Commonwealths

“The mile is a really cool event and it’s nice to do something different.

“I’m just really excited to learn and to move in. I’m not moving up full time, I’m going to go back to the 800m outdoors.

“I’m enjoying it so far. I think in the future I might be a great 1500m runner. So, I’m kind of dipping my toes in to see how it goes. I’m enjoying it, the training’s really good.”

With her recent indoor success, the two-time Olympian is pleased with her form heading to Torun, but insists her enjoyment remains the priority before the outdoor season.

Reekie spoke candidly about how failing to make the 2024 Olympic 800m final pushed her to prioritise her mental health.

The 1500m heats in Torun are on Friday, with the final taking place on Sunday.

“It’s definitely getting there,” she said. “We’ll see how I go this weekend over that distance. I’m definitely having a lot of fun, and that’s the main aim.

“I’ve got no pressure this weekend at all, other than myself. So, I’m just going to go out there and have fun and see what I can do.

“The past two outdoor seasons I’ve missed out on finals, so that’ll definitely be the first step forward to get into that final.”

Reekie, alongside fellow Team GB star Laura Muir, started working with coach Jon Bigg in March 2023, but has brought other people, including psychologists, into her set-up to extract small advantages.

“I’ve been with Jon for a while now, and we’ve been working on lots and I’ve got stronger and stronger as the years have gone by,” she said.

“It’s just adding in those one per cent gains and new people to your team, which I’m really enjoying. I think athletes always can work on something.”

Kerr would love to add a Commonwealth gold to his Olympic medals and his world and world indoor golds.

“What else would you want from a season really, every four years, in Scotland in front of a home crowd, going after a gold medal in the mile distance as well, that is why it is a massive priority in the season,” he explained.

“That is what I grew up thinking about, for me that is what my family spoke about, it is how we were when we were getting our first Scotland vests in cross country and on the track and on the road.

“That is what we always used to discuss when we were sitting on the bus going to these championships. ‘Who is going to the Commonwealth Games? What is everyone’s goals for the Commonwealth Games?’

“And to know that it is in Scotland, it is just pretty special so why would I give up that opportunity for something else? When you look back on your career these are the kind of moments that you are like, ‘that was awesome, that was a huge moment’ regardless of the result, you have got to enjoy it.”

Kerr expects his ambition to be matched by his fellow Scottish runners.

“I haven’t pulled on the Scotland vest since the Commonwealth Games in 2022,” he explained. “It is not something that happens really often.

“I know it will be a priority for Jake Wightman, I know it is a priority for Neil Gourley – that is who they are, it is who I am and that is the system we grew up in so I think all of us just have that ingrained in us.”

US-based Kerr’s last major outing ended in disappointment in Japan with a pulled calf muscle resulting in him finishing a distant last in the 1500m final at the World Championships in September.

Despite having limited race time since then, Kerr believes he is in good shape for 2026.

“Chatting about going after a world indoor title not that many months afterwards is a very proud moment for me and my team,” he added.

“To be honest, I am as fit or fitter than I have been in an indoor season in the past.

“Indoors is an odd time of year for athletes – some people do it, some people don’t and I like to do it normally but I am very proud of the position I am in.

“That is to do with coaching as well, Danny [Mackey] has done a great job with the coaching side of things.”