A new Main focus for record-breaker

Moray athlete Cameron Main made the Scottish distance-running community sit up and take notice with his outstanding record-breaking performance in the Podium 5km at Barrowfield, Lancashire earlier in the month.

Now the 21-year-old Stirling University student has set his sights firmly on representing Scotland at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games – but not in athletics.

He said: “I want to compete in the triathlon. I have been heavily involved in the sport since 2012 and I’ve been part of the Scottish Triathlon Performance Squad since 2015.

“Running has always been my favourite discipline ahead of swimming and cycling, although I enjoy all three. I love running but triathlon is my main focus.” Main’s talent as a runner certainly shone through with his performance in Lancashire where he finished sixth in a time of 13:53.

That is the joint thirdfastest time run on the road by a Scot and the quickest by anyone from this country at under-23 level.

He said: “Although I’m focused on the triathlon I’d also love to represent Scotland in a running event at some point, so maybe this performance will lead to an opportunity. If it does, I’d grasp it.

“I’ve never represented Scotland in athletics at any level, not even when I was at school. I always seemed to get injured, so I’d be proud to get the chance to make up for that.”

Main, a former pupil at Elgin Academy, is in his final year studying sports science and exercise but plans to extend his stay in Stirling.

He said: “I’ll probably do a masters in sports psychology. That would allow me to continue training with the squad here in Stirling and get some funding support, as I’ve no other source of income or sponsorship.

“That would really help me prepare for the Commonwealth Games. I’ve been here since 2016 and I’ve really improved under the guidance of our coach, Andrew Woodroffe. He has helped me to become more consistent and that makes a big difference.

“I’ve also managed to stay free from injury which was always a problem I had in the past.”

Main will not celebrate his 22nd birthday until next year and knows that his relative youth may be an advantage when it comes to bidding for Commonwealth selection.

He said: “I understand that the 2022 Commonwealth Games triathlon will be held over the sprint distance which is a 750m swim, 20km cycle and 5k run.

“That will probably suit me as I’m still relatively young and maybe don’t quite have the endurance strength of the older guys in the longer races.

“But I’ve got good speed in my legs for the run now and I don’t think many of my rivals for a place on the team will be as fast over 5k.”