Evans has 800m dream for Games

MORAY sprinter Kathryn Evans is going double the distance to try and achieve her dream of a second straight Commonwealth Games.

Kathryn Evans wants to represent Scotland at their home Commonwealth Games in 2014.

The 27-year-old Lossiemouth flyer has turned her focus to 800 metres, and ran an indoor personal best in the Celtic Cup in Cardiff last weekend as skipper of the Scotland team.

After running 400 metres for much of her career, a distance she ran for Scotland’s relay team at the 2010 Commonwealths in Delhi, Evans sees a second lap of the track as her strongest chance of making Glasgow 2014.

“I’ve not abandoned the 400, but my emphasis is more on the 800 now,” Evans told ‘The Northern Scot’. “It’s a huge transition in terms of the training, but I’m loving it, and its exciting to be doing a new thing.”

A personal best time of 2 minutes, 8.67 seconds earned Evans victory in Sunday’s race in Wales, though with three weeks of the indoor season still to go she is desperate to run under 2.08 before turning her attention to outdoor athletics.

Her coach, George Loney, has Kathryn running 30-40 minute sessions every day and doing more gruelling track work to gear her up for the summer season at 800 metres, though she is keen to steer clear of injury with the greater distance putting more stress on her body.

Both the Scottish and British Championships are coming up soon for the Moray hopeful, the latter event in Sheffield set to attract a sell-out crowd with Olympic hopefuls like heptathlete Jessica Ennis taking part.

And though the Glasgow Common-wealth Games are still two-and-a-half years away, it has already become a target for Evans.

“As an athlete you always plan and prepare well ahead. After my experience in Delhi, I want a piece of Glasgow – there’s no question about that.

“People think it’s a long way away but it’s only next season that the performances start counting towards the Commonwealths. It’s quite scary to think about, but I want to be ready.

“I just keep thinking about all the noise I heard in Delhi when I competed there. I know Glasgow is going to go crazy for the Games as well.”

Running a leg of the 400 relay in India was a dream come true for Kathryn, but she is gunning for an individual event in Glasgow, and hopes she can compete in the 800 in 2014.

She says training has been going well, and has been heartened by the support she has received from well-wishers in her home town of Lossie, who urge her on whenever she hits the streets.

But finance is always a difficulty for a part-time runner who combines athletics with her job as a beautician, and has to travel across the UK in order to continue achieving her goals.

Kathryn is keen to attract local or national sponsorship, whether it is just for one competition or a longer term deal over a season.

“I know times are hard, but it would be fantastic if someone approached me and offered to sponsor me.”