Marc Scott interview: Richmond & Zetland Harrier who ended Mo Farah’s reign targets World Indoor Championships glory

The 28-year-old from Northallerton qualified for his first Olympics in the 10,000m last summer by eliminating the great Farah in the trials.

He was unable to continue Farah’s medal tradition in Tokyo but may be about to finally take the step onto a major medal rostrum this weekend in what is a huge year for athletics.

For Scott won his heat of the 3,000m at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade yesterday to book his place in tomorrow’s final.

Having already bettered his own European indoor record over 5,000m last month, he has come into these championships in strong form.

It all augurs well for Scott in a year in which he hopes to compete, and contend in the World Championships in Oregon in July, the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham at the start of August and the European Championships in Munich later that month.

Plenty of opportunities then to build on that scalping of Farah last year, when the Richmond and Zetland Harrier became the first person to beat the quadruple Olympic champion over 10,000m for over a decade.

“Mo was someone I looked up to in the sport growing up,” Scott tells The Yorkshire Post.

“So to beat him and take records off him, it just solidifies everything I’ve done, everything I’ve worked for in the past 10 years. And to do it in a high-calibre race such as the Olympic trials as well, that just made it a little more special.

“Credit to Mo, he’s run very well for a long time, and I was honoured in a way to be the one to knock him off the podium and take his times down as well.”

That reference to ‘solidifying everything I’ve done’ harks back to the decision Scott made as an 18-year-old when his future in athletics had reached a crossroads.

Does he stay at home in Northallerton with limited access to facilities and support, or does he take the plunge and take-up a track and field scholarship at the University of Tulsa in the United States?

Scott chose the latter.

“It simply boiled down to opportunity and America was where it presented itself,” he says. “I didn’t even have access to facilities at universities here so it was a no-brainer to go over to Tulsa. It was a big decision to leave family and friends when I was 18 to venture across the world, but it put me in great stead and I wouldn’t be where I am today without it, which is why 10 years down the line I’m still primarily based in the US.

“I had to take that step, I had to take the gamble and it’s paid off for me. It doesn’t pay off for everyone but I think now there’s a lot more who are taking that step. They’re very serious about their sport, they know what they’re doing and they give you a lot of opportunity.”

Scott still comes home often, staying with family whilst splitting his time training at Richmond and Zetland’s base at Catterick Garrison and at Leeds Beckett University.

But the United States is now his home and where he will head after this weekend to focus on the three major outdoor meetings this summer.

“I’ll start getting ready with a big training block, just so I’m ready for all three within five weeks,” he explains. “Knowing that I’ve put in the work the last three months that taper will obviously occur. But I know with a long taper I can still hold my form right through to the European Championships.

“It’s just about trusting the training, trusting my coaching and the team around me to put me in the best position possible, with the goal of competing at all three. The focus will be on a European medal with that being the last of the three championships.

“Hopefully I can finish a good indoor season and that will put me on track for a good outdoor season.”

It would also be nice to have a medal put around his neck to show the good people of Richmond and Zetland.

“That’d be a great feeling, especially with it being the club’s anniversary this year. That would be even more special to take a medal back; if not from the indoors then one of the outdoor events,” says Scott.