What happens inside Alberto Salazar's Palace of Perfection in Oregon stays within its walls.

When Mo Farah gets asked about the specifics of the regime that has propelled him to two world titles and double Olympic gold, the omerta decrees he gives little away. All that anyone can do is watch and learn. And in the presence of greatness, Chris O'Hare has readily soaked up the education.

The 22-year-old, from Edinburgh, makes his major championship bow in Moscow this morning, hoping that a little of the Londoner's genius can rub off. Farah is ranked second in the world over 1500 metres, his British team-mate is 44th. But the reigning UK champion senses there is a gap that can be closed over time.

Observing the graft behind the performance can do O'Hare no harm. "It's great to have such huge icons in the sport at the same time you're in it," he declared. "It's been a while since we've had top-class athletes in British distance running who will be remembered for eternity. So to be around him and witness those things is something I won't forget. It's definitely something I can learn from and feed off."

The Scot has made sacrifices of his own. Like Farah, he eschewed home comforts to cross the Atlantic, in his case to Oklahoma where he will soon start his final year at the University of Tulsa. As a student-athlete, he must keep up his grades while turning out on a heavy schedule of collegiate races that justify his scholarship.

"It's been great," says O'Hare. "It's definitely helped me mature into the young man I am and it's given me an opportunity to make mistakes and not suffer greatly from them. I've learnt from that, and made a name for myself, without the huge pressure to constantly succeed. The athletic department has helped me get where I am and they're hugely supportive of what I'm doing."

The competition is more ferocious, he argues, than was available in the UK. That is one perk. But it has also given him a cultural education, a chance to experience a part of America where few visitors have cause to venture. Fabled southern hospitality, he adds, is no myth. "That's wholly refreshing to witness it. The gentlemen are truly gentlemen and that's something we might be lacking here at times."

Thirteen months ago, O'Hare felt he was the victim of discourtesy. Third at the Olympic trials, and fresh from winning the US collegiate mile title, he was excluded from Team GB to his chagrin. He went back to Tulsa to lick his wounds but the decision stung. The difficult part was to pick himself up again.

He told himself to look ahead, not back. "It was good that there was the worlds to aim for this year. If you get knocked down, there's always something to come back for. You have to make sure you've done enough to be included."

Winning the UK title last month achieved that primary mission. Now, fully re-motivated, he wants a place in Sunday's final. That is just the start, he adds. "I've progressed mentally. I've matured more. That will take you forwards in leaps and bounds once you hit that point where you realise what you have to do. I'm doing this at a fairly young age and I've got a few championships to get ready for before I hit my peak."