The British distance runner talks about nearly a year since he won continental gold medals, set new standards and got his first taste of competing on the senior world stage.
At the start of the year, Innes Fitzgerald was considering options for the British Milers Club (BMC) race, planning the season as he usually did. Although he was already a two-time European under-20 champion and one of Britain’s emerging young middle-distance talents, the initial structure of his season was familiar; choose the BMCs, build the rhythm, sharpen up for the summer. But this time, her coach, Gavin Pavey, offered no usual guidance.
“I remember trying to plan what race I was doing,” he says. “I was telling my coach. “Should I enter these BMCs?” And he was quite silent. I said: “What’s going on? Of course we have to have a bit more of a plan.” And now I know he didn’t want me to sell myself a little short.”
Only later did FitzGerald realize that Pavey was directing him to something else. Instead of local matches, he imagined that he would advance to the Diamond League stage. Over the course of the year, the change made sense. his progression from an accomplished junior athlete to a world-class senior competitor did not happen out of the blue, but over the course of a season that continued to climb, from national bronze in the 5000m to European Under-20 double gold to his place on the starting line at the World Championships.
“Going into 2025, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into,” says the 19-year-old. “I didn’t expect the season to work out, but I’m incredibly grateful for all the opportunities and gained so much experience.”
FitzGerald is only now beginning to understand the scale of what he accomplished on the track. The first serious step came at the European Indoor Championships, where he competed in the 3000m for his third place at the British Indoor Championships. Apeldoorn made his debut in the British senior vest.
“Jake Smith was bringing me back from training and I remember him saying to me, “What is the European closed standard?” and I said “Oh, I’m never going to get that.” Then suddenly I made the senior team. It’s different when you get to senior level because everyone seems a bit more focused and in their element.”
Despite the shift, Fitzgerald accomplished her goal by just making the finals, finishing eighth in 8:57.00.
“As athletes, we rarely come away from races feeling satisfied with ourselves. But the overwhelming feeling was pride,” he says. “Those championships were important going into the summer, especially going into those Diamond League races where all of a sudden you’re in a different country. It was important to have those experiences.”
Pave’s reluctance to encourage BMC’s plan suddenly made sense as the possibilities of the Diamond League began to emerge. That setting allowed the University of Exeter sports and exercise science student to compete at a high level without the tactical pressure of a championship environment, finishing third in Stockholm (3000m), 12th in London and 15th in Brussels (both 5000m).
London was the best moment and race of the year for Fitzgerald. In front of a packed home crowd, she broke the European Under-20 5000m record of 14:39.56, beating Zola Budd’s 1985 mark of 14:48.07. After the aforementioned third place in the 5000m at the British Championships, winning his first outdoor senior national medal, he was then whisked off to Tampere for the European Under-20 Championships.
The change in environment required a different mindset, but he welcomed the change.
“It’s a completely different atmosphere,” he says. “More of a team thing. More talkative, quieter.”
But there was a clear target. After finishing fourth in the 3000m at last year’s U20 World Championships, she was aiming for gold in both the 3000m and 5000m. The Brit did exactly what he wanted: two commanding, winning performances and a championship record of 8:46.39 in the 3000m.
If London was the emotional pinnacle and the under-20 double gold his anticipated triumph, the World Championships in Tokyo proved the most formative experience. A great achievement for the Great Britain senior team at such a tender age.
Fitzgerald may not have reached the 5000m final there, but he says: “Just being there, competing at that level was something I was really grateful for. The whole experience was very different. The call rooms, the hours, the structure…everything feels like a step up. I am satisfied that I reached the title of champions, I know that there is much more to come in the coming years.”
However, FitzGerald’s competitive year is far from over. He went straight into the cross country season, winning both the Cross Challenge in Cardiff and Liverpool, the latter booking his place at the European Cross Country Championships in the Algarve, where he will be hoping to win his third U20 title.
With all that Fitzgerald has done this year to compete at the highest levels, consistency has become an increasingly important consideration, something he has spoken openly about.
“I think it’s something that’s still very close to my heart and always has been,” he says. “I think there’s always more that can be done.”
Next year, Great Britain will host both the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games, which brings more than just logistical convenience.
“I think it will be great for us as British people,” he says. “But also, it’s an area where many European countries can easily come.”
Being closer to home also opens the door for his family and friends to witness his competitions without the environmental impact of long flights.
“I never want to encourage my family or friends to have to fly to come and see me race because I don’t think that’s necessarily the right decision,” he says. “But having them in the UK next year will just be extra special as I hope I can see a lot of family and friends there. And I think the rest of the GB team that ends up will probably think the same.”
