Hayley Carruthers

Hayley went from a 3:22 marathoner in 2017 to an elite 2:36 by 2018, and refined that further to 2:32:42 at the Valencia Marathon in December — all while working full-time as a cancer research radiographer alongside her training. Her London Marathon finish, run on that same schedule, is what put her on the public's radar.

On the trials: qualifying times alone won't decide selection given how competitive the field is, so Hayley's focus is on hitting peak fitness and running her best race, not chasing a specific number. "I'll be pretty happy if people beat me, which they could well do," she says.

2020 was hard for everyone, though runners stayed lucky enough to keep training. The lap-based Kew Gardens course doesn't worry her — the conditions are the same for everyone on the day.

On East Africa's dominance in distance running, she points to Sara Hall's second place in London and Jake Smith's recent form as proof: "we don't need to limit ourselves." She's not sure yet what she's capable of at elite international level, but she's looking forward to finding out.