Thanks, Paula

Wednesday 10th June 2015

Laura Muir wins Bislett Games 1500m – photo by Mark Shearman

British Athletics report on Oslo Diamond League

Radcliffe on Scottish prospects for 2015

Laura Muir has thanked running legend Paula Radcliffe for handing her a pre-season boost last month, as the Scot now prepares for another high-octane Diamond League outing in Oslo.

The GB international, who has set PBs at 3000m and 800m in a superb start to the 2015 season, races in the 15000m in Norway on Thursday night after threatening her own National Record at the distance in Rome last week.

Muir admitted recently it took her a long time to recover from the disappointments of the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships last summer.

But words of wisdom and encouragement from Radcliffe in the media helped lift Laura ahead of runs in Hengelo, Rome and Birmingham which augur well for the World Champs in Beijing come August.

The Olympian, who is part of the British Athletics endurance coaching team, was in Glasgow for the Women’s 10k in May and said at the time: ‘I firmly believe that Laura Muir is an amazing talent. Running four minutes flat last year was a big boost to her confidence but then it took a little bit of a knock because things just didn’t go her way in the championships.

‘But she is still so young and has so much time ahead of her. I think she has huge potential.’

Muir’s coach, Andy Young, made sure the middle distance runner noted the Paula comments and soon afterwards the 22-year-old opened the season with one of the best 3000m runs ever by a Scottish woman.

‘I read what Paula Radcliffe said recently about me,’ said Laura, who followed up the 8.38.47 in Holland with 4.00.61 in Italy at 1500m and then an 800m PB of 2.00.42 in Birmingham last Sunday.

‘It appeared in a couple of Scottish papers and my coach pointed it out for me. He wanted to make sure I saw it.

‘Paula was very supportive and encouraging and that was great to see. She is someone with such a good reputation and so much experience that you take heart from something like that being said about you.

‘Hopefully I can back up her kind words with more good performances this summer.’

Now Muir, who studies veterinary medicine at Glasgow University, heads into her third high-class race in eight days with a return to 1500m in the Diamond League meeting in Oslo after that 800m PB at the Alexander Stadium at the weekend.

Photo by Mark Shearman

‘I’ve never been to the Oslo event and it is one of the special ones on the programme so I am really looking forward to it,’ she said.

‘I was pleased with the 800m run. I feel annoyed now I did not get a PB in Rome in the 1500m as that would have been three in a row! I was pretty close to it on the night in Italy, too. I watched it back and was pleased how I attacked it.

‘On Sunday the start was very quick and I had to work hard to get in touch initially. But I know now sub two minutes is on the cards for me at some point – because I ran quite wide there at a couple of points in the race.

‘There was no helping it, really, but I ran a little bit further than 800m as it transpired. And it was a little bit windy and with tired legs. So I think I can improve that 800m PB and get under two minutes.’

BBC Reporting Scotland feature (around 20 minutes in)

As is often the case with Muir, juggling university commitments with athletics has been a balancing act.

‘The way the race plan panned out it was a wee bit of a later start to the season – I also had Uni exams to sit,’ she said.

‘We wanted to go back to Hengelo after running well there last year and the 3000m went well this time. We knew what we wanted to do months in advance and the season is going well so far.

‘We did manage to do a bit of sight-seeing in Rome last Friday. It was fun and you have to relax at some point!’

Eilidh Child heads into her third Diamond League 400m hurdles in eight days in Oslo, with the European champion following a similar programme to Muir.

And Steph Twell, after her first appearance on the track at this level for two years in Birmingham at 1500m, reverts to her favoured 5000m in Oslo chasing a second qualifying standard for the World Champs after a good run in America earlier in the season which met GB selection requirements.

Tags: Commonwealth Games, Diamond League, Eilidh Child, Laura Muir, Paula Radcliffe, Steph Twell