CALLUM HAWKINS has insisted he will only run for Great Britain at next year’s World Championships if he is granted pre-selection for London 2017, writes Euan Crumley.
Callum Hawkins will run just one marathon in 2017
MARK SHEARMAN
The 24-year-old, who finished ninth in the Olympic marathon in Rio this summer, has raced the 26.2-mile distance three times over the past 10 months and is wary of putting too much strain on a young body which is still developing at his chosen event.
With that in mind, he will only run one marathon next year, ruling out the prospect of him attempting to qualify for the British team via the World Championships trials at the London Marathon in April.
Hawkins has yet to discuss his thoughts with UK Athletics but is hopeful that his performance at the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run – where his winning time of 60:24 for the half-marathon put him second on the all-time British list behind Mo Farah (see p26-29 for coverage) – will mean he has done enough to be given the nod in advance by the selectors.