Douglas aiming for peak fitness ahead of runs
ANDREW Douglas is looking to prove he belongs with the best top cross country runners in the world when he competes at the upcoming IAAF Antrim International championship.
The Halkirk athlete made a huge impression at last year’s event when he finished 10th out of a star-studded field of 136.
He is hoping to make it into the top 10 again when he heads to Northern Ireland a week on Saturday.
He is to help prepare for the event by defending his Scottish Inter District Cross Country Championship title in Edinburgh on Saturday.
Despite suffering from a slight injury, the 30-year-old is confident he will do himself justice in both races.
He said: “I have suffered a strain in my hip but I will be competing at the Inter District Championship and hopefully will make it two years in a row.
“The field will be strong and will include an athlete on a university scholarship in the United States and I think it will be a closer race than last year but I will give it my best shot.
“A week later I will head to Northern Ireland to take part in the IAAF event. There is big prize money on offer so some of the leading names from Europe and Africa will be taking part.
“I was really pleased with finishing 10th last year and to achieve another top 10 finish would be brilliant.”
Douglas’s stock on the running scene rose when he won the World Mountain Running Series title in 2015 before finishing second last year. He was also shortlisted for Athlete of the year at the Scottish Athletics Awards in October.
He said while mountain running is still his number one priority, his cross country commitments during the winter are vital to ensure he maintains peak fitness.
He adds: “Cross country has always been part of my winter regime. The mountain running phase finishes in October and there is a big gap in the year until it starts up again.
“I have always used cross country as a way of maintaining fitness and sharpness. I enjoy competing in cross country and it is good to fill the winter with different races.
“The mountains are still the main priority but cross country is great at keeping the endurance and relative speedwork.”
The World Mountain Running Series 2017 is set to change its format by introducing more races during the season as well as staging the European Championship and World Championship in July and August.
Douglas said he is still up for the challenge and will look to stake a claim for the individual European and World Championship titles.
“The European Championship and World Championship are my two main aims for the mountain running season,” he said.
“This year is different as they will only be three weeks apart.“But I will be looking to get to peak fitness in the run-up to those two races.”
After the world championship in Italy in August, Douglas is considering competing on the track as well as having a tilt at marathon running with an eye on securing a place in the Scottish team in next year’s Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in Australia.
He said: “I am considering a track season after the two main competitions.
“If I did decide to compete on the track or marathon, it would be with the main aim of trying to qualify for the Commonwealth Games.”