Andrew off to live American dream
Track star jets out for gruelling training camp
Picture: Mark Shearman
Dunblane’s Andrew Butchart is heading Stateside as he looks to build on a memorable year which has seen him hold his own against some of the world’s finest athletes.
The 25 year-old Central AC distance runner is today (Wednesday) jetting off to Arizona for four weeks of altitude training, and the Olympic finalist insists he’s sacrificing New Year festivities at home with family and friends to ensure he is raring to go as soon as the 2017 season kicks off.
Among his highlights from 2016 was a sixth-place finish in the 5000 metres final in Rio, won by Mo Farah.
He also set new Scottish record times over the same distance and in 3000 metres, while cruising to victory in the 5000 metres event at the British Championships and captaining the GB team in the recent World Cross Country Championships in Italy.
However, Andrew isn’t ready to kick-back and reflect on his finest year in sport.
Ahead of embarking on a punishing programme which will see him push himself through freezing temperatures at around 2000 metres above sea level, he said: “I had a few days off over Christmas before flying out to America for altitude training.
“I’m meeting up with some American guys I know quite well over there and we’re going to spend four weeks in a training.
“There are then races in New York and Boston – so we’re out there for around seven weeks in all. We’ll then come back and see where we’re going to go from there.”
The former Dunblane High pupil isn’t putting too much pressure on himself ahead of the 2017 season, but is adamant he wants to keep progressing towards the pinnacle of his sport.
He said: “Looking ahead to next year it’s just about trying to better what we have done this year.
“I’m looking at the World Championships in London, which takes place in August, and to better my sixth place result from the Olympics would be great.
“To try and push up towards a medal would be unbelievable but I’m not putting that pressure on myself just yet.”
While Andrew will in the future look back on pride at a year that has seen him become one of the world’s elite athletes over middle distances, he admits he surprised even himself with the great strides he has taken. I could never have predicted the way the year has gone,” he said.
“Me and my coach [Derek Easton] sat down at the start of the year and said we should just go for it – give it 100 per cent and see where it takes us.
“We had no set targets but as the year went on we just kept setting the bar higher and higher.”
He added: “I don’t look back on the year and think of one specific highlight. I suppose the Olympic final was pretty cool and sharing that moment with Mo [Farah] and the end. That was quite special. Being part of the team was great.
“It was also really nice coming home after Rio and seeing all my friends and family again. I had been away for quite a while but to see all the support was incredible. It’s been great fun going around the schools and helping some of the younger kids out too.”
Earlier this month the athlete was in Chia, Italy, captaining the senior GB men’s team to success in the World Cross Country Championships.
He said: “To captain the team was a great way to top off the year. I’d been involved with the team quite a bit before so to get that phone call was a really proud moment. It was a nice way to round off the year.”