Top Scots prepare for action at Muller Indoor GP on Saturday

Wednesday 16th February 2022

Neil Gourley was in fine form last weekend ahead of Muller Indoor GP (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Birmingham start-lists

Eight top Scots will be in action this weekend as Birmingham plays host to the Muller Indoor GP.

It promises to be a thrilling meet with a whole host of top names lined up as the Indoor Season in Britain gathers paces a week prior to the British Champs and trials for the World Indoors.

Laura Muir has been ruled out through injury, unfortunately, and a switch of events this week has seen Jemma Reekie move over now to race the 1000m.

Here’s our schedule for the Scots in Birmingham . . .

1.15pm Men’s 60m – Adam Thomas

1.45pm Men’s Para 60m – Ross Paterson

2.05pm Women’s 1000m – Jemma Reekie

2.25pm Men’s 800m – Guy Learmonth

2.55pm Women’s 1500m – Erin Wallace

3.40pm Men’s 1500m – Neil Gourley and Jake Wightman

3.54pm Women’s 800m – Jenny Selman

Jemma Reekie and Jake Wightman will be chasing good times this weekend in Birmingham

National Record under threat as Brits prepare for 1500m at Birmingham

Neil Gourley and Jake Wightman are set to go head-to-head in a high class Men’s 1500m race which also features Spanish athlete, Adel Mechaal, who set a European Record at 3000m earlier this month, and Kenya’s Abel Kipsang.

Neil clocked a World Lead 3:35.32 for 1500m indoors in Boston last weekend and that took him to third place on the British all-time last.

And many respected observers feel there’s a strong chance the British Record, held by Peter Elliott at 3:34.20 from 1990, could come under serious threat on Saturday. Jake holds the Scottish Indoor Record at 3:34.48.

‘After running 3000m indoors, I’m looking forward to dropping back down to 1500m and hopefully challenging my Scottish record,’ said 27-year-old Wightman.

‘This is a special time for British endurance running and it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to compete against these guys in Birmingham.

‘We’ve seen what’s possible by our athletes on the global stage and that provides us with inspiration every day to do even better. I hope we can deliver some fast times, possibly even a British record, and a great race for the home crowd.’

Adam Thomas has been in good form indoors so far in 2022 (photo by James Rhodes)

Jenny Selman in action at the DNA event in Glasgow (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Athletics Weekly preview

Elsewhere from a Scottish perspective, it’s great to see the likes of Jenny Selman in this event – she races Olympic medallist Keely Hodgkinson – in a strong Women’s 800m.

We understand that Guy Learmonth will now feature in the Men’s 800m race after his recent 1:46.90 run in New York.

Ross Paterson features in the Para sprints and Adam Thomas will hope to once again threaten Nick Smith’s Scottish Record at 60m. Nick clocked 6.60 back in 2010 with Adam at 6.62 this season.

The Müller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham will be broadcast live by BBC Sport as part of a new partnership with UK Athletics.

Indoor season over for Laura Muir

 

Tags: Adam Thomas, Birmingham, Erin Wallace, Guy Learmonth, Jake Wightman, Jemma Reekie, Jenny Selman, Muller Indoor GP, Neil Gourley, Ross Paterson

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