Meet Colin Hutchison, CEO, Scottish Athletics
The man at the helm of Scottish Athletics talks about success, innovation and the power of partnership
Athletics in Scotland is experiencing a golden age with more medal winners and champions than any other time in its history. We caught up with Edinburgh-born Colin Hutchison, the man at the helm of Scottish Athletics, to understand the reasons behind this success, learn a bit about his own path into the sport and how athletics in Scotland is continuing to innovate.
On his personal sporting background…
I played a lot of sport as a kid, including athletics, and running is something I have continued throughout my life as a way of winding down after work and keeping up with my young family.
I played football for Edinburgh University U21s as a student and this gave me my initial taste of a more professional level of sport.
However, my main sport was lawn bowls. I started playing bowls when I was eight and was selected for the Scottish U25 and indoor international team which meant giving up football so I could focus on my bowling.
On his move into sport management…
I studied Sport and Recreation Management at University so my move into the industry was deliberate but not guaranteed. There were very few full-time jobs in sport at this time so although I was lucky to secure a 10-week role at Edinburgh Leisure during my studies, it looked very unlikely that this would become a long-term opportunity. So, after graduating, I lined up a job in banking and was all set to go. But a few days before I was due to start, Edinburgh Leisure got back in touch and offered me a job as an Administration Officer. It was a perfect opportunity to get a foot in the door.
A year later I became the Trust’s Golf Development Officer. This role was focused on attracting young people to golf and helping the six golf courses in Edinburgh with income generation. It was a very competitive space and great experience.
On becoming a sports administrator…
I was then given the opportunity to work within my sport as the National Development Manager of Bowls Scotland. Because I loved playing the sport it was a passion job. And it needed to be….with over 800 bowls clubs to work with it was quite a challenge!
“Rekortan tracks are helping us innovate the sport and make it better (through) Smart Tracks, green technology and compact facilities.”
On his role at Scottish Athletics…
In early 2017 I moved to Scottish Athletics as Head of Development and became CEO in early 2021. It was a brilliant step change for me. I wanted to experience another sport, it was a sport I enjoy watching and I have had a life-long love of running.
My Development role involved working closely with the clubs which was great – they are full of passionate people and are a pleasure to work with. Because of them, we were able to make a huge positive impact on the sport in Scotland where athletics has grown considerably.
I think it is very important to work in a sport that you are passionate about, and to be leading a sport that has the stature of athletics is a great privilege.
On the shape of Scottish Athletics…
As the national governing body for athletics in Scotland we have 33 members of staff who oversee the various disciplines of the sport including Track and Field, Road Running, Para-Athletics, Cross Country, Hill Running and Ultra Running.
We work closely with UK Athletics who manage the elite performance side including UK, World and Olympic Championships, but we are responsible for supporting the 150 member clubs, 17,000 members, 2,700 licensed coaches, 600 licensed officials and social running programmes like ‘Jog Scotland’.
On the growth areas for the sport in Scotland…
Road running clubs are experiencing the biggest growth at the moment. There is also a real passion for cross country in Scotland as runners who have ticked off the 5k, 10k and half marathon distances, seek a new challenge. In Scotland we have plenty of mud and puddles which makes cross country great fun!
Because of our hilly, rugged landscape, hill and ultra running is also very popular. We’ve produced some great hill, trail and ultra athletes.
On the recent success of Scottish athletes…
I believe we’re currently experiencing a golden generation. This run perhaps started with Lee McConnell. She is a three-time Olympian (2004, 2008 and 2012) and primarily as a 400m relay runner, she won 12 medals at major championships. Then Lynsey Sharp and Eilidh Doyle started to medal in the early 2010s and the success has grown from there.
Since then, we have had more medal winners and champions than any other time in our history.
Chris O’Hare has won European medals in 1500m and 3000m, Eilish McColgan has won many middle-distance medals and Eilidh Doyle has gone on to be Scotland’s most decorated athlete.
And Laura Muir is of course a global star. She won silver in the 1500m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and bronze in the 2022 World Championships, in amongst 13 major championship medals.
We currently have two 1500m men’s World Champions – both from the Edinburgh Athletic Club. Josh Kerr is the current world champion (2023) and he also won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Jake Wightman won the gold medal at the 2022 World Championships, which was the first Scottish world title outdoor on the track since Liz McColgan's in 1991.
The really pleasing thing for athletics in Scotland is that all the aforementioned athletes have been part of the athletics club and competition structure in Scotland in their early careers.
On the impact of elite success…
For a small country like Scotland, to have so many recent and current champions is incredible. It makes the sport exciting for kids and it is a reward for all the volunteers in the clubs up and down the country.
The Tokyo Olympic Games produced the first individual athletics medals at an Olympics for Scotland in 33 years and the Paralympic Games produced an incredible six medals for Scottish athletes, including gold for Owen Miller in the T20 1500m.
At the recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (where the athletes run for Scotland), the Scottish team won eight medals on the track which was the best since 1986. That’s incredibly inspiring for young people in Scotland and has provided a catalyst for growth.
On the reasons behind this success…
Success breeds success. It makes others believe in what’s possible. This then needs to be backed by a strong club and competition structure which we have.
On reflection, there are two initiatives that feel particularly important in reviewing some of the success the sport is having:
In the late 2000s, seeds were planted when Scottish Athletics worked with the clubs and endurance community to enhance support for athletes and coaches and to better align the endurance competition calendar which works particularly well.
There was also a ‘Club Together’ programme launched in 2011 which joined up the clubs with Scottish Athletics, sportscotland and the local councils. Along with the clubs, the partners invested in the programme to create part-time paid roles within the clubs. The initial focus was on increasing capacity and growing membership and on average, clubs involved have grown their membership by 65%. The programme has evolved with some clubs now employing roles like club managers and paid pathway coaches.
On track facilities in Scotland…
Nearly all tracks in Scotland are operated by local authorities. In 2022 we introduced a new facility strategy which was to focus on innovation while also protecting the facilities we already have.
Our goal is for everyone to have a track within an hour’s drive and for larger cities to have two track facilities - but we recognised that 400m tracks are not needed for everyone. They are a large investment for authorities and this can put up barriers where, actually, we all want the sport to be more accessible.
So, we started to identify regions where a smaller compact track or running loop might be more appropriate. This has led to some innovative projects with Polytan which are taking our sport forward.
On the Polytan partnership…
Our partnership with Polytan is very important. They have a seat at the table as we talk to local authorities and with their Rekortan tracks they are helping us innovate the sport and make it better.
This is especially true for Smart Tracks, green technology and compact facilities.
The track operators like new technology that upgrades their facilities, rather than just a basic like-for-like replacement. Polytan help us to deliver this, improving the experience for both athletes and social runners. Their expertise and Rekortan track innovations help us secure new investment in the track facilities.
Polytan have a unique view as they are the only company to manufacture, install and maintain systems across the world and this experience allows them to help with projects – from selection of the best products, to planning how to get the best from the track over its lifespan.
On what he looks for in a track…
The most important factors for Scottish Athletics, the clubs and track owners are green technology and longevity.
For performance, the tracks need to provide shock absorption which is appropriate for young, old, social and competitive runners who are on the tracks multiple times per week. And crucially, the tracks must cope in the Scottish winter which means water, ice and freezing conditions. Rekortan tracks have proven themselves in this regard and serve our track community well.
Learn more about the Ayr track project delivered by Scottish Athletics and Polytan.
Learn more about the innovative partnership between Scottish Athletics and Polytan.