Olympic (Trials) Talk With Marc Scott
For all of our coverage on the Olympics/Olympic Trials visit our Olympic Trials Dashboard
Do you remember when you first set the goal of making the Olympics? When did it begin to feel like a realistic one?
I first set the goal of making the Olympics when I started out running, I was 10 years old and it was merely a dream. Who knows what I was thinking back then but it was something which I set out to accomplish. I feel this goal became a realistic one once I joined BTC and saw how hard the team worked on a daily basis, training with olympians and medalists really made those dreams become a reality.
For our non-UK fans (and maybe for the UK ones, too) can you explain how the selection process works for the Olympics?
There are two ways in which you can qualify for the Olympics, first you have to achieve the relevant time or ’standard’ in your given event. Once this is accomplished you then have to place in the top 2 at the Olympic Trials to guarantee automatic selection. Third place (three spots on the team) is at the discretion of the selectors providing you have the standard. If you have run close to the standard and have achieved a high enough World Ranking then you may be invited to the games and your country then has to accept the invitation on your behalf (they don’t have to do this).
(Editor’s Note: Marc secured his Olympic spot by winning the British Championships on June 6th!)
Marc running 3:35 last summer.
It's been a tremendous 12 months of improvement for you as you've set personal best at every distance from 1500 to half marathon (3:35, 7:36, 13:05, 27:10, and 60:43). Was there a moment where it really struck you that you'd reached another level or has it all just happened gradually?
I felt like I had reached another level once I ran 3:35 last summer during one of our BTC Intrasquad meets (race video here), I came away from altitude knowing I was in great shape after having the best camp of my career with Bowerman. I took a lot of confidence from that race and then applied it for the remainder of the season and onwards into 2021.
How has that huge breakthrough changed your goals for this season? What would you consider a success now?
It seems my goals have drastically changed, knowing I can compete with the best in the world. I would have been content making the Olympic team two summers ago, but now I want to place in the top 10 in the 10,000m and at the very least make the final of the 5000m.
An image that comes up when you search “Yorkshire Mountains” and what we now imagine Marc running up as a young lad.
What the heck is "fell running" and how was that influential in your early career?
Fell running = American Trail/Mountain running. It involves navigating your way to the top of a ‘fell’ or a peak and then back down, usually with your own choice of route. You can cross rivers, go over deep bogs, climb rocks etc as long as you hit the associated checkpoints. This was very endurance and strength based, and the reason I started doing it was because I was not a fast junior and didn’t enjoy getting beat on the track. It has defintely enabled myself to build an engine and endure and running for a sustained amount of time.
You and Grant have been next to each other with a lap to go 4 times this year and the scoreboard is 2-2. So who has the better kick?
Lets have the next race decide this…but if we’re counting I believe I am 3-1
(Editor’s Note: Marc is correct and we would like to apologize to him and the entirety of the British nation for the error)
Who is the biggest one-stepper on the team and why is it you?
No comment.
(Editor’s Note: Your Honor, the prosecution rests)
Marc securing one of his THREE wins over Grant this year (and also running the 2nd fastest time in UK history at 27:10, race video here.
Olympic Trials Talk With Sinclaire Johnson
Note: Heading into the Olympic Trials and Olympics we’ll be doing a series of Q&A’s with athletes about their goals, processes, and experiences. Stay tuned to our Olympic Trials page!
Do you remember when you first set the goal of making the Olympics? When did
it begin to feel like a realistic one?
My first hopes of making the Olympic team was probably around my sophomore year of
high school. I started to gain some success on the track and I followed the sport a little
bit more outside of my high school bubble. I remember watching Allyson Felix win the
200m at the 2012 London Olympics and thinking I wanted to compete in the Olympic
Games one day. The goal of making the Olympic team became realistic in 2019 when I
finished 4th , one spot out of qualifying for the World Championship team. It set in that I
was at the level to really contend for an Olympic team and these childhood dreams can
become a reality.
You made the decision this fall to move from Oklahoma where you had been
training with your college coach out to Portland. What made you decide to make
the switch?
Sinclaire and Gabriela ripping at Utah Valley University.
I wanted to train with the best of the best.
And I thought the Bowerman Track Club
had that. I think being surrounded
everyday by people who have
accomplished things you want to
accomplish is invaluable. And I knew to get
the most out of my career I need to be
pushed by the best.
What has surprised you most about joining the team?
A lot of my expectations about joining the team have been pretty accurate. However, I
was honestly most surprised by the average weekly mileage on the team. Going from
college if you were running 70 mpw, then you were doing heavy mileage. Now, if you
run 70 mpw you are definitely on the low end of the mileage chart. I am still hanging on
to my 55 mpw until Jerry starts moving me up.
Altitude: love it or hate it?
I love getting to live with my teammates and getting to know them more. I love that we
go to beautiful places for altitude camp. And I love changing up the running scene by
being in a new place. I do not love how much harder the workouts feel. And I do not
love being tired majority of the time. So, I would say it’s a love/hate relationship!
How did the postponement of the Games last year affect your thinking? Were you
feeling ready to go and bummed it got moved or were you happy to have another
year to prepare?
I think the postponement was a blessing in disguise for me. I was obviously bummed
initially because it was an exciting thing I was looking forward to. But, with being a new
pro and navigating life after college running I think it gave me time to figure things out.
Knowing where I was mentally last year with having made a big change to my plans, I
think it would have been hard for me to be completely prepared to make the team. With
that year behind me and a solid 8 months of training with BTC, I think I am in a much
better position to turn my dreams in reality!
Sinclaire set an 800m Personal Best of 1:59.91 at the USATF Golden Games in May.
What’s your mental prep like in the weeks before a big race? Are you someone
who gathers all the data on your competitors and visualizes all the possibilities?
Or do you prefer to try and relax and put the race out of your mind?
For a 1500m race, tactics are crucial. I have been preparing outside of training by watching
old race videos of successful 1500m runners. I can gain insight on how to race or how to
put myself in the best position by watching these race videos. I am still figuring out my
competition at this level, but have a pretty solid idea of how people race. And I like to
visualize the race a couple times leading up to it.