Highland athlete Andy Douglas and his Thurso-based coach Sophie Dunnett have been nominated for national awards.
Douglas, from Halkirk in Caithness but based in Edinburgh, is one of six runners shortlisted for the FPSG Scottish Athlete of the Year award while Dunnett is in line for the Performance Coach of the Year prize – along with Liz McColgan-Nuttall, Robert Hawkins and Andy Young.
Former women’s marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe will present the awards at a gala evening in Glasgow on November 23.
The other nominees for Athlete of the Year are Callum Hawkins (Kilbarchan AC), who set a Scottish marathon record when finishing fourth in the Doha world championships last month, Jacob Adkin (Keswick), winner of the men’s title in the European mountain running championships, Eilish McColgan (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers), who has set numerous Scottish track and road records this year, and her clubmate Laura Muir, who won an unprecedented double-double when successfully defending her 1,500m and 3,000m titles in the European Indoor championships in Glasgow.
Douglas took a one-year sabbatical from his job in order to advance his athletics career and that has paid dividends.
He earned his nomination following a series of outstanding performances on the mountain running circuit, culminating in his victory in the World Cup series which required him to travel thousands of miles across Europe and the United States.
He won three of the seven races and finished no lower than sixth in the remaining four to outscore his rivals.
Douglas was also a key player, along with Adkin in the Great Britain side that won the European mountain running team title for the first time. This weekend he is in Argentina representing GB in the world championships.
He said: “I am hugely grateful to Scottish athletics for their continued support and recognition for mountain running, with Jacob being nominated as well. And, of course, for Sophie to be recognised as well is great.
“In the past I might have missed out on the podium but now I’ve been able to go out and win these types of races.”
Dunnett said: “I am thrilled as a coach who is not a household name to be shortlisted along with three coaches who are synonymous with the continually growing success of Scottish endurance athletes.
“To be nominated along with Andy makes it all the more pleasing as we mark 10 years working together.”
