Australian runner Olli Hoare has clarified that he did not witness a murder during a training run in Glasgow, stating he was six miles away from the incident. The reigning Commonwealth Games champion was responding to reports that he and teammate Ky Robinson had encountered a murder scene while training on Friday.
Hoare sets the record straight
“No, no, I didn’t see a murder,” Hoare said. “The murder that was reported was six miles away and also at a different time.” The 29-year-old explained that he and Robinson were heckled while running, with at least one person holding a knife, but they were not threatened. The Australia team has since been advised not to wear team kit in the city.
It was initially thought that the pair had witnessed the aftermath of the murder of Paul McMinigal in the east end of Glasgow on Friday. “I don’t know how that came about because Ky and I were running in the afternoon,” Hoare said. “We’re running on the river. Somehow these Chinese whispers have come in.”
Friend Jake Wightman comments
Hoare’s close friend Jake Wightman, a Scottish 1500m runner staying in the same hotel, confirmed the incident was less dramatic than reported. “I am sure I am allowed to say it, he saw someone with a knife. That was it. And now they were saying he was in a murder scene. They’re two stories put together. But we’re joking that he ran out on the track with a stab-proof vest,” Wightman said.
Wightman added: “Glasgow is like any city. There’s good and bad parts and you see some things you don’t necessarily want to see. Unfortunately, he ran into the middle of that and I hope it didn’t affect him.”
Hoare focuses on racing
Hoare was keen to move past the incident. “We came across a police dispute. There were people walking around saying things. But I was never threatened. There was nothing heinous about what was happening. We were just running through, and there were some characters, and that was it,” he said.
Regarding the shouted comments, Hoare declined to repeat them, noting such incidents are not unique to Glasgow. He also explained why he avoided wearing team kit: “The next day, I didn’t wear the team uniform because I didn’t want to bring attention to myself and I think particularly for the women running around, they’re in a much more different position than I am. At that point I thought: ‘Well, it’s better to save the kit because I don’t have a laundry machine.'”
Men's mile final promises intense competition
Hoare’s day improved as he was reinstated into Saturday’s men’s mile final after an appeal. He faces a tough field including world record-holder Josh Kerr, Australian star Cam Myers, and world 1500m silver medallist Jake Wightman. Kerr, who won his heat in 3:58.57, expressed confidence: “It’s going to be a war out there. It’s the home crowd, it’s our track, it’s our crowd. The rest of the guys want to take what’s ours. They will have to come with something on Saturday night because they are not going to get it easy.”
Kerr wore his custom-made Brooks Hyperion 222 spikes, used to break the mile world record, describing them as “a little bit overkill – like driving a Formula One car along the street for a cup of coffee.”
