Stirling athlete to run 1,500-metre event at Euros

University of Stirling 1,500-metre runner Ryan Martin will compete for Great Britain and Northern Ireland (GB&NI) at this month’s Under-23 European Athletics Championships, it has been announced.

Ryan – a third-year sports scholar at Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence – will travel to Norway for the four-day competition, which begins on Thursday 17 July.

Being one of 44 athletes on the plane to Bergen is a major milestone in 21-year-old Ryan’s career – and he hopes to put on a top performance on the international stage. Reflecting on his first call-up to GB&NI, he said: “When I got the call, it was a massive shock and then a feeling of excitement – it’s an honour to represent my country – something I’ve worked towards for the past 12 years.

“Some of the guys competing in this race are world class – so, for me it’s about being able to compete at that level and use the experience to help me as I move forward.

“I’m going there with no pressure – this is my first GB vest – so I just want to have a good time, run the best race I can, and if that gets me to the final then even better.”

Ryan, pictured with coach Michael Wright, hopes to make the final of the Under-23 European Championships.

Ryan, from Bordon in Hampshire, started his sporting journey in 2012 after a football coach – impressed by his running ability – encouraged him to try athletics. Three years later, he started to focus on running longer distances, including 5k. When he joined the sports scholarship programme at Stirling three years ago, Ryan – who studies BSc Sport and Exercise Science – continued to compete in 5k events, however, over the past year has pivoted to concentrate on the 1,500 metres.

Athletics students often must balance coaching, training and competition across multiple sites and can often be affiliated with several organisations. However, at Stirling, Ryan benefits from his coaching and training being delivered on campus, and he also runs for the University’s Athletics Club – meaning he is fully immersed in and committed to sporting life at Stirling. And he attributes his success to the support he has received through the scholarship programme.

Ryan added: “I’ve got access to a large support group here – I have a great coach who is really supportive and a training group who help a lot, I get physio here too. Everyone around me has helped me get to the level I’m at now.”

Ryan will race in heats on the first day of the meet – and hopes to make Saturday’s final.

Talent

Michael Wright, Performance Endurance Coach at the University of Stirling, said: “I started working with Ryan in November 2022, and it was clear to me then, as it has been every day since, that I was going to be working with an athlete whose high talent was equal to his willingness to commit and work hard. Through the University Athletics Club’s performance programme, he has shown an unrelenting commitment to his sport.

“It has been a real privilege to be part of his journey, and to see him reach his most significant achievement to date – representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the 1,500 metres. I send my congratulations to Ryan and wish him the very best of luck at the Championships.”

David Bond, Head of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “For Ryan to be selected to represent his country at a major competition is a significant achievement. We are proud of what Ryan has achieved as a sports scholar at Stirling and will be rooting for him as he goes head-to-head with some of the world’s best runners on the international stage.”

World class

At Stirling, athletes have access to world-class facilities, including a 50-metre pool, unrivalled outdoor space, and state-of-the-art strength and conditioning suites. In addition to its coaching and facilities, Stirling’s International Sports Scholarship Programme – one of the largest high-performance programmes in the UK – offers athletes funding support, academic flexibility, equipment and kit. It has supported hundreds of athletes since its inception in 1981 – with many competing on the world stage, including at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

Core sports include swimming, golf, tennis, triathlon, football and curling, while individual scholarships cover all Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.

Read more about sports scholarships at the University of Stirling.