Latest news with #EuropeanRoadRunningChampionships
The National
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The National
Natasha Phillips is one of GB's rising stars, and one of its toughest
But they've only served to make Natasha Phillips stronger. There's something unique about endurance runners in that they spend session upon session by themselves with only their thoughts to accompany them. Being in one's own head for such prolonged periods can be a dangerous place for many but although Phillips, who almost exclusively trains alone, does have days when she finds it testing, she has gleaned far more positives than negatives from her solitary training schedule. 'Training on my own can be tough at times,' Phillips says. 'But mainly, it's fine and sometimes, it's actually really nice because it's like enforced meditation. You're forced to think things through and that can be quite important. 'Training alone is also really good for building mental resilience - it gives you an edge so when things do get hard in races, you know that you're mentally strong and that you can get through whatever situation you're in. It builds a lot of discipline and self-motivation as well.' Therefore, it comes as little surprise that Phillips, who only recently turned 20, has a unique mental resilience. Despite only starting to take running seriously in her mid-teens after beginning her athletic life as a swimmer, she's already established herself as one of the most promising young endurance runners in Europe. In the past couple of years, the Dundonian has set British and European U20 half marathon records, as well as winning several senior Scottish national titles. It was her most recent half marathon appearance, last October, however, which was the most impressive of them all. Racing in Valencia, Phillips broke her own British U20 half marathon record, crossing the line in 70 minutes 14 seconds, a time that saw her shoot up the Scottish all-time list to fourth place behind only Eilish and Liz McColgan, as well as Steph Twell. (Image: Bobby Gavin) Being in such exalted company, particularly so early in her career, has been, admits Phillips, difficult to get her head around. 'It feels amazing to have my name alongside people like Eilish and Liz,' she says. 'It's really inspiring, and very cool. Sometimes I really can't believe it, especially being still quite new to the sport. I've been really happy with my results over the past while and but it still feels surreal to be in a list with these athletes.' Last month should have marked a major milestone in Phillips' development when she included in the British team for the European Road Running Championships. Injury thwarted what would have been her GB debut at senior level but having regained fitness, and moved past the disappoint of her withdrawal, Phillips is able to glean a number of positives from her GB selection, regardless of the fact she was unable to race. "I had some inflammation of my knee tendon and so I was absolutely gutted to have to pull out of the Europeans. I was so disappointed but I had to just keep telling myself that I'm only 20 and hopefully I'll have a lot more years at this" she says. "I can't change what's happened so there was no point on dwelling on it. As disappointed as I was at having to withdraw, I'm still am able to take the boost that came from being selected and hopefully I'll have more chances to race in a GB vest in the future.' Phillips has already regained her fitness and will be back racing tomorrow, at the Babcock Shettleston 10k in Glasgow. Her appreciation to be back racing, coupled with the momentum she's built up in recent months, are what's behind her optimism that a fast time is on the cards this weekend. "I love racing in Glasgow and I've run well at this event in the past," she says. "I feel in really good shape and it's a fast course so I'm definitely targeting a PB this weekend, although a lot of that will depend on conditions on the day." Phillips' stand-out performances in recent seasons may have been on the road but this year, she's planning on diversifying by taking a serious tilt at the longer distances on the track. With the 10,000m at the European U23 Championships this summer, as well as the Commonwealth Games next year, major targets for Phillips, she's keen to test herself on the track, and having witnessed her fellow Dundonian, Eilish McColgan, combine the track and road so successfully, she doesn't have to look far to see how well the two can complement each other. 'I'll be racing on the track a lot this summer because I feel like I'm too young to box myself into just doing half marathons,' she says. 'Seeing Eilish combine the track and road so well has been really inspiring. I'm not saying that I'll be as successful as her but it shows that it's possible to do both. 'So it'll be interesting to see how this year goes.'
Telegraph
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Team GB Olympian refuses to race after UK Athletics asked him to pay
A leading British athlete has turned down a place at the European Road Running Championships after being asked to pay to compete. Ben Connor, who was part of Team GB in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics, was selected to run the European half marathon in Belgium later this month but pulled out after an initial 'athlete contribution' of up to £1,100 for travel, accommodation, food, kit and staff. Upon selection, UK Athletics did later stress that the final amount was likely to be under £500 – and potentially down to £200 – but Connor, who was also offered a subsidy from England Athletics, believes that the chance to represent Great Britain should not come with financial costs. 'Representing GB shouldn't come down to who can or cannot afford to pay for it,' he said. 'Representing your country is a privilege, and in athletics is earned via a qualifying process, which while not always perfect, gives everyone the same chances to gain selection. 'Coming from a working class background, I don't like the potential precedent being set where people, especially junior athletes of the future, don't have the same development or competition opportunities because of finances. 'Running (especially road) is the highest mass participation sport in the UK and we are asking our best to pay to represent this country on an international stage. I wish there was more transparency and honesty regarding the state of our governing bodies finances and about how our sport is being managed for this to be the position.'
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Connor declines race for GB after UKA ask him to pay
Distance runner Ben Connor says he has declined to race for Great Britain at the European Road Running Championships after being asked to pay to - who was part of Team GB at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics - had been selected to run the half marathon in Leuven, Belgium in its selection policy, UK Athletics asks athletes for a fee of up to £1,100 to cover things like travel, accommodation, food, kit and wrote in a post on Instagram that England athletics have offered to subsidise the cost, "to which I'm sure many are grateful".Bu the 32-year-old added that he felt "representing GB shouldn't come down to who can or cannot afford to pay for it". "Representing your country is a privilege, and in athletics is earned via a qualifying process, which while not always perfect, gives everyone the same chances to gain selection," Connor wrote."Coming from a working class background I don't like the potential precedent being set where people, especially junior athletes of the future, don't have the same development or competition opportunities because of finances."I wish there was more transparency and honesty regarding the state of our governing bodies finances and about how our sport is being managed for this to be the position."In a statement, UK Athletics (UKA) said the fee is likely to be under £500 and that athletes were aware of the cost when expressing an interest in added that as more competitions get added to the calendar it is "impossible" to fund all teams."Upon selection athletes were also advised that the earlier 'maximum contribution amount' of £1,100, was likely to be under £500 and in some cases around the £2-250 mark with a further contribution from their home country athletics organisation," the statement read."UKA feels it is better to give athletes opportunity to compete than opt not to send teams at all."World 1500m silver medallist and now commentator Hannah England says the idea of athletes being priced out of competing is "really worrying and sad" but there is just not enough money to go around."£20m of UK Sport funding goes to UK Athletics and it then asks athletes to pay to compete. That does not look like a good narrative," England told BBC 5 Live Breakfast."But that funding is audited and has to go towards producing Olympic medals. This is a new championship so there is no precedent for Olympians coming from that event."So it is either ask people to contribute or they don't send a team. And that is really hard for people to stomach."The Championships are one of a number of events in which UK Athletics is asking for a contribution, with up to £200 listed for July's European Under-23 Championships in the policy for that event, UK Athletics says: "We recognise that the financial commitment associated can present challenges for some athletes. To address this, the UKA Performance Pathway team is committed to working closely with athletes facing financial hardship to explore solutions that enable their involvement."
