Fourteen (14) is a magic number: Scottish purple patch is moment to savour

Monday 4th August 2025

Victory double as Sarah and Neil win 1500m golds

By Peter Jardine, Head of Communications

Finance company Novuna are the shiny new sponsors of UK Athletics – both teams and events – and thus their branding bedecked Birmingham for the UK Champs.

The lilac banners added further colour to a thrilling weekend of action at the Alexander Stadium.

But the real purple patch belonged to Scottish athletes and coaches as a strong cohort delivered a series of impressive performances.

No fewer than 14 (FOURTEEN) visits to the podium were made to collect richly deserved UK Champs medals.

It is a tally that compares well with the recent past and, in fact, the past five years have yielded no fewer than 57 medals for Scots in Manchester/Birmingham.

Here’s the medal Roll of Honour for 2025

GOLD (FIVE)

Alessandro Schenini (Long Jump), Kyle Brotherton (1500m Wheelchair), Josh Kerr (5000m), Sarah Calvert (1500m), Neil Gourley (1500m)

SILVER (SIX)

Nick Percy (discus), Sarah Tait (3000m steeplechase), Kirsty Law (discus), Jemma Reekie (800m), Laura Muir (1500m), Steven Bryce (Ambulant 1500m)

BRONZE (THREE)

Silver Nwabuzor (Triple Jump), Bera Ajala (Triple Jump), Rebecca Scott (100m Ambulant)

As a further breakdown: that haul featured five in the field, three Para, six in endurance.

Josh victory wave amid Scottish medal rush

Photos by Gary Mitchell

The same Alexander Stadium venue was the backdrop for Scottish success three years ago at the Commonwealth Games.

This correspondent recalls Jake Wightman, after his own 1500m bronze arrived on the Saturday lunch-time of the final weekend, correctly forecasting further medal glory to come.

When Jake was ruled out of the UK Champs late last week he joined the likes of Megan Keith and Stephen Mackenzie on the sidelines.

It felt potentially damaging to the collective possibilities in terms of medals – with ten achieved in Manchester last year.

But we need not have worried. Athletes and their coaches stepped up across a whole range of events and it was such a pleasure to chat to medallists in jumps, throws, Para, steeplechase and endurance.

Here’s the medal tally for the past five editions of the UK Champs:

2025 – 14

2024 – 10

2023 – 6

2022 – 13

2021 – 14

We will come to the Scottish endurance ‘juggernaut’ in a moment but first it feels important to note the context of Scottish medals at UK Champs.

There is an argument to suggest the British arena should be suitable barometer.

Scots winning medals on the global stage – and it has been happening a lot recently – are to be savoured because in population terms it is totally unrealistic, frankly, to expect them.

A feature of the last decade or so has very much been ‘punching above our weight’ and our own governing body strategy ‘Building a Culture of Success‘ is anchored in that.

But the British Champs feels about right as the level on which to judge the health of athletics in Scotland (and/or scottishathletics).

All over England and Wales, athletes and coaches are working towards the same goals and, as always in athletics, each event will go through peaks and troughs in terms of strength in depth.

We know there are gaps in athletics in Scotland: so let’s relish medals in Triple Jump and Steeplechase. William Ritchie-Moulin was close in the sprint hurdles, too, as he finished fourth.

It is pleasing to highlight the strength across different events in Scotland and acknowledge the hard work of athletes, coaches, club leaders (and governing body staff ) to try and grow our sport across all event groups.

Whilst we continue to enjoy great success for Scottish endurance athletes, we always want to recognise and acknowledge the work that is being done to develop the whole sport.

You could almost hear the gasp from the media benches high in the Alexander Stadium as the Women’s 1500m final concluded.

Three Scots and Revee Walcott-Nolan were stretched in a line across the track straining to reach the finish. Just 0.29 seconds separated four athletes.

And while there was shock that Laura Muir didn’t win gold, it felt like there was shock and awe that the winner was still Scottish !!

Of course, anyone who didn’t think Sarah Calvert might threaten in a slow race hasn’t been paying attention to the Livingston AC athlete’s season.

Laura, typically, refutes the suggestion she has been a path-finder and instead put the emphasis on hard work paying off.

‘I was chatting to Sarah and to Neil on the Saturday after the heats and we spoke about how many Scots were in the finals of the 1500m. And as it has turned out the three of us are on the podium.

‘We have some promising athletes and it is an exciting time for Scottish athletics, definitely.

‘I don’t know (if I can take any credit). I do think it is nice when you can relate to someone. But at the same time: you have to put the hard work in yourself. All credit to those doing that and progressing and having success.

‘I’m not going to take anything away from anyone in terms of performances by others. Maybe seeing fellow Scots do well does help but anyone doing well has done the hard work.’

If the ‘see it, to be it’ slogan does have substance, then the UK Champs in Birmingham in August 2025 can hopefully add inspiration and motivation. Sorry, make that, the Novuna UK Champs . . .

*With thanks to Arnold Black for some key numbers