Aberdeen Amateur Athletic Club’s Michael Ferguson broke a 23-year-old club record as he surged to a new personal best of 14:17.96 in the 5,000m.
Racing at the British Milers Club meet in Trafford, Manchester, Ferguson took more than seven seconds off his personal best to finish ninth in a field which saw some of his competitors come close to breaking the 14-minute barrier.
The previous club record of 14:18.90 was set by Ian Matheson in Glasgow back in 1989.
No Aberdeen athlete had seriously threatened Matheson’s record in the intervening years – but Ferguson, who turned 27 earlier this year, sensed he might have a chance when he approached the start line at Trafford’s Longford Park Athletics Track last week.
He said: “I was aiming for sub-14:20, but I knew the record was 14:18, or something like that. When I finished the race, I thought I might have been close to that record (but) I had to just double check.
“It was a nervous wait at the end, because the clock had been a bit inaccurate throughout the competition. I thought I had run a 14:17 but I wasn’t 100 per cent sure. When the results came out and I checked the club record, I found out I had run it.
“It wasn’t something that was at the forefront of my head, but it’s quite nice because I’ve been trying to run a club record since I was about 19. It was quite nice to finally tick that box.”
As a physics teacher at Bucksburn Academy, Ferguson knows a thing or two about ticking boxes.
When he isn’t running, he will find himself marking tests or conducting experiments during term time. But with schools long into the annual summer break, Ferguson has been able to focus fully on running before pupils return next month.
The new personal best is a welcome achievement for Ferguson, who admits he has struggled to push on in the 800m and 1500m events since he set his personal bests in 2016. Now, he says, it is time for a fresh focus to ensure he stays motivated in a sport he has been involved in since he was a youngster training in his hometown of Stonehaven.
“I’m maybe not as quick as I was when I was 18 or 19,” Ferguson said.
“I would say it has been quite difficult to keep motivated and keep pushing on, because when you’re trying for five to six years it can be mentally challenging to overcome that (mental barrier of not setting a PB).
“That’s one of the reasons I’m trying to step up (the distance) a little bit – to have a new focus. My 1500m PB is pretty good, so when your 5,000m PB isn’t as good, it’s quite nice to run quicker and get your confidence going again.”
Since veteran Aberdeen coaches Ken and Joyce Hogg retired in 2019, Ferguson has been coached by Mark Pollard, the head of performance at Scottish Athletics.
But with Pollard being based in Glasgow, Ferguson has to find much of his motivation from within, without a coach shouting split times from the side of the athletics track. With his working hours as a teacher fairly regular, however, Ferguson manages to see the positives.
“The pros are that with teaching, the working hours are relatively consistent and it means I can train when it suits me. If I can get away from work early, I can train when I want, rather than wait for a group to train. It gives that flexibility, and I have faith in Mark that he knows what he’s doing.”
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As he prepares longer-term for a move to the 5,000m, shorter term, Ferguson is looking to produce a similar performance at the Scottish Senior Championships in Aberdeen next month.
It is the first time the championships have been held at the Chris Anderson Stadium at Aberdeen Sports Village since 2015, when Ferguson competed in a race which featured a future world 1500m champion in Jake Wightman. Though not quite as illustrious as Oregon’s Hayward Field, the Chris Anderson Stadium could still see plenty of drama.
“It’s always good to see the championships move about (different locations in Scotland). Hopefully it’s not too windy a day for the 5,000m – it’ll be a good championships. This year is probably the first year for a while where we’ve had a proper winter and summer season with a championships at the end, rather than having Covid in the way.
“It should be quite a good one to see where everyone’s at and I think it will be quite enjoyable for the track and field community.”
With preparations progressing well ahead of next month, the Bucksburn Academy teacher will be hoping for another textbook performance as he lines up against some of the strongest distance runners Scotland has to offer.
