Hawkins set for battle to survive in Aussie heat

IN temperatures bordering on the inhumane, a brave man from the more temperate climes of Caledonia will attempt to do the unthinkable. Don’t rule him out. Callum Hawkins will be well aware that the marathon here will be the ultimate endurance challenge. Big brother Derek has already warned that the race of 26 miles — plus change — will be ‘a test of who survives more than anything else’. With forecasts of 32 degrees Centigrade in the shade, just as the race winds up to a climax, a course that offers little shelter from the blazing sun is likely to feel like an inferno to competitors. Up against the usual Kenyan task force and a host of other world-class runners, Hawkins will surely be at a disadvantage because of the conditions. Not even nine weeks of acclimatising can stop his Scottish blood from boiling in that heat. And yet there are genuine hopes that the 25-year-old, who finished fourth in last summer’s World Championships and ninth at the Rio Olympics, could not only medal here — but win. ‘It’s not outwith the bounds of possibility,’ said Derek, the elder of the siblings. ‘If he was to get a medal, particularly gold, I think that would just be great reward. ‘I have seen how hard he works, how much he puts into his training. It would be a great reward for that, and just to prove that he is an international contender in the marathons. ‘It will really be about who manages the weather better, who has trained the best, and who can handle the issues better. It will be a test of who survives more than anything else.’ As for the man himself, Hawkins knows he’ll have to punch above his weight in order to win a race that begins at 11.15pm tonight, UK time. It’ll be Sunday morning on the Gold Coast by then. The final day of competition. A moment of destiny that has felt like a long time coming. Hawkins is hoping his Team Scotland colleagues get up early to support him — maybe even earlier to catch Sammi Kinghorn, whose wheelchair marathon begins two hours earlier. ‘A wee bit of backing out on the route will help,’ he said. ‘The Commonwealth Games has been a big target for quite some time, looking back. ‘We’ve been out in Australia since early in March. It was something we felt we had to do to get over the trip, get used to the conditions and get some training in here under the Aussie sun. ‘On PB performances, I am ranked about sixth. Kenya always send a quality team and the Australians are competing in front of a home crowd. ‘It’s going to be a tough race but I’ve prepared well and will give it my best.’