like they’re going to, much against what I think would be best for the sport, I think those marks will go. We’re in a new era and there’s no debating it. Some people dispute it and I can’t figure out why. Some are actually rude about this position I actually take on it but I’m just interested in preserving the heritage of the sport.”

Cross country is probably the one area unaffected by shoe tech. As arguably Britain’s best cross country runner ever, where do you think you would finish in a race now? Still a medallist or have the standards moved on since the 1980s? 

“They’ve moved on dramatically. I think maybe I’d finish in the top 15 now in the shape I was in where I finished second a couple of times. It’s s different world. The second time in 1989 there was a Kenyan in first place and in third place and I was second. Actually, there was not the hoard of East Africans running in the cross country compared to now.

“There are probably, almost literally, 50 times as many top African runners compared to 30-40 years ago. We live in a different age and I was lucky to be one of a bunch of guys from USA, Western Europe who could go and earn a good living on the cross country circuit, run 5000m on the continent. Nowadays guys running at the standard I was struggle to get into races let alone make a really good living. I really sympathise with the current generation of top European and non-African 5000m and 10,000m runners because it’s a totally different ballgame.”

Many athletes now train in Kenya – you did it in the 1980s – what did you learn about yourself and about athletics training in that period? 

“Yeah it’s funny isn’t it because nowadays camps go to Kenya, South Africa or Ethiopia and it’s all funded. Back then me and the wife in the late 80s would clamber into our Golf GTI in South London, get the boat, drive down to St Moritz, spend a month there, drive back and I was in great shape. There was no lottery funding. The advantage of going to altitude, whether it’s St Moritz or Kenya, is that you’re isolated, getting away from stuff you’ll be caught up in at home and I think you have a lot more focus. Psychologically, subconsciously and indeed consciously you benefit enormously from that.

“I did love Kenya. Back then there was nothing organised. I went with Adrian Passey, Chris Sweeney, and one or two other guys. It wasn’t the Wild West but you were very much on your own. We stayed in Nairobi where there was access to a tartan track and there was access to physios if you got injured. Whereas Eldoret didn’t have an airport, a university or track facilities and it certainly wasn’t a big town. It was a different world altogether. I wish I had gone to altitude earlier on in my career and it was a very unknown perception back in those days.”

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The five-time Paralympic champion answers your questions on London 2012, her inspirations, lockdown training and more

Glimpse into the lives of world-class athletes as they answer questions from YOU each week on ‘Ask the Athlete’.

This week we are joined by Hannah Cockroft – T34 five-time Paralympic, 12-time world and three-time European champion.

She chats to AW about winning gold in front of 80,000 fans at London 2012, training tips and her rivalry with Kare Adenegan, turning her garage into a home gym in lockdown and so much more!

Have a read of some of Cockroft’s answers below and then enjoy the full 18-minute episode.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

“So I think in the sport my biggest inspiration is a person called Chantal Petitclerc. Chantal I think is a 14-time Paralympic champion, she’s a Canadian wheelchair racer and we used to share a coach when I was under Peter Eriksson. I remember the first time I met Chantal, it was just before the London 2012 Paralympic Games, and you can probably tell I’m not a very shy person, but I remember hiding behind Peter and I was starstruck! There’s only two people I’ve met that I’ve been starstruck by and that’s Chantal and David Beckham.

“Inspiration now just comes from everywhere. I’m inspired by the girls that I race against, ultimately because they inspire me to train hard as I want to beat them! I’m also inspired by people that I just meet every day. Inspiration comes from anywhere you want it to come from.”

What was the London 2012 experience like? How was the atmosphere in the stadium? 

“London 2012 was just unreal! It was amazing. I feel like any words you put it into don’t do it justice. It was just the absolute time of my life. If someone said to me on my last day of living, if you could go back to do one day again in life, I’d do any day in London!

“I feel like I can’t remember it that well and that the memories in my head are just the ones I’ve picked up from the media. I remember going to the stadium and going to compete on the warm up track abut 800m from the main stadium and I could hear this buzzing sound that was like a radio that hadn’t been tuned in that properly. So I said to Peter my coach: ‘Can you hear that? What is that noise, it’s really annoying me!’, and he said: ‘You should probably get used to that, it’s the crowd.’ Up until that point the biggest crowd I’d competed in front of was about 200 people so we went from 200 to 80,000 pretty quickly.

“We went through each call room and the final one was under the stadium on a little warm up track and it was so loud the floor was physically moving. Every other girl was white or green and I just couldn’t stop grinning and the cheer was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard. I love going to concerts and gigs but it had nothing on London 2012!”

Do you revel in being the one that people are chasing or can there be a lot of pressure associated with that? 

“Definitely pressure. I do wish I had someone to chase. It’s not even the pressure, it’s just knowing what’s achievable. When you’re at the front, it’s so hard to break the barriers all the time and not really have anyone to push you to do that. Which I think is why I struggled to break the 17-second barrier for the 100m. Once Kare [Adenegan] had done it I did it pretty quickly after her but I needed someone to prove to me that it could be done. Mentally I just couldn’t get there.

“Every time I line up on the track people just automatically expect me to win. You know, it doesn’t matter the situation, who I’m competing against or where we are, it’s literally that Hannah’s on the track and she should win. I think we are getting away from that, especially with the 100m with Kare and that’s the best thing that could’ve happened to me as I know we can beat each other. Everyone wants a bit of competition.

“I used to revel being the person at the front and believed I was untouchable but I wasn’t and I had to change my mindset and deal with that. It’s nice to win but it’s everything else that comes with it!”

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self, just starting out in athletics? 

“I think I’d give myself the advice that I give young people now. Just try everything and take every opportunity that you get given. You never know where it will take you and if you don’t love it, you’ll learn from it. For me, wheelchair racing wasn’t the first sport that I tried, it wasn’t the first athletics discipline that I tired (I started with seated discus), but if you’re in one then discover a new one as you may uncover a hidden talent!

“It’s great to have a team around you and it’s really nice to have someone to depend on but if it’s really important then just get on with it and stop waiting for other people to do it. If you’re not happy with your training plan or the exercises you think you should be doing in the gym, just ask the questions and make it right. Don’t just wait for other people to do it because it never happens.”

Who do you think are the up and coming stars we should look out for? 

“In wheelchair racing in Britain there’s an athlete called Melanie Woods coming through. She’s a T54 so not my classification but I genuinely think she’s going to be an absolute star and she’s flying already which is great to see. Internationally in my class, there’s a girl called Robyn Lambird who’s an Australian athlete. She’s going to be fantastic, she just needs to work on her confidence a little bit but she’s going to be a really good sprinter and definitely one I should look out for!”

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The European 100m champion answers your questions on training with Usain Bolt, being a pilot and his dream 4x100m relay team

Glimpse into the lives of world-class athletes as they answer questions from YOU each week on ‘Ask the Athlete’.

This week we are joined by Zharnel Hughes – European 100m champion and the joint-second fastest Brit of all time.

He chats to AW about training with Usain Bolt, being a pilot and flying a plane around the Caribbean, his dream 4x100m relay team and so much more!

Have a read of some of Hughes’ answers below and then enjoy the full 15-minute episode.

How did growing up in Anguilla shape you as an athlete? Was athletics part of your upbringing? 

“In Anguilla I started out at age 10. My family took part in athletics and I think it was a part of me, my older brothers and sisters run fast but because they got to high school, things started to fade away from them. For me, I’ve always been interested in track and field and I always wanted to see how much faster I could become. So it’s up to me now to continue and to pursue my dream!”

Outside of sprints, what events do you most enjoy watching and why? And who’s your favourite all-time track and field athlete? 

“I like to watch football. I’m a big Manchester United fan. [Marcus] Rashford is a big player of mine and I’m always looking forward to watch him play. He’s such an inspiration to the youths and to me because the way he sets up himself is that of somebody who wants to execute his skills and talent to the best of his ability.

“My most loved all-time track and field athlete is Usain Bolt obviously. I train with him, he’s like an older brother to me and I’ve always been looking up to him. Tyson Gay as well, I used to watch these guys regularly on YouTube, when you came home from school you just searched their races! I’ve always been interested in the way they run, their technique, the way they manage themselves under pressure and how they execute those super fast times.”

You’re a private pilot – if we weren’t in a pandemic and you could fly to anywhere in the world right now, where would you most like to visit and why? 

“Yes, I am! For me I like travelling within the Caribbean as I fly small planes and I don’t think I’d be able to make it to Europe! I’d definitely like to fly in the Bahamas because of the turquoise waters they have over there. I like the Cayman Islands a lot as well because I’ve been there a lot, it’s well kept and the people over there are beautiful.

“For me, another place in the Caribbean I’d be flying to will obviously be Anguilla as its nearby to Jamaica I could see family as well. As long as the plane makes it because it’s a small plane and you’d constantly have to stop for fuel! It wouldn’t get over the North Atlantic for sure.”

Who’s in your dream 4x100m men’s relay team for Great Britain and in what order? 

“Ah, that’s a good question! I’d definitely go with some old guys though (I hope they don’t mind me saying old guys)! I’d probably put Christian Malcolm on the bend, I would run the back straight, I’d probably go with Darren Campbell as well on the starting leg and I’d go with John Regis on anchor. That’d be an explosive team and I definitely think we could go and smash the world record. That’s the team I’d definitely go with, the way Christian runs the bend is crazy. John does as well but I’d definitely put Christian on the bend, Darren at the start and John on anchor. We’d definitely be a team to be reckoned with.”

What times will it take to make a podium and then gold in the 100m/200m in Tokyo? 

“The way track and field is going right now, I definitely think that in the 100m anywhere from 9.90 to probably about 9.85 to 9.82 could probably get you a gold in the 100m. As for the 200m, anywhere from 19.95 thereabouts to possibly 19.75 should get you the gold in the 200m. I definitely think this year I can produce those times, it’s within me as I’m much stronger physically and mentally and I just want to go and compete now. I’m staying on my grind on a daily basis and I’m making sure that the work I’m putting in will be something that I’m reaping rewards from when the Olympics comes around!”

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The British supermiler answers your questions on training, commentating and taking on Jakob Ingebrigtsen in a 1500m race

Glimpse into the lives of world-class athletes as they answer questions from YOU each week on ‘Ask the Athlete’.

This week we are joined by Steve Cram – 1500m Olympic silver medallist, world and two-time European champion, commentator and coach.

He chats to AW about commentating on Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Kelly Holmes, how he’d like to face Jakob Ingebrigtsen in a 1500m race, what advice he’d give to young athletes and so much more!

Plus all the information on his upcoming virtual training camp.

Have a read of some of Cram’s answers below and then enjoy the full 32-minute episode.

What are your favourite all-time moments as a commentator? 

“There are lots, actually. I’ve been commentating for over 20 years now and I’ve actually forgotten an awful lot of stuff! If I had to pick out a few, I’d say in 2002 when Paula Radcliffe ran an incredible race in the European 10,000m in pouring rain in Munich and it was just outside 30 minutes. I remember how excited Bren [Brendan Foster] got watching that and it’s always good when you get a distance event where you get time to get into it.

“Kelly Holmes in 2004 was dramatic, crossing the line and just about winning the 800m. Tight finishes for commentary are brilliant and I love them.

“I think Usain Bolt was probably the one I enjoyed commentating on most as you just never knew what you were going to get with him. You kind of knew he was going to win but he ran so many brilliant times and world records. My favourite one with him was 200m in London.

“My favourite one was Mo Farah’s 10,000m in London. For the same reason I mentioned about Paula’s race, you can get into it, and that night in London came off the back of everything else that night [on Super Saturday]. It wasn’t just the race, it was the atmosphere in the stadium, the importance of it to the British viewers and us, so I’d say that probably just comes out on top. I still think 2012 and that Saturday night was number one!”

Which middle-distance athlete competing now would you like to have competed against during your period on the track? 

“It depends if you want to beat them or get beat by them. I’d love to be running against Jakob Ingebrigtsen, I know the family reasonably well including their dad. The Norwegians have a strong bond back to what we were doing in the 1980s and as a family they’ve talked a lot about the big meetings in Oslo so they’ve got a good grounding in it. I always enjoyed chatting with them on the circuit and watching him, he’s a very aggressive runner and he’s got a good racing brain so he’s somebody I’d genuinely like to run against.”

The masters world records for the 800m, 1500m and one mile for age 60 are 2:08, 4:24 and 4:49. Do you think you can break a world record? And why do you think not many top class athletes continue racing in the masters? 

“Short answer, no. On the second bit, when you’ve been a top class athlete and been training 20 years at that level, you know, I had 17 years as an international athlete, it’s a big physical effort and you carry that into the rest of your life. The high intensity of training is something you physically let go but it’s also the mental side, it’s an amazing world to be in but it can drain you for good and for bad. It’s nice to step out of that for a while.

“I also don’t have any desire. I’m only getting slower and that can be quite de-motivating and it took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do with running. I ran a couple of marathons early on including Comrades Marathon which is 55 miles which was nice because I didn’t have anything to compare it to. But you can’t keep doing that and I didn’t have time because as soon as you do them you think I’m not going to get any faster after that.

“I’ve been running a fair bit more in the last year or so, partly because of lockdown, and I’m a little bit better in looking after myself now, especially in my legs, but could I break the world record for the mile? Last year I jokingly bet Ross Murray (those of you who listen to podcasts may remember Ross) and he said I couldn’t run a 5:40 mile. I think I ran 5:41 with Laura’s help. With a bit of track work I could knock 20 or 30 seconds off that but the world record, no. I’m also not putting myself in the masters category for those races as I’m nowhere near.”

What advice would you give people to help them become a world-class athlete like yourself? 

“Start with some good genes, that helps! No, you know, look, there are so many people who think this is all about talent and ability and of course that helps but there’s a lot of people who do have talent but don’t go anywhere with it. It really is about that consistent approach to something. It takes 10 years of running to get to a place from the age of 13 or 14 to getting to 23 or 24 and then you might not even be at your best until a few years after that. Most people aren’t in it for the long journey. You’re going to get lots of knock-backs and hurdles along that journey.

“There are some absolute super-talented people out there like Usain Bolt but he still trained, went through the various steps from his junior career as there are no shortcuts, that’s the basic thing. Stick at it and if there’s nothing else you’ll be much better than you were before!”

Do you have plans to widen your coaching group to include more athletes? 

“Not really, not necessarily. I’ve started coaching one of our top young athletes now you know, Laura [Weightman] is very well established, I’ve advised a few but in terms of direct coaching it’s only going to be about two or three.

“What I do enjoy though is that wider approach. I like taking that elite approach and using that for the masses so we’ve got these Steve Cram Training Camps. I’m always interested when people come on those, just ordinary runners, people just wanting to get a tiny bit better at 5km or 10km, or just coming for a social weekend, but they’re asking the questions the elite athletes ask.

“If you haven’t signed up already, February 27 we’re doing a virtual training camp with Athletics Weekly. There are still places available for that and you can discover what’s going on, virtually in your own front room, but you might think about coming to one of our future camps which hopefully might not be too far away!”

Click here to find out more about the Steve Cram Virtual Training Camp.

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World steeplechase record-holder sets another global mark with 14:43 at the Monaco Run, while Joshua Cheptegei clocks 13:14

Back racing in Monaco, where she made steeplechase history in 2018, Beatrice Chepkoech added another world record to her CV as she improved the global women’s 5km mark to 14:43.

Racing in sunny, cool and blustery conditions, the Kenyan shaved one second from Sifan Hassan’s outright official world record also set in Monaco in a women-only race in 2019.

Chepkoech was paced by Netherlands’ Luuk Maas and the previous record in a mixed gender race was Caroline Kipkirui’s 14:48 set in 2018. The road 5km became an official world record event in 2017.

“It was so good,” said Chepkoech, who ran 8:44.32 to break the world 3000m steeplechase record in 2018. “Even though there was a lot of wind, I tried to follow my pacemaker and everything was perfect.

“The first kilometre was so fast but the second was a bit slower but then when we were coming back the wind was not as strong so I tried to push before we reached the [Larvotto] tunnel.

“When we were inside the tunnel my pacemaker told me ‘we can do it, let’s just push it’. I just followed him.

“I am so happy [with the time] because I didn’t expect it.”

There had been some confusion during the race as after Chepkoech passed 1km in around 2:57 the cameras focused on Meraf Bahta, running solo in second place. But the Kenyan world steeplechase champion remained on world record pace and the cameras captured her crossing the finish line with 14:40 on the clock before her time was confirmed as a world record 14:43.

Sweden’s Bahta was a minute behind her, clocking 15:46, while France’s Alice Finot was third in 15:52.

Chepkoech’s unofficial 1km splits were 2:57, 2:59, 3:01, 2:58 and 2:48.

She will next race at the Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland, on February 17.

The men’s world record had been broken by Joshua Cheptegei at this event last year and the Ugandan world champion returned to defend his title.

While his record was not under threat this time, he claimed victory once again by clocking 13:14 ahead of Kenya’s Bethwell Birgen with 13:18 on his road racing debut.

Kenya’s Davis Kiplangat was third with 13:19 and France’s Morhad Amdouni fourth with 13:20. Richard Douma broke the Dutch record with 13:24 in fifth.

“It was a good race but the wind was incredibly difficult,” said Cheptegei, who explained how he had spent one month preparing for the race following a break after the World Half Marathon Championships in October. Before that he had also broken the world 5000m record in Monaco with 12:35.36 in August.

“I just wanted to run and defend the title.”

Asked by Britain’s former world marathon record-holder Paula Radcliffe, who was commentating on the race alongside two-time Olympic champion Seb Coe, about his ambitions for the rest of the year and the Tokyo Olympics, Cheptegei added: “Tokyo is going to be a phenomenal challenge for me.

“I expect this year to become great like last year, or even more great than last year.”

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Joshua Cheptegei returns to the scene of his 12:51 world record from last year and you can follow the action as it happens

Joshua Cheptegei set two world records in Monaco in 2020 – the first over 5km on the road when he ran 12:51 and the second on the track thanks to his time of 12:35.36 for 5000m.

So there is understandably lots of excitement about the Ugandan’s racing return at the Monaco Run 5km on Sunday (February 14) and even more so as fans can watch the action live via YouTube.

Last year Cheptegei took 27 seconds off the official global 5km record mark after 1km splits of 2:31, 2:35, 2:36, 2:35 and 2:34.

“It feels so good to be back in this magical city!” Cheptegei wrote on Instagram. “I’m very happy to start my year in Monaco again.”

Also among the entries are Kenya’s world indoor medallist Bethwell Birgen and Morocco’s Olympic and world medallist Abdalaati Iguider.

The women’s race is headlined by Kenya’s world steeplechase record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech.

The live stream begins at 8.45am GMT on Sunday.

 

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Olympic medallist and European 400m champion answers your questions and talks sunglasses, dream teams and more!

Martyn Rooney, Britain’s Olympic 4x400m bronze medallist, European 400m champion and multiple world 4x400m medallist, is the latest guest on our new Ask The Athlete series.

Rooney answers your questions about his dream 4x400m team and race, why sunglasses are so important, the best piece of advice he’s ever received in athletics and so much more.

Have a read of some of his answers below and then enjoy the full 30-minute episode.

You’ve competed at so many championships and international events, which has been your favourite meet/venue and why? 

“This is really tough as I have been doing it since I was 18. I’ve competed at a lot of stadiums at a lot of championships but I think my favourite is the Bird’s Nest in Beijing. For me it’s perfect. I think there are quicker tracks out there but I though the whole environment, the architecture, the way it looked made me exited and pumped up to walk in there.

“Just the way you feel like you’re in a cauldron and you keep looking up and up and the people are on top of you. London you just feel it goes out and out but Beijing you just felt like you’re in with the crowd. I also love competing at Brussels so that and Beijing are my two favourites.”

Why do you wear sunglasses? 

“For me as a kid I was never, and it might be hard to believe, cocky! I was quite shy, a bit of an introvert, and I learnt to be this athlete who was a bit arrogant and when I saw other people wear sunglasses I was like, that’s a cocky person over there. It just really started by accident where I raced in Beijing at the world juniors and I couldn’t see in the heats so my sponsor gave me some sunglasses and I was like, ‘this is amazing’.

“It just gave me a whole new mentality from being this nervous kid to being confident, block everyone out and I’ve stuck with it ever since. In the final I didn’t wear them and I didn’t run that well so I’m also a bit superstitious about it. When I raced indoors for the one and only time last year I feel I might’ve run a bit better if I had the glasses on! So it’s definitely just a superstitious thing for me now.”

You toyed with the idea of stepping up to the 800m a few years ago, why did you ultimately not make that change? 

“As a kid I was an 800m, 1500m and cross country runner who just dropped into pole vault or long jump or whatever for my club. I really just stumbled into the 400m and kind of got stuck in it. I had goals, that I wanted to break the European record and win medals at an international level and I thought I had the best opportunity to do that in the 400m.

“Why didn’t I step up to the 800m? Probably because I was just so focused on my goals in the 400m. For a couple of years the 800m wasn’t the strongest event and people were satisfied with 1.45s and 1.46s but you look at the talent there now like Daniel Rowden, Guy Learmonth and Jake Wightman, Kyle Langford and the rest and to be a British middle-distance runner is exciting right now so I’m just going to enjoy it from the outside.”

If you could choose an ultimate 400m race to compete in, who would be in the other seven lanes? 

“Iwan Thomas would be one, I never had the opportunity to race against him. Wayde van Niekerk 100%, he’s an unbelievable athlete, likewise Steven Gardiner. Kirani James is in and you can’t help but love the guy. He’s beaten you by a second or half a second and he comes over and is like, ‘thanks, it was an honour to race against you’ and you’re dying inside! Wayde is exactly the same and I really enjoy being around those guys.

“Myself, that’s four. Andrew Steele is sneaking in and I’d chuck Karsten Warholm in as well. I love him, just a fan. Finally, I’d say Fred Kerley. I’m lucky enough to have raced against all of them apart from Iwan but he’s been brilliant for me in my career. Anyway, I diverse.”

Your dream team 4x400m, limited to guys you’ve been in relay teams with. Doesn’t have to be the fastest guys on paper, just three guys you want out there in the mix. 

“I’d always put Rabah Yousif first. I think in 2015 he did an amazing job and I’d love to have that Rabah on first leg. Second leg is quite a tough one between Delano Williams and Dwayne Cowan. Delano in Rio ran 44 flat and the way he did it was like if he was a pro and had been doing it for years. He just schooled people like Chris Brown and Jonathan Borlée, and with Dwayne we wouldn’t have won a medal in London without him. I’m going to go for Delano as the guys he took out was incredible.

“Third leg is Tim Benjamin. Every day of the week. He really gave me the right advice in the right way when I went to Helsinki. It wasn’t soft and pansy, he drove me in the right way, kind of a telling off but it was what I needed. He was the British No.1 and he was so focused on a team medal which inspired me. Then I’d go fourth. That would be my strike four!”

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British pole vault record-holder answers your questions and talks misconceptions, street meets and more!

Our new weekly Ask The Athlete series continues with Holly Bradshaw, as the British pole vault record-holder answers your questions on topics ranging from the event’s pioneers to her first PB.

Bradshaw’s career took off when she broke the British junior pole vault record in 2010. Since then, she’s become the senior record-holder, won a European indoor title, claimed gold at the Athletics World Cup and finished fifth at Rio 2016.

Have a read of some of Bradshaw’s answers below and then enjoy the full 27-minute episode for more.

How old were you when you started vaulting and what was your first PB? How does that compare now? 

“I started pole vaulting in 2008. That would have made me 16 (about to turn 17). It was kind of a coincidence, how I got into it. I’ve always been super sporty, I am sure that a lot of people have heard this story but I played football when I was four years old, then went into gymnastics, from six to 12. Then all the way through high school I tried to get into any sport that I could get my hands on.

“When I was in year 10 I did a school sports day and literally won everything, it was just kind of crazy. I did the 100m, high jump, shot put, javelin, that’s the person I was, just throwing myself into anything. Outside of school, I then went down to the athletics club and luckily my club Blackburn Harriers realised they didn’t have a single pole vaulter at the club so they got me into these taster classes.

“It was something that I’d never heard of before, dreamt of doing and I absolutely loved it. In the first six months I had qualified for European Juniors so it was a rollercoaster. My first PB was 2.10m and now it is 4.87m but I guess you have to start super low.”

What is the biggest misconception about the pole vault? 

“A lot of people see the pole vault and think ‘oh my god’ and ‘that’s super scary’ and of course, when I detach myself away from competing and watch, it can look super scary but it’s not dangerous. Pole vault is such a gradual process and with people who are impatient it can be really frustrating. When you first start it’s like there’s a river and if I gave you a stick and said, ‘you can’t get your feet wet’, you’d put the stick in the river and jump across. That’s pole vault in the first few weeks.

“The more confidence you get, the more you’ll grip and run faster and that’s how you get upside down. You might think it’s impossible and dangerous but it’s really not and when you get to a certain level it is really safe. You can be short or tall, it’s not a once size fits all sport.”

Do you think more events like the Manchester or Loughborough International are needed within the UK to help athletes make the step up to international competition? 

“I 100% agree with this. I went to Finland last year and they had a bronze, silver and gold Continental Tour meet as well as lots of other little meets like the Manchester and Loughborough International. My personal opinion is I love the Diamond Leagues and there’s definitely a place for one in the UK, but I would prefer to see a Diamond League, a couple of continental tour meets and then a few Manchester/Loughborough events rather than just two big Diamond League events.

“Finland is quite a small athletics country and if they can do it and have international competitors come in then I don’t see why the UK doesn’t draw more of the international market. Apart from the Diamond Leagues we don’t get many international athletes over so if we had four or five meets below that level it would just give opportunities for athletes in the UK to face competition abroad.”

Do you think competitions at non-stadium events will become more frequent? 

“I really hope so. In Germany it’s every week. I can go to five or six meets outdoors that are all pole vault street meets. They’ve cracked it and I know we haven’t got as stable weather as they do in Germany but we can do that in the UK. We have vault only meets in Cardiff, Loughborough and Brunel but we need more events like that with potentially more international athletes.

“France have a series indoors in indoor arenas. They usually have five or six competitions running throughout the day, starting at 9am and then finishing with the elite. One of the events is so popular this year they’re running it for four days straight and they’ve got enough kids that would want to do pole vault that they can do it for that long. I want more people to get into it and I believe Great Britain can be a powerhouse for the sport.”

Have you met any of the pioneers in women’s pole vault like Emma George, Stacy Dragila, and from the UK, Janine Whitlock, and do you have a favourite? 

“I haven’t actually. I would really like to meet Stacy Dragila, she’s a massive pioneer of the event and I know she’s doing some amazing things in America and Birmingham in getting kids into pole vault. For me, the pioneers were like Fabiana Murer and Anna Rogowska. When I came into the sport at an international level around 2011/12, they were the girls that topped the game.

“They were very much the women taking the game to the next level and they were really inspiring. I haven’t met any of the founding pioneers but I’d really like to meet them!”

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British 800m champion answers your questions and talks training, chicken wings, the importance of his Christian faith and more!

Our new weekly Ask The Athlete series kicks off with Daniel Rowden, as the British 800m champion answers your questions on topics ranging from training to treats.

Having equalled Steve Ovett’s PB of 1:44.09, the 23-year-old is already the ninth fastest 800m runner in British history and we caught up with him during a training camp in Dubai to learn more about his life on and off the track.

Have a read of some of Rowden’s answers below and then enjoy the full 20-minute episode for more.

Olympic medal or British 800m record? 

“That is a tough one as the 800m record is fast. 1:41.73 by Seb Coe. If I ran that I probably would have an Olympic medal but that’s not how the question goes! As much as a British record is special I’d probably have to go for an Olympic medal just as it’s the absolute pinnacle of our sport. It’s the end goal and most kids dream of going to the Olympics.”

How important is your Christian faith when you’re competing? 

“Well for me it’s huge, not just when I’m competing. Athletics to me is important, likewise relationships, friendships and romance but for me my faith and relationship with God will always be number one. It’s huge, it’s the reason I believe for my existence, it forms the basis for what I want to do each day and it gives me a purpose for life.”

What does a typical training week look like for you? 

“I don’t say I have a typical training week. Winter training is very different to summer training. The way my coach works is that every week isn’t the same. I mean, in the winter we have the building blocks such as two gym sessions a week, one or more long runs a week, at least one track session and then maybe a hill session. In the track season, we’d do three track sessions a week. What I like about my coach is that he keeps you on your toes and stops you getting bored from doing similar sessions.”

Who was the first person to recognise that you had a talent for running? 

“The first person was probably my football coach back when I was eight years old. For those of you who don’t know, I started running when I was about 12. Before that I played football, not to any high level but just for local teams. I played in midfield but transitioned to defence. I think it was my first coach who picked it up when I was able to track fast forwards who wouldn’t be able to drop the shoulder.

“But in terms of my career, probably a guy called John Stow who was the one who recruited me. He saw I was doing well in a cross country race, handed me a letter and asked me to join the club.”

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, just starting out in athletics, what would it be? 

“I’d just say enjoy it. When you’re young it’s easy to look up the Power of 10 and figure out your ranking and the athletes who are over 10 seconds faster than you over 800m which is a big amount, but just enjoy it and have fun. Push yourself and make great friendships in a great team. It will get tough for everyone at some point so just enjoy it and you’ll go a lot further!”

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Main photo by Getty Images for British Athletics

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Trayvon Bromell, Adam Gemili, Kendra Harrison and Omar McLeod are among the entries for the opening World Athletics Indoor Tour meeting in Fayetteville

The 2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour kicks off on Sunday (January 24) with the inaugural American Track League event in Fayetteville, USA.

A number of top names have been announced for the Silver level meeting at the Randal Tyson Track Center, with Jamaica’s Olympic 110m hurdles champion Omar McLeod, USA’s Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser, Canada’s triple Olympic sprint medallist Andre De Grasse, USA’s world 100m hurdles record-holder Kendra Harrison, USA’s world indoor 60m gold medallist Trayvon Bromell and Britain’s world relay gold medallist Adam Gemili among the entries.

Fans will be able to tune in and watch the action via the live World Athletics stream below or via local broadcasts.

The live World Athletics stream starts at 8pm UK time (3pm local time).

Geo-blocked territories for the above live stream are American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and United States.

Click here for start lists and results.

Harrison is entered for the 60m, where she will be joined by Britain’s Daryll Neita and Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare, plus the 300m, also featuring USA’s Kori Carter. The women’s 60m hurdles entries include Britain’s Tiffany Porter, USA’s Christina Clemons and Norway’s Isabelle Pedersen, while Britain’s Lina Nielsen runs the 400m.

McLeod, De Grasse, Bromell and Gemili go in the 60m, while the 400m features USA’s Fred Kerley and the 60m hurdles includes USA’s Grant Holloway.

Crouser contests the shot put, while USA’s world indoor gold medallist Vashti Cunningham is in high jump action and the pole vault includes USA’s Katie Nageotte.

The next World Athletics Indoor Tour meeting is the Gold level event in Karlsruhe on January 29, where Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith is among the entries (click here to read more).

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American is an agonising 12 seconds short of the record as he goes second on the all-time list with 6:09:26 in Arizona

After more than six hours of running, Jim Walmsley missed the world 100km record by just 12 seconds as he clocked an impressive 6:09:26 at the Hoka One One-organised Project Carbon X 2 event in Chandler, Arizona, on Saturday (January 23).

Nao Kazami’s 6:09:14 set in 2018 had been the target and Walmsley remained on pace through 95km but as he glanced at his watch during the final stretch it appeared that the record might be narrowly out of reach.

In a dramatic finish, after nine laps of the roughly 11km circuit, he crossed the finish line with arms outstretched, a bloody gash on his left shoulder from an earlier clash with a fence post and a performance he later described as “a little bittersweet”.

Walmsley’s time works out at an average pace of 3:42 per kilometre for 100km, or 5:57 per mile for 62 miles.

He had gone through 50km in 3:04:15 and ran with incredible consistency.

Those splits! @walmsleyruns' 6:09:26 100km at #PCX2 https://t.co/nXxCQBHmyx https://t.co/s01aMq84Rt pic.twitter.com/Gg5SzeoFp8

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) January 23, 2021

Walmsley’s finishing time puts him second on the world all-time list behind the mark set by Japan’s Kazami at the Lake Saroma 100km in Hokkaido and improves Max King’s American record by more than 18 minutes.

“It definitely feels like one of the more special runs I’ve had,” said Walmsley, who won the long-distance world mountain running title in 2019 and holds the Western States 100 (miles) record.

READ MORE: Jim Walmsley takes world mountain title

Speaking on the Hoka One One live stream, he added: “It really felt like I got everything out of myself today and dug really deep and fought all the way to the line. I don’t feel like I gave up but it was tough to see the seconds tick by.

“It’s a little bittersweet but definitely rewarded with an American record today and those don’t come very often.

“It was a pretty amazing day.”

Next to finish was Rajpaul Pannu in 6:28:31, ahead of Kris Brown in 6:39:14.

Live stream replay:

Over in the women’s race it was Britain’s Carla Molinaro who led the way for the first 70km, going through 50km in 3:30:56, 60km in 4:18:34 and 70km in 5:10:45. At that point, France’s Audrey Tanguy moved past her and would go on to claim victory in 7:40:36 ahead of Nicole Monette (7:43:18) and Courtney Olsen (7:55:11).

Molinaro, who last year broke the women’s Land’s End to John O’Groats record when she ran the length of Britain in 12 days, 30 minutes and 14 seconds, finished fourth in 8:01:22.

Her previous best was the 8:23:45 she ran at the 2018 IAU 100km World Championships.

READ MORE: Carla Molinaro breaks LEJOG record

Camille Herron, the 2017 Comrades Marathon winner, dropped out after 65km with hip pain.

All athletes were wearing the new Hoka One One Carbon X 2 shoe.

See the February edition of AW magazine for a review of the Carbon X 2, as well as the brand’s other carbon plated road racer, the Carbon Rocket X.

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

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AW’s resident physio shares expert advice on the typical athlete injuries he is used to treating at this time of year and answers some reader questions

Resident AW physio Paul Hobrough joins Euan Crumley on a video clinic to share his expert advice on how to keep you and your body happy and healthy.

In the clinic Hobrough talks about the typical athlete injuries and niggles he is used to treating at this time of year as people get stuck into their new year regimes, highlights the most common mistakes people make and explains the benefits of his virtual physiotherapy service, ichatphysio.

He also answers some reader questions on the fine line between training with a niggle and knowing when to stop, lower back issues and knee pain.

Click here to read more. Specific sections of the video clinic can be found by skipping to the below timestamps.

1:24​ The main issues Hobrough expects to treat around this time of year

09:58​ The most common mistakes people make

30:43​ Reader question: @sports_momentum on Twitter
“As coaches we always walk a fine line between training when aware you’re not quite right and stopping an athlete from further damage. How do you advise people to walk this tightrope?”

35:50​ The importance of seeing the bigger picture

37:39​ Reader question: @mariamcgeorge1 on Instagram
“Historical lower back issues leading to ITB numbness, tightness and sharp darting pain, especially after a long run. What’s the best stretch to mitigate this?”

40:32​ Reader question @sonyad81 on Instagram
“Right knee started to hurt after a run incorporating hills. I have also gradually upped my distance from 5km to 11km. I can run on it, but it niggles. It feels bruised at top of knee cap, but no obvious signs of bruising or swelling. Are there any stretches I can do to prevent it from happening in the future?”

44:54​ An introduction to ichatphysio

» Look out for Paul Hobrough’s monthly column in AW magazine

»To book an appointment with ichatphysio, click here

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The post Athletics video clinic with physio Paul Hobrough appeared first on AW.

Teenage sprinter began studying at Cambridge University this winter but has stepped up her training with Tokyo in her sights

For many, the postponement of the Olympics in Tokyo was a huge blow. Fans were looking forward to the action. Older established athletes were keen to compete while they were still at the peak of their careers.

Yet mention the delay of the Games to sprinter Amy Hunt and the teenage sprinter’s eyes light up and she smiles. “For young British athletes like myself, Keely Hodgkinson, Lucy-Jane Matthews and Max Burgin it’s such an incredible chance that wasn’t expected.

“We’ve been given this extra year and it’s a year to get fitter and faster before trying to make our first Olympic team. So I think it’s worked out really well for me.

“There are no negatives for young athletes like me when it comes to having the Olympics pushed back because we’ll have a better chance of being selected when those trials come around.”

In 2019 Hunt won the European under-20 200m title and set world under-18 and British under-20 records at the distance. This year another great sequence of results has led to her being named AW readers’ junior female athlete of the year again in 2020.

In February she won the British indoor 60m title in 7.39 before improving to 7.36 for fourth at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow. Then, when outdoor track meets started, she raced exclusively at 100m instead of 200m at events ranging from the British Champs in Manchester, where she was fourth, to her first Diamond League in Doha, where she placed sixth.

“I can’t describe how good it was to go to my first Diamond League in Doha,” she says. “To experience the hype and energy there was really fun.”

She turns 19 in May and is looking forward to returning to her specialist distance of 200m after spending 2020 working on her ability get out the blocks quickly. “We also felt the biggest gains were to be made over 100m and we treated it almost as a freebie year,” she explains.

“We stripped back and focused on that start again and it definitely really helped and I saw an improvement in my start. At the British Champs I felt really confident and able to put together a first 20m.”

She adds: “It was interesting to have the focus on the 100m because going into an event knowing it’s not your favourite event and to be one of the slowest was an interesting process for me to learn. It was good to head into a race not being too star-struck and to just focus on my lane.”

Amy Hunt wins the British indoor 60m title. Photo by Mark Shearman

Hunt also began studying for an English degree at the University of Cambridge. Keen to excel in athletics and her academics, she believes she made the right choice and now has the best of both worlds.

“I think I made the right decision,” she says. “It wasn’t an easy one to make. There were lots of pros and cons and a lot of people offered their opinion about it. However in the end I knew it was my decision to make.”

Despite this, she has spent periods of the academic year so far back in Loughborough due to the lockdown in England in November, for example, plus the fact most students are doing lectures online. This has allowed her to train with her coach Joe McDonnell and use Loughborough’s facilities. Still, she has missed being in Cambridge itself for large parts of her fresher year so far.

Cambridge, of course, has a considerable athletics tradition itself. There is a long-standing debate with Oxford over which of the two universities has the oldest athletics club in the world. Cambridge has also produced its fair share of Olympians, such as 1924 Olympic 100m champion Harold Abrahams from Chariots of Fire fame.

“Generally when you’re walking around the city sometimes it hits you that people like David Attenborough, Lord Byron, Steven Hawking went here. It stops you in your tracks a bit and can seem very surreal to think I’m a student here who has been given such a great opportunity. I feel very lucky but I also recognise I did work very hard to get there too.”

Was her decision to study at Cambridge led by her head or her heart? “I think it was very much driven by the heart,” she says. “Once I had my interview (about 12 months ago) I was pretty much set on the decision. The idea of a big looming interview puts people off but it was one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever done.

“You go to this historic college with loads of amazing alumni and sit in front of world-leading impressive academics and have a really nice chat about English and it’s a really good opportunity to have a discussion with people who share your interests.

“I didn’t come out of it being upset but had a big smile. From that moment my heart was set on Cambridge.”

Amusingly, Hunt has been trying to improve her speed when it comes to running … and also reading. Given the large amount of books she needs to get through each week, she has been working on her ability to read faster.

She has also stepped up her training on the track and in the gym. “Heading into next year I’m in a really good position,” she says.”I have more confidence in my technical abilities and during what has been effectively a free year I’ve upped the amount of time I’ve done in the gym. Now three a week and I’m seeing a lot of gains from that.”

She adds: “This winter increased track sessions and gym so I now train six days a week. It was rough for my body to deal with for the first two weeks but I’m not getting used to that kind of exertions and I’m discovering recovery techniques that work for me.

“I really do enjoy winter training in a bit of a sadistic way. I’ve liked being back on the track and in the gym this winter. If you want to get to a certain level, you have to love what you’re doing. My coach Joe is always cracking jokes and creates a really good environment to be in.”

Despite her workload, she is getting more sleep now too. “I don’t need to get up at 6am to get the school bus. It’s more manageable now because everything’s on my own schedule and it’s a lot more flexible now. I can also cook for myself too instead of being reliant on what the school canteen are doing.”

So what really motivates her to put on her kit and start training? Is it the Olympics or World Under-20 Championships next year? Or the idea of improving her PBs?

“I think it’s a combination,” she says. “But the most important to me is putting the work in so my idols become my rivals. That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning. I want to be the best that I can be and be up there with those people who I used to idolise and now want to race.”

As for those idols, she says: “A younger me definitely looked up to Allyson Felix a lot. I’ve always looked up to Dina (Asher-Smith) because she’s always such an amazing role model for the sport. She encompasses a lot of values that I hold dear to myself too.

“Shaunae Miller-Uibo is an amazing athlete and people like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce have gone away and had a baby and returned to run well so there are lots of amazing female role models out there.”

So far she has not spent much time with any of them. The only time she has bumped into Asher-Smith, for example, was the Great CityGames in 2017. But she adds: “Hopefully I’ll be meeting most of them next year in Tokyo!”

The post Amy Hunt looks forward to delayed Olympics appeared first on AW.

Former world 400m hurdles champion shares insight into how he has managed to maintain fitness and recover in the right way with limited facilities

Life on the farm took on a whole new meaning for Dai Greene in lockdown. With limited access to facilities due to the coronavirus pandemic, his farmyard in the village of Sedgebrook in South Lincolnshire turned into the 2011 world 400m hurdles champion’s training base as he continued to put in the work ahead of the postponed Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Here Greene shares insight into his training and recovery – featuring a deckchair and his own-brand massage gun – in a behind-the-scenes video.

Exercises shown in his farm gym workout include:

1/2 squats
“A key exercise for me. 3×10 moving to 3×8 and then 3×6 as winter progresses.”

Single arm shoulder press
“Basic upper body conditioning. I typically do 3×10.”

Single leg arabesc
“Using a low weight as a warm up exercise to activate the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, back).”

Jump split squat
“A warm up exercise.”

Overhead press with drop
“A warm up exercise that helps with lifting technique, promoting fast drop and the need to be strong in that position.”

Lunge walks with bar overhead
“More of a conditioning exercise, I do 3×10 each side and it works the glutes and hamstrings. The barbell forces good posture.”

RDL/hip thrust variation
“Good for hamstrings and glutes, I have been doing 3×10. Can be done with a kettlebell.”

Further information on the Dai Greene Tomahawk Massage Gun can be found here.

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The post Dai Greene’s lockdown training appeared first on AW.

AW promotion: Products guru Paul Freary tries out the handheld massage device

The Pulseroll Mini Massage Gun is a small, handheld device with four interchangeable massage heads, which makes it easy to target any part of the body thanks to its small form and light weight.

But it packs a punch too, thanks to the four-speed motor and rechargeable battery, allowing you to vary the percussion effect depending on the targeted muscle group.

Check out the video for the full review.

Visit pulseroll.com/product/mini-massage-gun to find out more.

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The post Pulseroll Mini Massage Gun review appeared first on AW.

US-based British distance runner talks about his stand-out 10,000m in California, his goals for 2021 and why his biggest fan is the reigning Miss Great Britain

Born in Grimsby and based in Idaho, Sam Atkin made a name for himself this month with a sizzling 10,000m breakthrough run of 27:26.58.

Improving his PB by more than two minutes, it lifted him to No.4 on the UK all-time rankings and puts him in the frame for selection for the Tokyo Olympics.

Remarkably, he had run 13:18 for 5000m only 24 hours earlier too and began the 10,000m as a mere pacemaker before carrying on to complete the full distance.

Here he speaks to AW editor Jason Henderson about “that race”, his background in athletics, dreams for next year and the impressive credentials of his twin sister.

To read more about Atkin, check out our feature – click here.

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The post Sam Atkin video interview appeared first on AW.

Organisers launch logo and brand identity with 600 days until the World Athletics Championships

Described as “the ultimate track and field experience”, excitement continues to build for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 as the 600 days to go milestone is reached.

On Monday organisers unveiled the event logo and brand identity, while its website, social media channels and brand reveal video – featuring combined events stars Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen-Eaton – were also launched.

“Our mission is to offer the best of all worlds to athletes, fans, and media attending and watching from every part of the globe,” said Niels de Vos, executive director of WCH Oregon22.

“It will be the ultimate track and field experience, showcasing the State of Oregon and the sport to an unprecedented global audience.”

The action – taking place from July 15-24, 2022 – will be staged at the home of track and field in the USA, the newly-renovated Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, as the global showpiece is held in the United States for the first time.

“USATF’s mission is to drive competitive excellence and popular engagement in our sport,” said Max Siegel, CEO of USATF.

“Team USATF looks forward to welcoming the world to our country and Hayward Field. Our talented athletes are set to inspire people of all ages.”

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the WCH Oregon22 presented “an incredible opportunity for the sport.”

He added: “We are delighted to bring our flagship event to the United States for the first time. American athletes have contributed so much to the extraordinary history of athletics and another thrilling chapter will be written when the world comes to Hayward Field.

“With 2000 athletes from more than 200 countries under the spotlight in one of the largest media markets on the planet, it is sure to be an event like no other.”

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The post Excitement builds for Oregon22 appeared first on AW.

Another first for the off-road ultra running superstar as he switches his focus to the Phantasm 24 challenge

Kilian Jornet is no stranger to extreme challenges but his next test will take him out of his comfort zone in another way as he takes to the track, for 24 hours.

The trail running superstar is better known for his mountain feats but 2020 has seen him try new things and after making his 10km road race debut last month he now turns his attention to seeing how far he can run during a day at the Salomon-organised ‘Phantasm 24’ in Måndalen, Norway.

After muscle injury niggles following his 29:59 10km at the Hytteplanmila forced a delay of the 24-hour attempt, it was scheduled to take place this weekend (November 21-22) but because of the weather Jornet now looks set to take to the track on Friday November 27.

A live stream of Phantasm 24 will be available for fans to watch below and at salomon.com/phantasm24 from 10:30 CET (9:30 UK) on Friday.

“The motivation is to go outside of my comfort zone, to try different things and see what I am able to do, whether that is climbing at high altitude or, in this case, running on flat ground,” says Jornet.

“It’s fun to discover different things I can do, and training on the flat is a good test and an opportunity to learn in terms of nutrition and pacing, and then try to apply those things to different activities, like even mountaineering projects.”

The record for the longest distance run on the track in 24 hours is 188.590 miles (303.506km) set by ultra running legend Yiannis Kouros in 1997. A feat described by Jornet as “absolutely wild”.

That sort of distance requires an average of 7:38 per mile (4:44 per kilometre). For 188 miles. Over 24 hours.

“It’s so many kilometres that I cannot even visualise it,” says Jornet . “I’ve seen Yiannis’ splits so I want to keep up with that as long as I can.

“I know the speed I need to keep every hour, so then I know the pace for every kilometre and every lap.

“Of course, the first 10 hours will be a bit faster and then slowing every hour after, so I have a plan and I know what I want to run every hour. The big thing is to not have any muscle problems and be able to eat without having big down periods.”

In order to make the race official, a number of Norwegian ultra runners will also take part. Jornet will switch direction every four hours on the track and he expects temperatures to get as low as zero degrees Celsius at night and range from 8-15 degrees during the day.

“For mountain athletes, we have a big motor, so it’s easy in terms of cardio and endurance,” Jornet adds.

“It’s mostly working on the speed because my legs aren’t used to moving this fast.

“To prepare, I’ve been doing three days of speed work each week at the track or on roads. But the form you run with on the flat is very different from how you run in the mountains, where you run higher because you pass over obstacles and put your feet in different places as the terrain changes.

“I think the biggest challenge is to be able to train consistently and not have injuries because the transition to flat ground is very hard for the muscles. The training has been a bit frustrating the last few months going from injury to injury to injury. I have had good blocks of training and then I would have an injury and have to rest.

“After the 10km race, I had to stop training and rest an injury.”

In his 24-hour attempt, Jornet will wear Salomon’s S/LAB Phantasm, a new lightweight road racing shoe that will be released in the spring of 2021.

“I tested the prototypes of the S/LAB Phantasm a year ago and now I’m using the same shoe that will be available in spring to the public,” Jornet says. “It’s great for road running. It’s a light, very reactive and well-balanced shoe with good cushioning, which is important when you are doing longer training on hard surfaces. And the grip is really good, even in wet conditions, which is important.”

» This post was updated on November 25 to state the new challenge date of November 27

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The post From trail to track as Kilian Jornet targets 24-hour task appeared first on AW.

Film follows Barkley Marathons finisher Kelly on his expedition, capturing all the highs and lows of his epic challenge

John Kelly’s epic ‘Grand Round’ feat is the focus of a documentary being shown by the newly-launched Run Show TV on Thursday (November 19), with the premiere available to watch via our website.

At 8pm GMT on Thursday, premiere viewers can tune into a YouTube stream below for the full 20-minute documentary which captures all the highs and lows of Barkley Marathons finisher Kelly’s Grand Round from earlier this year.

The Grand Round links the UK’s big three fell running rounds – the Paddy Buckley Round in Wales, the Bob Graham Round in the Lake District and the Charlie Ramsay Round in the Scottish Highlands – consecutively, with travel between rounds completed on bike. The challenge required more than 185 miles of running with 84,000 feet of elevation gain over 113 summits and more than 400 miles of cycling.

Kelly, who is originally from Tennessee, USA, and now lives in Bristol, UK, completed the feat on August 21, becoming the first person to complete the Grand Round in a total of 5 days, 10 hours and 43 minutes. For the first time, the team is sharing the full story and all the behind-the-scenes action in a film.

The documentary has been produced by UK sport and outdoor photography and videography company PH Balance, with Run Show TV created by the group behind the multi-award-winning National Running Show, Raccoon Events.

“I’m excited to be able to share this adventure with its incredible scenery, all its highs and lows, and the physical, mental, and logistical effort a challenge of this nature requires including the team of people who supported and made this possible,” says Kelly, who was also fundraising for The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.

“To have this all pulled together in a documentary has allowed me to relive this experience and I hope it will inspire others to create their own big goals that align with their passions and provide the motivation to get out and pursue them.”

Viewers can subscribe to Run Show TV on YouTube here.

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The post Watch John Kelly ‘The Grand Round’ documentary premiere appeared first on AW.

Kim Collison tells Jessica Whittington and Euan Crumley why ultra runners across the country have gone the extra mile(s) in 2020 to secure themselves a slice of history

Before this summer, the pursuit of Fastest Known Times – or FKTs, for short – was already a popular pastime for ultra and trail athletes. The restrictions and changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, however, have been the catalyst for an extraordinary period of achievement by those who like to push the boundaries of endurance towards eyewatering levels.

In recent months, barely a week has gone by without a bulletin announcing another epic, groundbreaking feat.

The sharp rise in FKTs is all the more understandable when you consider the current circumstances. With all major races cancelled or postponed, targets have instead been moved and energy redirected towards goals which require no organisation other than from the athletes themselves.

Given that most of these attempts take place in extreme landscapes and weather conditions, meticulous planning and safety considerations are very much required but, essentially, the FKT process is as ‘simple’ as picking an established route or planned course, working out whether or not you will be supported by other runners and pacers, honing your fuelling strategy and then setting off. Don’t forget your tracker, though – you have to be able to prove what you’ve done, of course!

Whether it be scaling the peaks of the Lake District, Highland Scotland or Wales, traversing some of the UK’s best-known long-distance paths or even running all the way from Land’s End to John O’Groats, hardly an FKT stone has been left unturned. The same has been happening across the globe.

Kim Collison is one of those athletes who has written himself further into the fabric of his sport. On July 12, the British international broke the Lakeland 24-hour record, climbing 78 Lakeland peaks within 24 hours to break a 23-year-old record which had been held by Mark Hartell.

The challenge requires each peak to be more than 2000ft and in total Collison covered 153km with more than 12,000m (39,000ft) of ascent in 23 hours and 45 minutes, adding one more peak to Hartell’s record.

“It was something that I always thought about, but it was one of those things that I thought ‘maybe I haven’t got the ability or the talent quite to reach that lofty goal’,” says Collison, who is also a coach and mountain guide.

“I guess it wasn’t until last December, when I broke the winter Bob Graham record (another legendary fell running route in the Lake District) that I started to believe that I could potentially try this record.

“I was going to target the other two rounds – the Paddy Buckley in Wales and the Ramsay Round in Scotland – but with COVID and lockdown it meant they became out of the question.

“Luckily, I live on the side of a fell, right at the bottom, so even during lockdown I could run from my door and train – it was like having a training camp.

“I was actually thinking maybe if I could then peak towards the UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc) race, that would be good, and then when that was cancelled it was like ‘okay, where do I re-evaluate my goals?’”

That re-evaluation pointed towards the Lakeland attempt – something which became an unforgettable adventure.

“The early parts of the Round were really good and smooth but then when I dropped into Wasdale about 14 hours in roughly, I suddenly started to get the energy lows and the stomach crisis that you get in ultra running and suddenly you are faced with this big wall of mountain that is really steep,” he explains.

“That was a particular low point. I came through that, got moving again and was able to add the extra summit in with the time up I had built in and then it came to the last leg.

“It was about 11pm and by that point I was really tired and fatigued. It was dark, I was struggling to climb the hills quickly enough to keep on to the schedule and I was starting to lose a bit of the buffer.

“Then the stress levels started to rise a bit because the mists came in and we could see about a metre in front of us with our head torches. You’re trying to run, not being able to see much of the ground in front of you, and trying to navigate because every second was quite vital, getting the right lines.

“If we had got it wrong and gone down into the wrong valley or on to the wrong mountain top, we could quite easily lose five or 10 minutes and that’s the record gone.

“All I had to do, though, was try and focus on following the people in front and keep moving and keep pushing. It wasn’t until the last summit that I felt ‘yes, this is going to happen today’. The feelings of joy start to flood in then, which is brilliant.”

Kim Collison. Photo by Steve Ashworth

The simple act of keeping going is crucial when it comes to these ultra attempts. However, there are also various skills required for maintaining momentum.

“I use quite a bit of visualisation before the event,” says Collison. “I am constantly going through the routes and the vision in my head and what it looks like. Then I try and pick out what I know are likely to be the hard points so I can plan those into my consciousness that I know, ‘this is going to be hard, how can I work through this?’

“Being mentally prepared for the lows, whenever they hit, can really help. Also trying to chunk it down into small parts, so just try and focus on each leg and then each top and then each little section and focus in on doing that bit the best you can, in the moment.

“I guess the other thing I’ll try and do is accept mistakes and go ‘okay, that has happened, move on, what do I need to do now to make it work on the day?’

“The other one really at the end was a lot of self-talk and using positive words to reinforce the actions that I wanted to happen. So every time I would start to slow down and the stomach and the brain is screaming at you to stop and go easy and give us a break, I think my key word at the time was ‘I am strong, you can do this’ just to try and up the pace again.”

“You need to be able to forget the pain … It is hard and takes a lot to complete an ultra, both physically and mentally”

Supported runners also have help on hand. In few other sports, however, can the camaraderie be stronger. In even fewer would you find the current record-holder actively helping someone to beat their time and yet, when it comes to FKTs, such a scenario is a very common occurrence.

“I guess part of the spirit is to help others achieve their dreams, their ambitions, and be supportive, because that usually comes back to you as well,” says Collison.

“It is really good to see other people achieve their dreams and push themselves and if you can be a small part of that, it is brilliant. Because we all know what it is like to challenge ourselves and push ourselves and that is what it is, it’s about trying to get the best out of yourself, whatever that may be. For some challenges, you need that support. It helps with the motivation, the positivity, the sharing the journey.”

Such things make for unforgettable moments, which makes Collison’s choice of a key attribute to have when it comes to covering big distances a little incongruous.

“Forgetfulness I would say is a really useful skill!” he grins. “You need to be able to forget the pain and suffering that is tied into it. It is hard and takes a lot to complete an ultra, both physically and mentally.

“But those aches and pains, they disappear, and all you’re left with is that feeling of pride and happiness, the smile that you get from a big achievement.”

This summer, there has been a lot of that going around.

WHAT IS AN FKT?

FKT is an abbreviation for ‘Fastest Known Time’. It is essentially a race without organisation and rules, a record set by an individual over a particular course or planned route.

Some of the most notable FKTs in Britain this summer:

» Kim Collison, Lakeland 24-hour: 78 Lakeland peaks within 24 hours. 95 miles, 39,000ft ascent. 23hrs, 45min

Carla Molinaro. Photo via Hoka One One

» Carla Molinaro (right), Land’s End to John O’Groats: 820 miles. 12 days, 30min, 14sec

» Sabrina Verjee, Wainwrights: 318 miles, 214 summits, 118,110ft ascent. 6 days, 17hrs, 51min. First woman to ever complete the route, third-fastest time ever (wishes not to claim)

» Sabrina Verjee, Pennine Way. 74hrs, 29min

» Damian Hall, Pennine Way: 268 miles, 37,000ft of ascent. 61hrs, 35min, 15sec

» James Stewart, John Muir Way: 134 miles. 21hrs, 53min, 22sec

» Carol Morgan, Lakeland 24-hour: 65 Lakeland peaks within 24 hours. 23hrs, 57min

» Dan Lawson, Land’s End to John O’Groats: 820 miles. 9 days, 21hrs, 14min

» Beth Pascall, Bob Graham Round: 65 miles, 42 fells, 27,000ft ascent. 14hrs, 34min. Fifth-fastest ever

» Rhys Jenkins, Wales Coastal Path: 870 miles. 20 days, 10hrs, 38min

» Finlay Wild, Ramsay Round: 58 miles, 24 summits, ascent of 28,500ft. 14hrs, 42min, 40sec, unsupported

» Donnie Campbell, Munro Round: 282 peaks. 31 days, 23hrs, 2min. Campbell ran the hills, cycling and kayaking between them

» This feature was first published in the October edition of AW magazine, which is available to order online in print here and read digitally here

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The post The year of the FKT appeared first on AW.

Two-time world 400m hurdles champion being fuelled by a close run thing

After all the motivational pre-race slapping and shouting and he is in position in the starting blocks, there is a short list which Karsten Warholm runs through in his mind.

“My coach has three checkpoints – ‘be fit, be fresh and don’t f*** it up’,” grins the 24-year-old Norwegian. “Those are the things that count the most.”

Going by his showing in 2020, the two-time 400m hurdles world champion has been able to place a big tick next to all of the above. Warholm has impressed in this unusual season, from the moment he burst out of those blocks to clock a world record 33.78 for the 300m hurdles during his first outing of the year at the Impossible Games in June.

He went on to run 47.10 or quicker four times for the 400m hurdles, becoming the first athlete ever to do so in a single season, with his fastest run coming perilously close to breaking another world record – the 46.78 which Kevin Young set when winning Olympic gold back in 1992.

Perhaps Warholm – on the shortlist for International Male Athlete of the Year in the 2020 AW Awards – will instead emulate the feat in Tokyo next summer. He could barely have got closer to the American’s mark than the 46.87 performance in Stockholm which broke his own European record. There were even echoes of Young’s performance when Warholm made contact with the final barrier.

That small collision is perhaps the only moment where Warholm could mark himself down. However, he is not one to dwell on negatives.

“It’s a bit of a mix. It’s a great cocktail of emotions, I would say,” he says of the second-fastest 400m hurdles performance in history.

“I’m as close as it gets (to the record) and I need to be proud of that and keep it as a motivation. But you always want run faster and, given that it was not the perfect race, that is something I can work with towards next season.

“It’s a bit frustrating but that’s the way it is. That’s top sports – everything is frustrating because there is always something you feel you could have done better and that is what keeps you pushing.”

Photo by Eirik Førde/Bislett Alliance

In an exclusive interview in the November issue of AW, Warholm reveals the mindset which has helped him to find success on the global stage and also delves into the special relationship he has formed with his aforementioned coach, Leif Olav Alnes.

Hard work has been the key, even if the wider public might not always realise that given how easy he can make hurdling look.

“It’s not!” he insists. “If you know how to do it well enough it will look really easy and I hope that’s the spot that we’re in.

“I just want to run fast. I’ve trained for it and I just want everything to be like autopilot. If you’re in shape and you’ve done the work and everything then it’s going to be good.

“The best races, you only run and you’re in your zone and you don’t have much time to think. I never count [strides] but I know how it feels, if that makes sense. I’ve done all the stride patterns both in competition and in training so I know how it feels and I know how to reset.”

Warholm’s mental powers have been vital during a season in which Covid-19 meant he could not face his main rivals. Given that no-one was pushing him to the line he had to look inwards for motivation.

“I really love the pressure because I know that’s what makes you deliver great performances,” he says. “When you run in a race without pressure, you need to do all the work yourself and I think the pressure is what creates special performances.

“I think I’m good at creating that pressure myself and I’ve put a lot of work into this. I always run with pride and I will always run with my heart but of course your miss the audience and you miss somebody else to push you all the way to the finish line but that was the way it was this year and I’m just really happy that I got to run and I was just trying to make the most out of it.”

Another athlete who knew a thing or two about pressure was Usain Bolt. Given his ebullient personality, some have mentioned Warholm as the kind of athlete who could perhaps take over from the sprinting great as a figurehead for the sport.

“There will never a new Usain Bolt,” says Warholm. “Usain Bolt set the standard that is crazy and it’s footsteps that I don’t want to even try to follow in but maybe I can create my own name and other athletes can, too.

“Usain built a legacy and we need to show now that we can carry the sport as well. I think there is amazing talent in athletics right now.

“I’m not afraid of the future and I think we can welcome it with great positivity.”

» See the November issue of AW for an extensive interview with Karsten Warholm

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The post Warholm wants to go one step further appeared first on AW.

After a 2019 disrupted by a calf tear, the Scot showed world-leading form in 2020 and hopes to take that forward to Tokyo

Laura Muir admits that when the Olympic Games were postponed she initially thought “now what?” But some strong results this summer have provided a welcome boost as she again begins preparations towards Tokyo.

After claiming the Scottish athlete of the year honour outright in 2015, 2016 and 2018, this year Muir was announced joint winner of the 4J Studios performer of year title alongside Jemma Reekie and Jake Wightman.

It comes after Muir set a British 1000m record of 2:30.82 and clocked 1500m times of 3:57.40, 3:57.86 and 3:58.24 to lead the world rankings.

“It was a really big confidence booster ahead of next year,” says the five-time European gold medallist.

“My last year, in 2019, was so disrupted with injury. I missed a lot of racing that summer and there wasn’t really the consistency you want in training or racing.

“So to come out this season and run three 1500m runs and all be sub-four minutes and all really strong and winners, it was like, ‘okay, this is good’.

“It has helped my confidence a lot. I lost quite a bit of confidence last year with injury and even though I performed well in Doha and clawed it back a bit, it was hard. So it has done me a lot of good being able to race this year, and race well.”

Reflecting back on March, when news of the Olympic Games postponement was announced, Muir adds: “It was hard because I had put the whole of 2020 on hold to revolve my whole life around the Olympics. I didn’t really have any other plans other than the Olympics and that was it.

“When that went it was like, ‘oh, now what?’

“Then we had the European Championships and then they were cancelled, not even postponed.

“It was gutting because the Olympics only come around once every four years and it was something I was really looking to perform at.

“At the same time, when things were evolving in March time it didn’t come as a surprise to me that it was postponed.

“I’m just glad it wasn’t cancelled.”

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The post Strong summer boosts Laura Muir after injury appeared first on AW.

The leading Briton at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships now sits third on the UK all-time list after his 60:31 run in Gdynia

Running as part of the lead group at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships, Britain’s Jake Smith says he wanted to see how much TV coverage he could get. A fair amount, it turns out, and the 22-year-old’s impressive finishing time of 60:31 means he’s sure to stay in the spotlight.

When it comes to the British all-time list, only Mo Farah and Callum Hawkins have ever gone quicker for the 13.1-mile distance, while the mark improves Steve Jones’ long-standing Welsh record.

Smith had felt ready to run fast but admits his time came as a shock. The finish, where he was greeted by World Athletics president and two-time Olympic 1500m champion Seb Coe, was emotional.

READ MORE: Jake Smith motivated for more after fast 10,000m time trial

“It was a crazy moment,” says the Cardiff-based athlete, who led the GB team to 10th place. “I’ve looked back at the race and the camera got me crying on the fence. It was the first time I’d properly met Seb Coe and I basically just started crying in front of him. Everything is surreal at the minute and I’m just still really in shock about what happened.

“I knew from my training that I was in really good shape and it was good because there was a massive group and I had to do none of the work. I got a 10km PB along the way, we went through in 28:20 or something, and apparently I gave a thumbs up to one of the coaches saying ‘I’m still in this’ and I was absolutely loving it. I knew I was on course for a really big time because I still felt really strong.

“To see 150m to go and go around that corner on to the finishing straight, I basically started tearing up from there really and just couldn’t believe it.”

The race was won by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo in a championship record-breaking 58:49 and Smith adds: “Luckily it wasn’t a very quick, quick start, so we could just hang on as much as we could.

“I think I made the TV quite a bit because I stayed with the front group and I just wanted to see how much coverage I could get!”

For Smith, everything in 2020 had been leading to that point. Despite the disruption, with the coronavirus pandemic having forced the postponement of the global event from March to October, the James Thie-coached athlete says the lockdown period was a blessing in disguise.

“I was training and recovering so well,” says Smith, who was born in Bermuda and lived in Hong Kong and then Devon in England before relocating to Wales to study at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

He credits coach Thie and fellow athlete Ciaran Lewis as well as Welsh Athletics for supporting him, with Smith recently having become Welsh qualified.

“Because I grew up in Hong Kong and lived in Bermuda, I have actually lived in Wales longer than I have lived in England,” he says.

“I was quite lucky, it was only like two weeks ago that I got the email that I had turned Welsh!

“I had my eye on it,” he adds, on targeting Jones’ record. “It was a crazy time and he’s a world record-holder and he has done so many things in his lifetime.

“That was almost the ultimate goal and then when I saw my time, I am just still in shock. I can’t believe it happened.”

Further coverage of World Athletics Half Marathon Championships action can be found here.

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Watch the former winner and the multiple world record-holder as they speak at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships press conference

After breaking world records on the track and road in 2020, Joshua Cheptegei says he is now hungry for success at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships on Saturday (October 17).

Uganda’s world cross country and 10,000m champion first ran 12:51 for 5km on the roads in Monaco in February before he clocked 12:35.36 for 5000m on the track, also in Monaco, and then smashed the 10,000m mark in Valencia earlier this month with a remarkable 26:11.00.

“I’ve been training well of course for my track events – the 5000m, the 10,000m – but now I am here to face the half-marathon,” he said at the pre-event press conference on Friday.

“I know it comes just a few days after the world record but I believe I’m a person of high talent and I can say it will be a nice challenge for me.

“I have had the most amazing season of my life,” he added. “I’m also hungry for the (world half-marathon) title. If I can win this title, it will be special to me.”

Cheptegei also talked about the field in Gdynia and questioned why Britain’s Mo Farah had chosen not to race.

“I thought we would have a more exciting field,” he said. “Like, of course, we have the Kenyans, we have the Ethiopians, but still I was surprised — and I’m still surprised — why Mo Farah is not part of the field.”

Click here to read more about Cheptegei and other contenders for the men’s title. AW subscribers can find results editor Steve Smythe’s top 10 predictions in the AW Clubhouse here.

In the women’s race, Peres Jepchirchir (pictured) returns after her victory in Cardiff in 2016 and doesn’t rule out a world record being on the cards.

“There is high expectation for the time tomorrow. The team is strong, and maybe the world record can go, also,” said the Kenyan, who set a half-marathon world record of 65:06 in 2017 – a mark which has since been improved to 64:31 by Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh, who is also racing in Poland.

Our ‘who, what and when?’ guide featuring more of the women’s contenders can be found here, while Smythe’s women’s top 10 predictions can be found in the AW Clubhouse here.

The full pre-event press conference – which also featured World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, Gdynia deputy mayor Bartosz Bartoszewicz, 2005 world half-marathon champion and event ambassador Constantina Dita and Poland’s Krystian Zalewski – can be watched back below.

The action begins at 11:00 local time (10:00 UK) on Saturday October 17. Click here to find out how you can watch live.

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

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The Scot’s 17 miles pacing in the London Marathon is her furthest ever run and has left her excited for what is to come

Eilish McColgan says her pacemaking experience in London has given her a big confidence boost ahead of her move up to the marathon in the next couple of years.

The European 5000m silver medallist (pictured above, right) received a late call to support athletes in the elite-only Virgin Money London Marathon earlier this month as she stepped in to replace the injured Charlotte Arter in pacing the sub-2:25 group.

Her initial aim was to make it to the 15km mark, so around nine miles, but feeling good she ended up carrying on to just over 17 miles for her longest ever run.

It has left the 29-year-old Scot excited for what is to come.

“I obviously was a little scared,” she told AW. “It was quite last minute, I only got the call Friday morning to pace. I didn’t really know what to expect.

“I said to them look, I’ll do my best, I’ll try and get to 15km, but I ended up running to just over 17 miles.

“We got into a really good pace and Molly Seidel (who eventually ran a PB of 2:25:13 for sixth place) was running really well, she was on for sub-2:25 and I just felt like I didn’t want her to do it on her own. We actually caught the group in front so she had three other girls to chase.

“At just over 17 miles I peeled off,” added McColgan, who clocked 72:26 at half way and 85:48 through 25km. “It’s the furthest I’ve ever run in my life! So I’m actually quite happy with it and it was an amazing experience overall.”

Molly Seidel and Carla Salome Rocha with pacemaker Eilish McColgan in the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon

Coached by her mum Liz, the 1991 world 10,000m champion and former London Marathon winner, McColgan has previously spoken about her future road racing career and now intends to turn her attention to the 26.2-mile event after next year’s Olympics in Tokyo.

“I’ve always been very nervous about it (the step up to the marathon) because I am such a low mileage athlete and I have never run over 15 miles as an easy run and I hate it, as well!” she laughs.

“It (pacing in London) has given me a taste of what it is like to run at that pace, a consistent even pace throughout, which is something I’ve not done for a very long time.

“It has definitely given me a lot of confidence and I actually enjoyed it and that for me was the main thing. I really enjoyed it, maybe because it was laps, it was like being on the track!

“It has definitely got me excited now for what will potentially be my first marathon after Tokyo next year. Certainly looking at London 2022 and then hopefully on to the Olympic Games in Paris. My main aim 100% is moving towards the marathon.”

Click here for further coverage from the 2020 London Marathon.

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After modest triple jump marks and clambering over steeplechaser barriers at local league level, the Reading runner found herself leading the domestic field in the London Marathon this month

Three years ago Naomi Mitchell was a recreational runner who occasionally turned out for her club in events like triple jump and steeplechase. “I’ve run and won three steeplechase events but never actually jumped a steeplechase barrier,” she says. “I’ve just sat on them!”

Her triple jump best of 8.19m, set at a Southern Women’s League division two meeting, is the kind of distance that looks more like a long jump mark. “I just did whatever was needed on the day to get the points in,” she remembers.

Even in the marathon her first five attempts saw her clock 2:54 (London 2016), 2:53 (London 2017), 2:49 (Berlin 2017), 3:01 (London 2018) and 2:48 (London 2019) before she eventually enjoyed a breakthrough with 2:37:51 in Frankfurt this time last year.

Her unexceptional form at an early age was apparent on the country, too, as she placed outside the top 100 at the English Schools Cross Country Championships, while as recently as 2015 she placed a modest 162nd in the Inter-Counties (more than five minutes behind winner Lily Partridge) and 103rd in the British Universities’ Championships (more than four minutes behind winner Emelia Gorecka).

Frankfurt 12 months ago was a sign of things to come, though, and in London this month she ran another big PB of 2:33:23 to finish second Briton home behind Natasha Cockram. For a period in the final third of the race, Mitchell was leading by a fair margin as well before Cockram ran her down (see main image above).

“It’s surreal because going into London I was the slowest seeded runner and I had my own expectations,” Mitchell says. “In terms of the time I ran, it was about what I anticipated and if the weather wasn’t so horrible then I might have gone a bit quicker.”

Naomi Mitchell by Mark Shearman

Based in Reading, she has worked for the past seven years for KPMG as an accountant and does some of her steady running around the Berkshire countryside with her husband, Jonnie, who also, like her, works at home right now as a hairdresser.

Every Tuesday she heads to Winchester to do a harder workout under the supervision of coach Nick Anderson. It is a routine that is working for her and is far removed from the two or three runs a week that she used to consider sufficient until about three years ago.

“Running has always been something I’ve been passionate about but I don’t come from a super-sporty family so going down the track once or twice a week to do a session seemed like quite a lot to begin with,” explains Mitchell, who turns 27 next month.

“The whole reason I took up the marathon was because I was on the borderline of quitting because I had my job with quite tough hours and my running wasn’t really going anywhere and I thought ‘this might be something I just do for fun now’.

“I had a few friends who were running well with their full-time work so I thought ‘if I do a marathon then I have to train properly for it’ and I’m pleased I’d made that decision now.”

She continues: “When I was younger I hated the track. But even then I would always pick the longest distance. After I turned 17 I ran a couple of half-marathons for fun and began to just about get the times to get into championship races.

“For my first couple of marathons I was just training Tuesday and Thursday and adding a long run at the weekend but I had a series of marathons where I was not really improving but I knew from my training that there was more there but didn’t know how to tap into it.”

At that point she sought advice from coach Rob McKim from her club Reading AC and then hooked up with Anderson after meeting him at an England Athletics camp.

On London, she says: “It gave me a lot of confidence. I feel like there’s more to give and if I can get into a race with the Olympic qualifying pace then with another six months or year I think I can definitely stick on that pace.”

Such was her modest PB going into London, she had to push to get a place on the start line too. Once successful she then found herself in a hotel with Brigid Kosgei, Eliud Kipchoge and Mo Farah.

“It was pretty intimidating to be honest and a little bit nerve wracking when you’re in the lunch queue book-ended by world record-holders.

“But it was a great experience and good to do the race and execute it well and know that’s where I can be and, in the next one, I’ll hopefully have the confidence around the hotel to know that I belong there.”

» See the November issue of AW magazine for a feature on Naomi Mitchell and Natasha Cockram plus much more

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

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AW products reviewer Paul Freary takes a look at the new Honor GS Pro watch

With a 25-day battery life in daily use and up to 48-hour with GPS tracking, the Honor GS Pro watch is built to go the distance.

Its rugged case and design has 14 military grade certifications to attest to its durability, being water, dust and shock proof.

There are 100 sport profiles built in that provide tracking data ranging from speed and distance to heart rate, altitude and blood oxygen saturation levels.

The watch will store music and link to your smartphone to give you notifications as well as tracking your heart rate and steps throughout the day.

The Huawei Health App links to the phone to allow you to record all your training and daily metrics as well as providing even more detail on your activities.

Price: £249.99

Stockist: www.hihonor.com

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

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World 1500m and 10,000m champion runs 29:36.67 in the rain to break Paula Radcliffe’s record

Sifan Hassan smashed the European 10,000m record at the FBK After Summer Competition in Hengelo on Saturday (October 10), taking more than 24 seconds from Paula Radcliffe’s 18-year-old mark with her time of 29:36.67.

Running in similarly wet conditions to those which Radcliffe ran her 30:01.09 in Munich, Netherlands’ Hassan was guided by pacemaker Laura Weightman as well as electronic Wavelight technology and then, running alone, she passed the halfway mark ahead of world record pace, in around 14:37.

READ MORE | From the AW archive: Paula Radcliffe’s European 10,000m record in the rain

In the challenging conditions the world 1500m and 10,000m champion was not able to maintain the pace and the lights gradually moved away from her, but she continued on for a time which places her fourth on the world all-time list, which is led by Almaz Ayana’s 29:17.45 set at the 2016 Olympic Games.

“I am so happy to have run a new European record, especially a record that has stood for so long by such a strong athlete as Paula,” said Hassan, who now prepares for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia on October 17.

“It was a very difficult race today as it was so cold and wet.

“I was feeling really strong today and wished for a bit better conditions, but this record gives me a lot of confidence.”

Hassan adds this mark to her other European records at 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and the half-marathon as well as her world mile and one-hour records.

Tsehay Gemechu placed second in 30:57.73.

Organised by Global Sports Communication, the meeting also featured a women’s 1000m and men’s 5000m race.

After her 2:29.15 in Monaco to come close to the world 1000m record, Faith Kipyegon this time clocked 2:32.82 for victory as Winny Nanyondo was second in 2:40.50.

World 10,000m silver medallist Yomif Kejelcha won the 5000m in 13:12.84 ahead of the in-form Stewart McSweyn, who clocked 13:16.05.

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

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