by Stuart WeirSteph Davis won the 2021 Muller British Olympic Trials for the Marathon. She is a “Cinderella” story, an athlete of immense talent who took up the discipline just 4 years ago.
Her move from 2:40 marathon as a debut, then a 2:32, then a 2:27:40 in Dec 2019. Her 2:27:16 Pb on March 26, 2021, was a negative split and she looks quite capable of going much faster.
This is Stuart Weir’s part 1 of a two-part feature on the new British champion.
Steph Davis wins the 2021 Muller British Olympic marathon Trials, photo by Getty Images/ British Athletics
Steph Davis
“Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I’m going to the Olympics”!
I have to confess that I knew very little about Stephanie Davis before she won the Muller British marathon trials last month. I was glad to have the opportunity last week of hearing her account of how she got to where she is now. Last month was her fourth marathon and, as she would put it, she’s going to the Olympics!
Steph Davis wins the 2021 Muller British Olympic marathon Trials, photo by Getty Images/ British Athletics
Her first marathon was in Berlin 2018 when she ran 2:41:16. In 2019 she ran London as a club runner – not among the elite – and finished in 2:32:38. Seven months later, in Valencia, Spain, she finished in 2:27:40. In 2020 she only managed two races, a park run, and a half-marathon which she completed in 71:14. Then came her victory in the British marathon trials in March 2021, finishing at 2:27:16.
Prior to 2018, it would have been difficult to see her as more than a good club runner, who ran mainly road 5Ks. The excitement expressed in the headline seems genuine. Growing up and even into adulthood, the idea of being an elite runner was not really in our thoughts. At school, she recalls running against Linsey Sharp in the 800m in Scottish schools’ events. Her memory, however, is that Lynsey “always slaughtered me. I would make it to the final. Lynsey would win and I would be last”.
Steph Davis (#52) , 2021 Muller British Olympic marathon Trials, photo by Getty Images/ British Athletics
She continues: “I was one of the best runners in my school – I wasn’t terrible but I was never on the podium at the national level. At that stage, I never thought about getting to this level. That just shows that everyone’s journey is different and if you put in the hard work when the time is right for you, it can happen”. The secret, insofar as that is one, was finding her distance: “it wasn’t until recent years when I started chipping away at the marathon time that I realized there was something there, over the longer distance”.
That London Marathon proved to be the turning point: “I started to think about the Olympics after I had run 2:32 in London in 2019 because it showed that I wasn’t so far off the Olympic standard. And when I was preparing for Valencia (December 2019) that was very much at the forefront of my mind. But even then, I was hoping for a 2:29 and just to dip under the standard. Never did I think I would get 2:27. In Valencia, I stuck with the group running at 2:29.30 pace but the pacer went too quickly. I was aware of this as I was checking times on my watch and I was freaking out a bit but I took a risk and it paid off. That race was a big boost to my confidence and showed me that there was perhaps more to come, had my training block been more consistent and seamless. But it showed me that the Olympics could definitely happen if I just had the right race in the trials”.
It would be a lovely story that she had watched Paula Radcliffe’s exploits and being inspired to go and do likewise. But it didn’t happen like that. “Growing up, at school I ran 800 – not very well – so I was always interested in watching the shorter distances. But in those days it was much more about track events in the big Olympic stadium than the marathon. I’ve read Paula’s book [Paula, My story so far, 2004] which gives a good insight. I don’t recall watching at the time I think it’s more something I tuned into when I started my own that marathon journey, as I tried to learn from other marathon athletes. But Paula is certainly an inspiration. From reading her book, you can see that she had a lot of grit and determination so I’ve certainly taken account of it and learned from her story”.
Steph Davis (#52), 2021 Muller British Olympic marathon Trials, photo by Getty Images/ British Athletics
She currently works for an Asset Management Company as a “Corporate Access Specialist”, an admin role, three days a week. Talking about the job, her impish sense of humor came out: “I have been described in the press as a senior financial adviser – I am not. I’m actually waiting to be described as the CEO! My degree is in sport science so I’m not really qualified to give you financial advice”.
The plan after the trials was three weeks off running to recover fully and then slowly easing herself via cross-training and swimming back to running and full marathon training with a certain race on 5 August in mind.
Aware of the potential summer heat in Japan, she is hoping to get away for some hot-weather training. Disarmingly, she added: “something I’m really excited about because I’ve never been on a proper training camp”.
I thoroughly enjoyed talking listening to Steph and seeing how she is enjoying living in the moment and hardly believing it has happened.
Steph Davis wins the 2021 Muller British Olympic marathon Trials, photo by Getty Images/ British Athletics
