Veteran middle-distance runner says hes reaping the rewards of a training group which provides the perfect platform

Edinburgh ACs Paul Forbes continues to set the standard in masters track and field. The 67-year-old who won world and European titles in 2022 and broke records from 800m to the mile in the M65 age group has further excelled in 2023. He won double gold over 800m and 1500m at the World Masters Championships indoors and European Masters Championships outdoors. He also broke M65 world records in the 800m (2:13.74) and 1500m (4:39.15).

He represented Scotland at three Commonwealth Games and was one of the countrys top 800m runners in his heyday, with a best of 1:45.66. Forbes is hugely appreciative of the respect and support shown by his fellow runners and athletics aficionados but in truth hes already happy and hugely motivated.

We need to look after ourselves as were getting older, he says. This is the age when things start to drift a wee bit, and people are generally more inclined to sit in rather than going out, but thats not me at all, Id go crackers if I was trapped in the house for too long.

Theres no guarantee that being healthy or fit is going to help you going forward, the vagaries of life can hit anybody at any time, but if youre fit and healthy youre giving yourself a better chance.

I love what Im doing, he continues. I love being able to run at this age. I also really like running fast, so when the summer comes Im really up for it, and so is the rest of the group.

Forbes attributes his progress on the track to the squad he trains with on a weekly basis. Without them I wouldnt be anything, he says, while also acknowledging the support of his wife Kim, a sub-three hour marathon runner in her younger days.

When I started to come back into it I was training on my own, I was getting lots of injuries and I just wasnt getting anywhere. I thought I was a road runner, but I wasnt.

When I got back on to the track I needed people to train with and I met Graeme (Gemmell). I thought: Right, hell do because hes a wee bit quicker than I am, then I met Paul (McMonagle) who was stronger than both of us, then I was watching Laura (Haggerty), shes the baby, shes the youngest of the four of us, and she had a bit of everything.

Weve all got the same work ethos, the same ambitions and the same drive. We all bounce off one another. Its very much a can-do attitude.

Getting quicker is a key driver for Forbes. Planning how to do so is a lot of fun.

Along with his training group, hell have a crack at the 3000m at the 2024 European Masters Indoor Championships. His main goal, however, is to run quicker over 1500m, an event he is still getting to know and in which he believes he can take down the current indoor world record (4:43.01).

It needs updating, he laughs. People dont think they can [get quicker as they get older], but if you get the balance right, you can.