Two-time Inter-Counties champion reflects on the challenges he faced during his triathlon days as he prepares to take on the World Cross Country Championships

Calum Johnson finds himself as one of the countrys most talented cross-country runners, but he wouldnt be the athlete he is today if it wasnt for triathlon.

As a triathlete, he claimed victory in the European Triathlon Cup in Weer 2017 and regularly placed in the top 10 of World Cups. The 29-year-old was a consistent competitor for Great Britain on the international stage.

It was a sport he thanks for his resilience but despite his successes, Johnson found himself feeling under appreciated and unrecognised.

Reflecting on his journey, the North of England cross-country champion believes he had a lot more to give if it wasnt for the demotivating battle against the sport.

Moving away from triathlons during lockdown, Johnson is now concentrating on putting on his best performance at the World Cross Country Championships this weekend (March 30).

His triumph in the senior mens UK Inter-Counties race this year guaranteed his place at the World Cross in Belgrade.

This will be the second time the Gateshead athlete competes for GB this cross-country season, as he finished 23rd at the European Championships.

Johnson will then set his sights on the LA Olympics in 2028 as he hopes to transition to marathons.

AW chats exclusively to Johnson below:

How do you reflect on your Inter-Counties win?

To win it for the second time is pretty special. I think the first time I went to Inter-Counties was when I was 16 and I remember watching the senior race and thinking wow wouldnt that be amazing to win.

It really means a lot to me because a lot of effort goes into the training and preparing for these events. I absolutely love club running, I love grassroots and I love the domestic racing scene, especially cross country because the support is always amazing.

How does it feel to represent GB at the World Cross Country Championships?

Any time that I have qualified for a major championships and got the opportunity to put on a GB kit, it always feels amazing. It means a lot to me because sport is my life triathlon was my life and now running is my life.

I have to pinch myself to to realise what I have achieved, because its what I dreamt of as a junior and probably what a lot of people dream of now.

I cant wait to go out there and soak it all up and enjoy the experience because you cant take these experiences for granted because you dont know if they will ever come again.

How did you end up getting into triathlons?

I got into triathlons through swimming, that was my background and where it all started. I then started to do some running and I went to the English Schools Cross Country Championships and I was 211th. That wasnt even as a junior, that was my second last year at English Schools.

Because I ran and swam I thought I may as well ride a bike and get into triathlon. I realised I was actually all right at it and I had some really successful races.

I always look back and think did I fulfil my potential? I dont think I did, I think I had a lot more to give at triathlon and I think I could have had a lot more I could have achieved.

How was your triathlon journey and why did it come to an end?

The circumstances of where I was at the time and the way things were made life really difficult. I didnt get any support, I was very much self-funded and I struggled financially to actually compete in the sport. I think that was having a negative effect on my performances because I was going to races under a lot of pressure to try and earn a living.

I wasnt getting in the races that I wanted to get in so it was quite demotivating. It felt like a battle against the sport, against the governing body and against the people who were selected for races.

I almost felt like I was under-appreciated sometimes and unrecognised in terms of my potential. I always believed the potential was there but I dont think other people did.

There was a lot of positives to come out of my triathlon career. It has definitely helped me become the athlete I am today and it has helped me to become resilient. The training has definitely helped because I feel like a much stronger, fitter and faster athlete than I ever have been.

I moved away because running was my favourite sport of the three and I always wanted to just run. I still have ambitions to go to the Olympics and I thought maybe there is another way to get there and maybe thats a marathon.

What are your future marathon plans?

I am definitely thinking about the LA Olympics 2028 because it is something which I am very passionate about.

There will be a point where I will take marathons more seriously but right now it is really difficult. I am very much an all or nothing person and I dont want to half the effort.

If I am going to race a marathon seriously then I am going to have to throw everything at it and to do that I am going to have to prioritise in terms of how many hours I work a week or how much time I spend on training camps.

Would you consider competing during the outdoor track season this year?

If I am going to get better at marathons then I am going to have to work on those weaknesses which are the shorter distances. I will very much admit that my strength is not my speed.

The shorter distances from 10,000m down to 1500m are not great when you compare them to my longer races so I think I will need to get back on the track this year and have a go at a few 5000m and 10,000m. I might even try another 1500m because I really enjoyed one I did a few years ago. Its such a different feeling of pain.

I think I will get back on the track this year and just have a bit of fun because there is no pressure.

What are the big goals for 2024?

Everything was focused around having a successful cross-country season and making the GB teams.

I am focusing on the World Cross this week but then I am running the Berlin Half Marathon the week after. I am aware that the European Championships are this year and we are thinking about the half marathon but it all depends on if I am running the qualifying time which I am going to try and do in Berlin.

Post Berlin, I will go back on the track and try and lower my PBs in the 10,000m and 5000m which I will carry into next winter. I would like to try and qualify for the European Cross Country Championships again and better what I did this November just gone.

I get so much satisfaction from improving and getting better and that is what drives me. If I keep improving year on year that is all I can ask of myself.

It is so easy to get caught up in results, numbers and GB vests but I think all any athlete can ask of themselves is to improve because that is why you do it, you do it to better yourself.