The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Muir praises ‘loud’ crowd after record-breaking run
GRAND PRIX: Milnathort runner completes memorable hat-trick in Birmingham
Dundee Hawkhill Harrier Laura Muir continued her momentous start to the year with a Scottish, UK and European indoor 1,000m record at the Muller Grand Prix in Birmingham.
Having set a UK record over 5,000m in Glasgow last month, followed by a European 3,000m in Germany a couple of weeks ago, the Milnathort athlete had her sights set on Dame Kelly Holmes’ UK record of 2:32.94 seconds set in Birmingham in 2004.
Muir’s coach Andy Young had set the race splits for pacemaker Jenny Meadows and the former world indoor 800m champion duly played her part, going through 400m in 59.65 and 600m in 1:29.71.
From 600m Muir was out on her own, maintaining the pace with a fourth lap of 30.85, passing 800m in an indoor personal best of 2:00.56, only a fraction shy of Lynsey Sharpe’s Scottish indoor record.
Roared on by the crowd, a final lap of 31.37 brought her home in 2:31.93.
Muir had sliced a full second from Holmes’ UK record, also claiming the European record, second on the world indoor all-time list, within one second of Maria Mutola’s world record of 2:30.94.
Muir said: “I am delighted. I really wanted to get the win, that was really important, to beat Kelly’s record is amazing and to be so close to the world record is also very encouraging for me.
‘The crowd were so loud; I couldn’t hear myself breathe. To have this level of support is something I am very grateful of and the fact that we will have this in London for the World Championships later this year will be a great advantage for all the British athletes.
“It is every athlete’s dream to be running well every time you come out on the track and being injury free. Hopefully I can carry this sort of form into the summer.
“I have worn my lucky spikes for all four of my national records so I am going to keep them safe for the future. They will be worth a bit now.
“I’ll be going for my first senior outdoor medals at the Europeans – that is what I am targeting.”
Meanwhile, Sir Mo Farah broke his own European 5,000 metres record as he signed off his indoor career in style.
The four-time Olympic champion won in 13 minutes and 9.16 seconds.
Farah beat Bahrain’s Albert Rop in a sprint for the line as his high-altitude training in Ethiopia paid off following a seventh-placed finish at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country last month.
Farah is planning to transfer to road racing after August’s track World Championships in London and believes his efforts in Africa proved the difference.
He said: “I can’t quite believe it is my last race but I have had a great indoor career.
“It is something that must come to an end. It is weird, thinking about it and saying goodbye, because I have had great support from everyone and in particular this track where I have broken so many records. It has been amazing over the years.
“I didn’t know I had broken the European record but that is good. It means a lot. It’s a lot better than where I was in Edinburgh. There was no secret with what I had to do.
“I had to get out in the mountains and train hard and put in the miles. The last four weeks have been painful but it’s what I needed.
“I knew I needed to do some work and to go away and leave my family behind and get back to real training and I did for the last four weeks and it is paying off, hard work pays off.”