Olympic star postpones honeymoon for Scots race
A NEWLY married Olympic star has postponed her dream honeymoon so she can attempt to win one of Scotland’s top running events.
When Freya Murray was given a late call-up to compete at London 2012 it was an offer she could not turn down, even if it meant organising her wedding plans around the event.
Now the long-distance hero has shown her commitment to the cause once again by putting off flying to sunnier climes in a bid to become the first Edinburgh athlete to win the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run since its return in 2005.
The former pupil of Beeslack High in Penicuik, who married fiance Michael Ross on Saturday, is hoping to repeat her success at the London Games, where she was the first UK athlete across the marathon finish line.
The 29-year-old, who grew up in Temple, Midlothian, joked that she had challenged the traditional cliche that men call things off in the name of sport.
She said: “The Olympics was absolutely brilliant, probably one of the best experiences of my life.
“It was an unbelievable atmosphere on the day of the race, and the support all t h e way r o u n d was overwhelming.
“I was really impressed by the number of people who turned out to watch, especially as the weather was rather rubbish that day. Crossing the finish line was just an amazing feeling.”
Freya revealed she was shopping in her local supermarket when she heard she had been picked for the Olympic squad, replacing an injured Paula Radcliffe.
She said: “Michael and I decided we would plan the wedding for the end of September just in case.
“It’s lucky that we did. It would have been rather frustrating to be getting married while all that was going on.
“Michael’s been fabulous about scheduling everything round the two events.
“He used to run himself, andthankfully he still enjoys watching races and has been a brilliant support to me.”
The couple, who married at The Hub, in Castlehill, Edinburgh, will be jetting off to California on Monday morning for a slightly belated h o n e y mo o n celebration.