How to forge world champions
How to forge world champions
By John Lenehan, Edinburgh AC
Wednesday 23rd August 2023,Budapest’s National Athletics Stadium, 9:19pm local time…
Edinburgh Athletic Club star Josh Kerr kicks hard on the final bend of the 1500m World Championship final… He draws level with Norwegian superstar and heavy favourite, Jakob Ingebrigtsen… There’s a gold medal and a world title at stake. It’s a pulsating contest, the two men right at their limits, neither giving an inch. Millions hold their breath… Can Kerr really take on and beat the mighty Ingebrigtsen…?
One year previously, Kerr’s Edinburgh AC clubmate Jake Wightman had made almost exactly the same move on Ingebrigtsen in the 1500m at the World Championships in Oregon. Wightman had taken gold. Could Edinburgh lightning strike twice?
The look of sheer determinationon Kerr’s face in the final 100m left no doubt, as he stormed down the homestraight to take the gold medal and 2023 World Champion title in a time of3:29.38.
Two gold medals on the worldstage, two remarkable athletes who rose through the junior ranks at EdinburghAC to become world-beaters: a truly unprecedented achievement for an athleticsclub in Scotland to produce two world champions in the space of a year.
World Champions Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman as schoolboys at Edinburgh AC. Pic: White Flyer Photography/Edinburgh AC
The Capital club has a history ofproducing world-class athletes: in recent years Chris O’Hare has won Europeanmiddle-distance medals, 800m runner Lynsey Sharp has been European champion,and going further back in time the club has had a host of athletes competing atOlympic, World, Commonwealth and European level.
But just how exactly has thisincredible success come about within Edinburgh AC?
A big Games legacy
Long-time club coach Eric Fisherhas devoted a lifetime to athletics in Edinburgh, and he trained both Wightmanand Kerr when they were juniors. Radiating enthusiasm for the sport, Fisherreflects: “The Commonwealth Games came to Edinburgh in 1970 and 1986. These bigevents were so inspiring. Kids could see the best athletes in the worldcompeting in their city. Scotsman Lachie Stewart won the 10,000m gold in 1970at Meadowbank, and we had 114 kids turning up to our first training sessionafterwards. They all wanted to be Lachie Stewart!”
These magical moments inEdinburgh’s history have helped inspire enthusiastic youngsters to join theclub and take up athletics. Many of these youngsters go on to have blossoming,successful athletics careers under the guidance of club coaches, and many thencontinue their involvement in the sport through taking up coaching themselves,helping out within the club, or becoming officials.
P Josh with his Edinburgh AC coach Eric Fisher after his Olympic bronze medal success. Picture: Gary J Leek (Edinburgh AC)
Fisher’s successful coachingphilosophies involve purposeful and balanced training sessions, a long-termviewpoint, and, crucially, enjoyment – if athletes are enjoying their training,they are much more likely to stick with the sport in the long-term. He says: “Ialways try to instil the attitude that an improver is a winner. Youngstersrespond well to this, when they can see their improvement month-by-month andyear-by-year. They get a real sense of achievement from getting the best out ofthemselves.
“Our junior teams compete allover the UK and it’s so exciting for them to represent their club, city andcountry. They see some of the older kids going on to compete at European andWorld level, and I tell them, ‘You can follow in their footsteps and go on todo the same!’
“I try to give them that belief,then you see them really knuckling down, they start winning medals, and we settheir sights even higher. Then you get the parents asking how they can help,and so you get great momentum building in the junior ranks. Success definitelybreeds success, and the whole club is very proud of our elite athletesrepresenting us on the world stage!”
Opportunity for all
Senior squad coach and clubstalwart Alex MacEwen was recently honoured for his immense contributions tolocal athletics, having his name added to the Meadowbank track’s “Wall of Fame”.MacEwen has unsurpassed knowledge of the local athletics scene, and EdinburghAC’s successes come as no surprise to him.
He explains: “There’s a greattradition of athletics in Edinburgh. Our city is big enough to have severalclubs and there are so many committed athletes, volunteers and leaders, who allset the standards and deserve much credit. This drives competition in thecity.”
“Edinburgh AC has a healthy anddiverse membership base. The bigger the base, the greater the chance ofsuccess. Our runners all feed off each other and inspire each other. We have anethos of encouraging participation and performance at all levels. We havealways had a strong tradition of competition, of encouraging our athletes intothe big championship races and really striving to be the best.
“There are development pathwaysin place for our juniors, as well as opportunities for seniors and veterans tocompete locally, nationally and internationally. All of this is thanks to themany people who volunteer to help out in a wide range of roles in the club.It’s these people who enable everything and who set the standards.”
“From Mum to Club President”
Edinburgh AC President Yvonne Jonesis just one example of those helping to set the standards within the club andsupport local athletics. Jones has risen through the volunteering ranks, and inher own words, has gone from “Mum to President in 20 years!”
Jones describes how she becamesuch a key figure within the club: “My son Matthew was coached by Eric Fisherfrom the age of nine, so I got involved in helping out with various roles suchas assisting at events, taking care of kit and equipment, I’ve been a committeemember, induction co-ordinator, team manager, Vice-President and now President.The club is such a supportive community, and it’s great to see the dedicationof athletes of all ages and abilities. There’s a really vibrant atmosphere thatfosters athlete development and achievement.
“What’smore, it's fantastic to see athletes like Josh and Jake giving back to theathletics community in Scotland and inspiring the next generation. When you seethem coming back to the track at Meadowbank or Saughton to show their medalsand share their experience with the kids, or when you see them pulling on theirEdinburgh AC vests and racing locally, it’s very powerful – what better rolemodels could our juniors have?”
Meeting the returning heroes
T Jake shares the delight of young runners during a visit to Meadowbank. Picture: Gary J Leek (Edinburgh AC)
BothWightman and Kerr have recently brought back their World and Olympic medals toclub events in Edinburgh, showing them off to excited crowds of young (andnot-so-young!) club members. They also took the time to answer questions, passon advice and pose for photographs. In what has become an ongoing cycle ofgrowth and development within Edinburgh AC, both men are keenly aware of theimportance of giving back to the club, and of inspiring others in the same waythat they themselves were inspired as juniors.
It wasfitting that Kerr was able to meet and congratulate Edinburgh AC juniors whohad recently won the Forth Valley Young Athletes League Division 1 title – Kerrhimself started out as an Under-11 athlete in this same league.
PJosh with brothers Robbie and Danny and their Forth Valley Young Athletes League trophies. Picture: Gary J Leek (Edinburgh AC)
A pathway to the elite levels
JamieMcDonald, a Club Development Officer with the sport’s governing body ScottishAthletics, elaborates on this legacy of “giving back”, remarking: “Many ofour elite stars are very generous with their time at club training sessions andevents. For many of them, their first experiences in athletics were as juniorson the club scene, and they like to stay involved and compete in Scotland whenthey can. They’ll often turn out to race in our local events alongside all theother club runners, and this is great to see! For example, Jake led theEdinburgh AC senior men’s team to gold medals at the Allan Scally 4 x 5kmRelays, competing alongside hundreds of other club runners on Glasgow Green.”
P Jake and his victorious Edinburgh AC teammates with the Allan Scally Memorial 4 x 5k Relay trophy. Picture: John Lenehan
McDonald went on to describe someof the work that Scottish Athletics does behind the scenes: “We know thatathletes can only reach the top if there is a pathway to take them from thosefirst junior experiences all the way through to senior success. Our 150 clubsacross Scotland are vital to this, and we work hard to support, empower andinspire them.
“Also key to this developmentpathway is providing quality coaching and competition opportunities, and weorganise a full calendar of fixtures across all age groups. Our ‘Club Together’initiative, launched in 2011, is a great example of the way we’ve aimed toempower clubs in recent years – we have athletics clubs, local authorities andleisure trusts working alongside Scottish Athletics, helping our sport grow andthrive. Combined with our accessible and relatable elite athlete role models,all of this fires the imagination of the next generation and gives themsomething motivating to aim for.
“With major recent events such asthe London Olympics in 2012 and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, theinterest in athletics has continued to increase, and so many people havestepped up to support this, from grassroots level all the way up to the worldstage.
“The volunteer commitment atEdinburgh AC is incredible. Their tireless dedication to excellence isinspiring, and this is being replicated in athletics clubs all over Scotland.Athletics is about people, and we have so much respect for all our people,however they contribute. At Scottish Athletics, our role is very much aboutsupporting people to be the best they can be.”
“Like a big family”
The man of the moment, worldchampion Josh Kerr, took the time to reflect on his achievements and his careerpath to date. Although Kerr is now based in the USA, he certainly hasn’tforgotten his roots and where he was forged. He was fulsome in his praise forEdinburgh AC.
“Coming through as a junior, theclub felt like a big family, and it was good to be surrounded by such inspiringpeople. There have been highs and lows, and having support from Edinburgh ACand from Scottish Athletics kept me in the sport when it was tough,” he affirms.
“From a grassroots point of view,the effort and commitment of the club’s volunteers and coaching staff isamazing. This is why we achieve the success we do, and the club should be soproud.”
“Those from the club that havereached the big stages before me have showed that it can be done, and in turnwe can show it to the next generation. We need to say to them, ‘This is how wedo it, and if you follow your heart, you can do it too!’ We’ve got to be anopen book for them, so that others can follow in the footsteps of what we aredoing. This conveyor belt of producing gold medals on the world stage issomething we need to continue!”
Kerr also refers to thesacrifices involved: “It’s an insane level of commitment from myself, my team,and everyone around me. The preparation is so meticulous. I’ve been runningsince I was eight years old, so sixteen or seventeen years of dedication andhonest effort went into that final 200m in Budapest. I know how much has goneinto this, and so I really wanted to bring the world title home!”
When Kerr crossed that 1500mfinish line in first place, it became clear just how much it meant to him – theemotion written across his face was obvious for all to see as he realised alifetime ambition of becoming a world champion.
A golden era
With a number of Scottishathletes currently prominent on the world stage, and more on the verge ofbreaking through, we are privileged to be witnessing a veritable “golden era”of athletics in Scotland.
It’s no surprise that EdinburghAC has contributed significantly to Scotland’s success at the very highestlevels of the sport, considering everything that is in place within the club:the structures and development pathways that have been built, the club coachesand volunteers who give so much of themselves, and the spirit and pridethroughout the club.
All of these elements act as aspringboard for the inspired young athletes working hard to step up and maketheir mark. Given this proven winning formula, it seemsalmost inevitable that the club can look forward to ongoing success.
First published in the Edinburgh Inquirer, www.edinburghinquirer.co.uk