THE key to successful distance running is timing. So as he looks ahead to next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Northallerton distance runner Marc Scott is hoping he has paced his rise up the world rankings to perfection.

Now based at the University of Tulsa in the United States, 21-year-old Scott, who is a member of Richmond and Zetland Harriers, returned to Europe earlier this month to compete in the 10,000m at the European Under-23 Championships in Tallinn.

His sixth-placed finish was an impressive return given he was competing against much more experienced rivals, and confirmed his standing as one of the leading challengers for the second place on the British team for the 5,000m and 10,000m next summer behind world and Olympic champion Mo Farah.

With Farah effectively guaranteed a place in Rio, there are likely to be two more distance-running places up for grabs, and while the likes of Andy Vernon and Tom Farrell will hope to claim at least one of them, Scott is confident he will be able to thrust himself into the mix.

“I definitely think Rio is a realistic possibility,” said the North Yorkshireman, who is about to enter the final year of his sports scholarship in the United States. “Right now, I’m sitting about 30 seconds off the qualifying time in the 10,000m and about 50 seconds off the A standard in the 5,000m.

“That sounds like a lot, but my PB has been steadily coming down throughout this season and when you think that you’ve got 12 months to make the improvements, it’s a target that should be achievable.

“At the moment, I don’t think my PBs reflect the full extent of my potential. I’ve been running in a lot of different events for my college in the States, but most of those races don’t really lend themselves to running against the clock and posting an especially fast time.

“With it being an Olympic year coming up, I would imagine I’ll be making some more regular trips back to England to compete in some of the home events and the qualifying races. Taking on the best runners in the country should help me to improve my times, and the goal for the next few months is definitely to make the Olympic standards.”

That Scott can target an Olympic place at all underlines just how far he has come since his teenage days, when he focused most of his attention on fell running rather than competing on the track.

He twice represented Great Britain on the fells, and was crowned national under-20 champion while he was studying for A-levels at Northallerton College.

Had he remained in North Yorkshire, he might have continued with his fell running career, but the lure of a possible scholarship in America persuaded him to switch his attention to the track in order to achieve the standards required to secure a place at a leading US university.

His application to Tulsa proved successful, and he has spent the last three years combining academic study with athletic training in some of the best facilities imaginable.

“It’s brilliant over there,” said Scott. “The whole college environment in the States is incredible – you’re basically treated like a full-time athlete and expected to do everything that a full-time athlete would do.

“I’m part of a big group out there, and that helps as well because we all push ourselves to try to get better. The coaches are a big part of that, and then there’s the chance to run in major college events that are as big as some of the main athletics events in Europe.

“You can be running in front of thousands of people at some of the big college meets, and that’s a great way to get used to the pressure of competing at major championships. I’m definitely pleased I took up the chance to go over there.”

Scott’s performances in the US secured his selection for the European Under-23s, and while he had hoped to claim a medal in Estonia, he was happy with the way he performed.

The Northern Echo:

“It’s basically the end of my American season, so whereas a lot of the other guys were fresh, I was going into the championships with a lot of running in my legs,” he said. “That probably told, although I have to be fairly satisfied with the way I ran.

“It showed I can handle myself at that kind of level, so the next step now is to get myself into some of the big senior races and prove I belong at that kind of standard.”

Eventually, that will mean locking horns with Farah, and while the British number one at both 5,000m and 10,000m might have suffered a difficult month after allegations of drug use emerged linked to his coach, Alberto Salazar, Scott still regards the 32-year-old as an idol.

“He was a big part of why I got into distance running,” he said. “He’s an iconic figure, and obviously he made the same sort of switch I did when he moved over to America to try to progress his career.

“I’ve watched him run for years, so to think I could possibly be part of the same Olympic team as him is incredible.

“I know I still have a lot to do to get to that position, but that’s what I’ll be running for in the next year. If everything goes to plan, I’ll give myself the best possible chance of getting to Rio.”