Tait looking to McColgan for advice at World Championships

The 3000m steeplechase runner from Fairmilehead only made her international debut at the European Team Championships in Madrid in June, coming second to earn a spot in the Japanese capital, with her heats taking place on Monday.

And as she prepares to take on the best in the world in alien conditions, Tait revealed how McColgan is helping her prepare.

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The duo knows each other well with Tait having been the first recipient of McColgan’s ‘Giving Back to Track’ programme, aimed at helping more women make it in track and field.

While McColgan is best known for her exploits over 5000 and 10,000 metres, she initially made her name in the steeplechase, with Tait actually breaking her mentor’s college record earlier this year. And, as she prepares for the biggest competition of her life, there was only one person to whom she wanted to turn.

“Eilish is great. We have that relationship now where I message her and annoy her about everything,” said Tait, speaking after attending a Novuna-backed British camp – with the company financing the ambitions of millions across the UK, from helping business grow and individuals plan for the future, to backing British Athletics on the global stage.

“She has always got some good words of wisdom and has always been really supportive of me. She’s a great mentor to have and she’s definitely done it all before.

“She has told me to soak up the experience and that is what I’m trying my best to do.

“I think the main thing for me is to take the experience moving forwards for some major championships in the years to come. There is nothing in terms of placings, I want to take this experience and learn from it moving forwards.

“I think that’s what’s really important about giving people the opportunity to get on these teams that maybe haven’t the quickest times in the world, but it is all about experience and then hopefully I will be running one of the quickest times in the world in years to come.”

Tait’s progress has come off the back of some impressive performances in the American collegiate system.

She is based at West Virginia University, and has just graduated, while this year she was named an All-American for her performances on the college scene.

While Tait does not yet know whether her future after the Worlds will see her remain in the States or head back to the UK, she knows the impact the trip across the Atlantic has had on her career.

She added: “It’s been brilliant, I went over there, and I actually haven’t won many races. That just shows you the standard in the NCAA and the college system is just phenomenal.

“The NCAA Championships, I came fourth and the three girls in front of me are all here competing in Tokyo.

“I think that’s been a huge contribution as well and I was selected to race in Madrid this year at the team champs and I think that being in America, racing in the NCAA, it gives you that little bit of racing practice.

“You are not so much time triallists, which I think a lot of people are. That really helped me in Madrid and hopefully will in Tokyo as well.

“In terms of the future, I’m still figuring things out at the moment. The main thing for me was to focus on Worlds and see what opportunities lie after Worlds.

“I would be happy to stay over in the States if that was the best opportunity for me. But home will always be the UK, so getting a bit closer to home would be great.

“But it’s really where the opportunities lie. There do seem to be more opportunities in the US, so we’ll see how that works out.”

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