The British distance runner might have set himself an astronomical marathon goal but it is one he is fully expecting to achieve
It takes bravery to shoot for the moon. Marc Scott’s only goal this spring – athletically speaking at least – is to achieve the Olympic Games marathon qualifying time (2:08:10). While he has a ‘Plan B’ back on the track, landing amongst the stars isn’t what he’s training for.
The 30-year-old has never been afraid of going all-in. With a focus on what might be possible, he balanced the minimal educational requirement with maximal output on the track to win the NCAA 10,000m title in his final year at the University of Tulsa in 2017. That performance also led to his first professional contract with Nike.
For the next five years Scott plied his trade with the Bowerman Track Club, a period dedicated to the track and culminating in highlights which included an incredible European indoor 5000m record (12:57.08) – a performance he says will stay with him for the rest of his life – and world indoor 3000m bronze in 2022. That same year he made it to the world and European Championships and Commonwealth Games, but was disappointed not to do himself justice.
Scott, who represented Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, left the Bowerman Track Club in December 2022. There was no coach fallout or drama to drive his exit, rather a host of reasons that included the team’s move from Portland to Eugene, his visa expiration and a disappointing summer track season off the back of such a promising indoors.
Where next? Scott confirmed his move to the NN Running Team (NNRT), home to the likes of legendary marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge, in January 2023.
Marc Scott (NN Running)
Having been told by his first coach at Richmond & Zetland Harriers that his potential would lie on the roads, Scott had always kept the thought in the back of his mind. The NNRT was offering an alternative set-up for a new stage of his career. Now was the time to throw everything at it.
“NN is one of the best teams in the world, especially on the road, so when the opportunity presented itself it was something I knew I’d relish in terms of having all those great guys around me to train with and who can inspire me,” he says. “When I joined, [Eliud] Kipchoge was doing exceptional things and he continues to do so, so why wouldn’t you want to be associated with the group and those amazing individuals?
“I stand by what my first coach said. I ran a pretty quick time, low 30 minutes, at the Leeds Abbey Dash 10km when I was 16. That’s when we thought I had a lot of potential on the roads, but as I got older I was looking at all the great people who were doing the marathon at the time, like Kipchoge and [Kenenisa] Bekele [a former member of NNRT], and those guys had great track times behind them.
“That was something I wanted to pursue myself, to make sure I could be one of the fastest on the track and then transition that to the roads.”
Marc Scott (Podium 5km)
The switch to NNRT has not been an easy one. “Not in terms of me joining the team,” Scott clarifies, “but just from a personal side of things. I’ve just been injured quite a lot. I don’t think that’s necessarily a reflection of me going on to the roads and doing a lot more road running, I just hadn’t had an injury for quite a long time and I think it just so happened that when I moved to NNRT with a change of coach and things like that, those injuries just cropped up at once. It was nothing to do with the team or the new coaching set-up, it was just bad timing really.
“Even just moving back to the UK, a new place, finding physios, doing all that sort of thing on my own was pretty difficult, but now I’m finding my feet again which is really nice. It’s just taken a little bit of time.”
Scott’s much anticipated marathon debut in 2023 was delayed twice due to injuries, first in Amsterdam and then again in Valencia. His approach for 2024 has now shifted to being 100 per cent ready to race rather than rushing the process. “That’s kind of where we’re at right now,” he says. “All eyes on a spring marathon and staying healthy in the process.”
Marc Scott (Mark Shearman)
Chris Jones – who guided Wales’ Clara Evans to a recent 2:25:01 marathon PB in Valencia – will help him negotiate his way to the start-line and since this interview was done it has been announced that he will run the TCS London Marathon on April 21.
Scott spent January in Iten, Kenya alongside fellow British marathon hopefuls Phil Sesemann and Emile Cairess and was focused on building on the training which saw him win competitive 10km races at Telford (28:36) and Ribble Valley (28:46) in December. Early indications have been promising.
“It’s a different way of life up there which throws up challenges, but I just want to get the mileage in and get in some good, hard training,” he says.
Speaking at the start of the year, he said: “I want to get in great 10km/half marathon shape while I’m up here, then have 10-12 weeks to build into a spring marathon. That’s my thought process. Marathon pace is hard to run up here so that’s the philosophy I’ve got now, to get in some good, hard work and not necessarily marathon distance, and then put those touches on when I get to sea level.”
Marc Scott (North News)
But what if he shoots for the moon and misses? “That’s the thing I’ve been thinking about a lot,” he admits. “I think it would take a bad day for me not to get close to that Olympic time, just with my pedigree on the track and some of the longer stuff on the roads.
“If I got close to the standard I might try for a fall marathon instead but, as of right now, I’m thinking that even if the marathon doesn’t go 100 per cent I feel like I’ll be super-strong; if I can just put a few finishing touches and get the speedwork dialled in then I’d be looking to maybe run the standard in the 5000m and try to qualify [for the Olympics] that way. That’s probably what I’d look to do, provided my body is healthy.”
READ MORE: Cairess and Scott lead British challenge in London
For now, however, the primary goal – the only goal – is 26.2 miles at 2:08:10 or quicker. As if that project weren’t already enough, Scott is also due to become a father for the first time in May. It’s a lot, but it means the world. Life, like the marathon, is a journey. You may as well be all in.
» This article first appeared in the February issue of AW. Subscribe to AW magazine here