Laura Muir has circumvented the globe over the past month and traversed continents. Each stop was designed to acquire a little more insight and to provide a priceless tiny edge. From Scandinavia to the United States to Japan and then glamorous continental sojourns, every exertion has been made to allow Scotland’s titan of the track to conquer all challengers.

Finally, she returned to home soil yesterday, to the Muller Anniversary Games in London and a 1500 metres which afforded the 26-year-old an opportunity to parade her gifts but also to test out her bag of tricks. And she unfurled some magic on the final lap to win in 3:58.25, crossing the line almost 20 metres ahead of Kenya’s Winny Chebet to underline her dominance.

“It may have looked easy, but it wasn’t,” she said. “I didn’t realise I ran a 57-second last lap and I’m so so happy about that. The girls are really strong and I know that my advantage is in that kick, so I just sat in there and tried to take it easy. It was all about winning and I did that.”
With Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon withdrawing due to injury, and Dutch foe Sifan Hassan affirming her choice to focus on the 5000m and above, never have the odds looked more favourable for Muir at the world championships in October.

“My goal now is to win a medal in Doha,” said Muir, whose training partner Jemma Reekie set a personal best of 4:02.09 in seventh.

Andy Butchart looks perfectly attuned for the challenge of the worlds. The 27-year-old scythed over two seconds off his own Scottish record to finish fifth in the 5000m in 13:06.21. Ethiopia’s Olympic bronze medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet claimed victory in holding off Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who set a European junior record of 13:02.03 in second.

But Butchart said: “This was massive. I am exactly where I want to be. It is incredible to run that time and it is a big confidence boost and I think I can go faster and break 13 minutes.”

Beth Dobbin lowered her Scottish 200m record to 22.50 secs to finish third behind Olympic champion Elaine Thompson. Twelve months ago, she was forced miss this event in order to do a shift at work but still propelled herself to the European Championship final. Now a full time athlete, she looks at home in top company.

“I was racing against my idols so I am absolutely buzzing,” said the 25-year-old who has fought through seizures and epilepsy. “When you are racing girls of that class you kind of get scared that you are going to mess up, but you just have to be on your A game and I think when you race against girls like that it really brings the best out of you.”
Katarina Johnson-Thompson came ninth ahead of the Diamond League long jump today. The 26-year-old, who won the Commonwealth Games heptathlon title and world indoor pentathlon crown last year, ran 23.19secs.

“It was a season’s best, I could have run a bit faster,” she said, after competing for the first time since winning the heptathlon at the Gotzis Hypo-Meeting with a personal best and world-leading score of 6,813 points.

“It’s my favourite competition on the calendar. It’s a long season, doing the indoors and a full heptathlon in Gotzis, maybe it’s taking a toll a little bit but I am in training as I had a couple of weeks off [after Gotzis]. It was the only way to do it with the long season.”

James Ellington returned after cheating death in a horrific motorbike crash two years ago with ninth place in the 100m in 10.93 secs with Akani Simbine of South Africa running 9.93 for the win.

Ellington said: “I am so happy to be here. I am lapping every moment of it up and just enjoying it.”

In today’s action, Josh Kerr plans to lay down a marker against his British rivals in the Emsley Carr Mile. The 21-year-old gets a stern test by facing fellow Scots Chris O’Hare, Jake Wightman and Neil Gourley as well as Charlie Da’Vall Grice, who became the fourth-fastest Briton in history with a blistering 1500m in Monaco last week.

“Hopefully, that continues to make the 1500m in the UK a very strong event, something that’s exciting for people to watch,” said Kerr.

Eilish McColgan races Hassan in the 5000m while Lynsey Sharp takes on domestic foes Shelayna Oskan-Clarke and Adelle Tracey in the non-Diamond League 800m.