HE has a world indoor bronze medal to his name and is the European indoor record holder for 5,000m, but when Marc Scott looks back on his hugely impressive career so far one achievement stands out - winning the Great North Run.

That was in 2021 when Scott, from Northallerton, became just the second Brit since 1985 to cross the line first at the world's biggest half marathon.

He returns to the Tyneside streets for the first time this weekend since that memorable day and this time around he'll have a very special supporter in attendance - his four-month old son, Albie.

Plenty has changed for Scott in recent years. He's relocated back to the UK from the United States, where he studied and based himself for the early years of his professional career.

He's left the track behind and is now focused on the roads having made his marathon debut earlier the year.

And, of course, he's now juggling running fast with fatherhood.

"Things are good," the 30-year-old tells the Northern Echo.

"Life has changed a bit. I've got a newborn, which obviously changes things. Training hasn't changed, I'm still training and running as I was, but it's more like I have people relying on me now.

"My fiancé is a runner as well so understands and is really supportive."

One thing that hasn't changed for Scott is his love of the Great North Run.

He remembers running in the Mini event as a kid and grew up watching the race so to add his name to the list of famous winners was special.

Now he wants to join a unique club of athletes to have won it more than once. And he already has one victory to his name this weekend having come out on top in the UKA 5k Road Running Championship on the Quayside on Friday night.

A double victory will be tough. On Sunday he's up against Evans Chebet, two-time winner of the Boston Marathon, but after an injury-hit spell at the turn of the year, preparation has gone well for Scott.

"Whenever I'm looking back on my career and what I've done, winning in 2021 comes up," he says.

"Yeah, I've ran under 13 minutes in the 5k and I have a world indoor medal but there's something special about this event. It's massive.

"I don't care about times this weekend, obviously, I just want to compete well and try to win the race. If times come with that, great; if not, it doesn't matter."

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Scott's time in his marathon debut at London earlier this year - 2.11.19 - in what doubled up as the trial race for Olympic selection wasn't as fast as he hoped but he knows there's an awful lot to come.

He watched from home as Emile Cairess - a long-time friend and competitor - finished fourth in Paris and was inspired for the future.

"It was a hard debut for me but I knew I wasn't quite where I wanted to be," he says, looking back on his first taste of 26.2 miles.

"I'd had a lot of time injured, in and out with stress fractures and things and I knew I hadn't done quite enough. But yeah it was a solid debut. I wasn't over the moon with it, I didn't look back at the footage too much but I learnt from it and moved on.

"I was struggling a lot in the last six miles but you don't want to not finish your first one. It was an average time for me but it's something to build on.

"I think I still have a lot of potential over the distance. The World Championships standard has come out at 2.06.30 - do I think I can run it one day, yes, but it will take a few years to get there. You can't rush the process with the marathon.

"I feel like I'm just starting my road career. Winning the Great North in 2021 was on the back of a good track career.

"I'm done with the track now, I'm on the roads and I feel like I'm just getting started with the longer stuff.

"Hopefully the marathon will be my go-to event in the future. Hopefully another Olympic cycle and maybe beyond."

In the women's race, Eilish McColgan is looking to build on last week's win in the capital at the Big Half.

The 33-year-old has endured a nightmare 18 months after her rapid progression was halted by a knee injury, but she now looks to have put those troubles behind her.

She said: "It's been a real challenge for me.

"It's a slow process to get back to where I was. Maybe I'm a couple of months short of where I need to be but I'm proud to have got to this point and I'll give it everything I've got on Sunday to be as competitive as I can."