Team Scotland has announced a 39-strong athletics squad for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Laura Muir has been selected for next month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in the 5000m.
The 33-year-old has secured several medals in the 1500m, including an Olympic silver, a world bronze and two European golds, but discipline is lacking in this edition of the Games calendar.
Returning to the Games for the first time in 60 years, instead of running the mile, Muir decided to step up the distance and compete in the 5,000m.
“The 5,000m will hopefully make my stamina a bit stronger and hopefully help with that 1,500m,” he told BBC Scotland.
The Brit clocked 14:48.14 in the 5000m and ran 15:07.02 at the IFAM outdoor meet in Brussels in May.
After winning the Bannister Miles match that same month, Muir said AW: after that he has focused on speed endurance during winter training and could go longer than 1500m this year.
“We’ve done a big endurance block this winter, which is a very different approach,” he said. “I knew I had the potential to go a little further in the race distances. I don’t think I’ve ever had a chance to try it. I want to try a few different things and I think a lot of athletes are trying that this year.
“I want to go faster and faster and you have to change a few things to adapt. Are you constantly learning, even this winter? Even going back to racing, it means getting better.
At last weekend’s British Athletics Championships, Muir finished third in the 1500m in 4:08.73 behind Sarah Calvert and Katie Snowden.
Calvert, who secured back-to-back 1500m titles in Birmingham, is also part of the 39-strong Scottish athletics squad that will compete in Glasgow.
Four years after his triumphant 10,000m run at the Alexander Stadium, Elish McColgan will once again compete in the Scottish vest for 25 laps.
McColgan has not competed on the track since the Paris Olympics but ran the then European 10km record of 30:08, bettered by Clara Lucan to 29:51, in Valencia in January. He is also seventh in 2:24:51 at the London Marathon in April.
Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman and Neil Gourley headline the highly anticipated men’s mile race and will be aiming to impress on home soil at Scotstoun Stadium.
Kerr is likely to arrive in Glasgow as the new world mile record holder. The 28-year-old has made no secret that bettering Hicham El Gerouj’s 3:43.13 at the London Diamond League and securing Commonwealth Mile gold are his two priorities this season.
Kerr holds the British mile record of 3:45.34, while Whiteman and Gourley boast bests of 3:47.82 and 3:47.74.
Rebecca Grieve and Bradley Francis are entered for the 4x400m medley along with 400m individual runners Brodie Young and Nicole Yaregin. Team Scotland will also field the 4x400m medley and the women’s 4x100m relay teams following their special allocated extra places.
For these events. Georgina Adam is included in both the 4x400m medley and the women’s 4x100m relay teams. She will be joined in the latter by Alisha Rees, Lucy Fraser and Kaya Slater, along with 200m individual runner Alison Bell.
Scotland Team de Mission chef Elinor Middlemiss said: “A huge congratulations to all the track and field athletes who have been selected to compete in Glasgow this summer. It is fantastic to see such a strong team for the games. a team that has a real mix of strength, depth and experience.
“A number of these athletes competed in Glasgow 2014 and will be able to pass on that experience to the rest of the team. I’m sure all those selected will rise to the occasion at home games and do the Scotland team proud.”
Scottish athletics team
Georgina Adam – 4×100 m
Alison Bell – 200 m / 4×100 m
Christopher Bennett – Hammer
Steven Bryce – T20 1500 m
Andrew Butchart – 5000 m / 10 000 m
Sarah Calvert – A mile
Sean Frame – T53/54 1500m
Bradley Francis – Mixed 4x400m
Lucy Fraser – 4×100 m
Neil Gurley – A mile
Rebecca Grieve – Mixed 4x400m
Megan Keith – 5000 m / 10000 m
Josh Kerr – A mile
Stephen Mackenzie – Long jump
Angela McAuslan-Kelly – Hammer
Elish McColgan – 10000 m
Joel Macfarlane – Decathlon
Owen Miller – T20 1500 m
Laura Muir – 5000 m
Callum Newby – Decathlon
Nick Percy – Discussion
Jamie Phillips – 800 m
Gemma Rickey – 800 m/mile
Alisha Rees – 4x100mJoanna Robertson – T53/54 1500m
Ali Routledge – Heptathlon
Ben Sandilands – T20 1500 m
Me Scachard – 800 m
So, Slater – 4×100 m
Stephen Stone – T20 Long Jump
Sarah Tate – 3000 m running
Jax Thirs – Pole vault
Alexander Thomson – T37/38 100m
Eloise Walker – 5000 m
Erin Wallace – 800 m/mile
Jake Whiteman – Milly
Melanie Woods – T53/54 400 m / 1500 m
Nicole Yargin – 400 m / Mixed 4×400 m
Brodie Young – 400 m / Mixed 4×400 m
