Inglis reaps benefits of giving up the day job

SARAH INGLIS had a hunch that waving farewell to her pupils might allow her to move up a class. It would allow her to school herself better in the disciplines of distance running without the diversion of planning lessons and sculpting impressionable minds.

The Scot had effectively emigrated to Canada several years ago when a scholarship to a university in British Columbia led to a job offer as a teacher with a sporting side gig. It was an imperfect solution to the complexities of carving out an athletics career without the comfort blanket of Lottery funding.

“Teaching kids all day is tiring,” the 30-year-old says.

Another offer to change countries came out of left field last winter and saw her criss-cross the continent, this time to North Carolina, to join a small programme supported from the marketing budgets of apparel giant Puma. She sensed it was a potential game changer.

“I just needed to change my training group,” she says. “And this opportunity came up. We have a couple of other British athletes in the team. Aussies as well. It’s quite international, and I’m loving it. Who wouldn’t? I’ve been working two jobs in Canada, and now running is my full-time job for the first time, at the age of 30. This is finally my chance to really go for it and get everything I need in order.”

Improvements have followed and Inglis goes into this evening’s 5,000 metres at the British Championships in Manchester requiring only a top-two finish to secure a spot at next month’s world championships in Eugene.

The state of Oregon is a happy hunting ground. Last month, she demolished her personal best there with a time of 15:05.51 that was inside UK Athletics qualifying standard.

Fellow Scot Eilish McColgan – a certain selection should she wish to double up – is absent through illness. That cuts Inglis’ odds of gold or silver. Finishing fourth in the recent 10,000m trials opened additional doors for the worlds and a European Championships which follows the Commonwealth Games for which she will be confirmed in Scotland’s squad next week.

“Some people will decide to do different ones or might drop out,” she says. “There’s choices to be made. So I’ll be there to take whatever I can get.”