Laura Muir & Industry: On Track For Success

More than 140 representatives of the brands, rights holders, agencies and media organisations shortlisted for the Sport Industry Awards 2020 came together for Sport Industry Shortlisted in central London, as British record holder Laura Muir talked all things Tokyo 2020, her journey to Olympic level and her role as an inspirational female athlete.

The annual celebration hails the hard work that goes into creating some of the sport industry’s best campaigns and events, and brings the industry together in anticipation of the Sport Industry Awards 2020 on 30th April.

Focusing on the effort it takes to achieve success, the sport industry welcomed five-time European champion and British record holder in the 1,500m, Laura Muir, who’s ambitions for Olympic Gold were matched only by the Sport Industry Awards aspirations of those in the audience.

Ahead of International Women’s Day, which takes place on Sunday 8th March, Muir opened up on a range of topics from being a role model for women and young people, the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, and how her confidence comes from doing the hard yards in training.

Speaking about how her friend and training partner Jemma Reekie is making her a better athlete, Muir told the industry: “I used to train a lot by myself. I’d have the boys in my training group to run with but sometimes, bless them, even they can’t keep up! I try to train as hard as I can but ultimately enduring that no-man’s land is really difficult. 

“So it’s great to have her step up, and we can take turns now and share the workload in sessions and having that girl on your shoulder adds an extra element of competitiveness. Because of that we can push each other on even more.”

Muir’s winning mentality and experience of elite competition made her a compelling listen for an audience made up of those who are shortlisted for the sport sector’s most prestigious awards. The importance of preparation and pushing yourself to improve is something everyone can relate to, and Muir said the intensity of her training is why she has the confidence to run fast when it really matters on the track.

“I run as hard as I can,” she said. “What you see when I race is what happens when I train. I train really, really hard, so that race feeling is what I’m used to feeling all the time. So I think that’s why I’m able to push myself so hard is because for me that’s just my daily routine. 

“It’s really hard, but I think there’s no better feeling than getting to that finish line feeling like you’ve given everything you can.”

Training was a constant theme in Muir’s comments as she underlined the importance of preparation, saying her confidence comes from knowing she’s done all she can behind the scenes: “I know that when I hit certain times in training I’m in a certain shape to perform well on the track,” she said. 

“But at the same time if you’re injured and you’re not able to train, that really can affect your confidence. If you know you haven’t got that foundation behind you, and you don’t know what shape you’re in because you haven’t been able to train, you’re going into the unknown.”

Combining her time between her two loves – athletics and animals – Muir is a qualified vet who says her idol growing up was Sir David Attenborough. She highlighted the problem of pet obesity, and told the room about a ‘canine run’ she recently took part in where owners took their dogs for a 5k run.

Hinting at the resilience needed to perform at the top level in any sport or profession, Muir talked about her performance in Doha, where she finished fifth yet still managed to run a season’s best time.

“I took a lot of confidence from that because I knew that if I could do that even off the lack of training I’d done, then what can I do when i’m 100% fit? 

“It was disappointing to miss out on a medal, but I take a lot of confidence from it and hopefully no injuries going into Tokyo, hopefully I can make those two places up.”

Muir’s approach has seen her become one of the biggest Team GB medal hopes ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and as she matures as an athlete, she is becoming aware of her position as a role model, especially for young runners in her home of Glasgow.

She said: “If they can see someone who has come from a similar background to them, who is living training where they are, then hopefully that will inspire them to hopefully walk in my shoes one day.”