Fresh from winning a 3000m/5000m double at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere, regular European Athletics columnist Innes FitzGerald tells us about her recovery from Finland, life on the farm in rural England and her ambitions for the rest of the season...
Mental space
After Tampere, I’ve been giving myself a bit of mental space. Championships are intense: multiple races, rounds to recover from, and the pressure of expectation.
Coming home with double gold at the European Athletics U20 Championships was incredible, but it also takes a lot out of you. So now I’m just letting my mind breathe a little. My training is steady but relaxed - no chasing splits, just running on feel and enjoying the movement. It’s important to step back sometimes so I can step forward again when it really matters.
Looking back, Tampere was a week I’ll never forget. Winning the 5000m was already special, but then to come back and take the 3000m title as well, breaking the championship record, felt unreal.
I’d gone in with the ambition of trying for both, though I knew it was a big ask. To actually do it—two golds and a championship record—was everything I had hoped for.
A week of firsts
It was also a week of firsts. My first European age-group championship. My first time captaining the British team. And even my first press conference. Sitting alongside other athletes with microphones and cameras pointing at me felt more daunting than I expected, but it was good experience and a reminder that this is part of the sport too.
Being named captain was a real honour. I didn’t expect it, given I hadn’t competed at the U18s or U20s before, but I wanted to do the role justice.
For me, leadership wasn’t about long speeches, but about being present for people—reminding them to enjoy the moment, to appreciate what they’d already achieved by being there, and to know they had support around them. I tried to set a standard through my own approach: calm, focused, and positive.
Outside of racing, I enjoyed glimpses of Finland. I ran along the lakeside paths and was struck by how good the cycle and running routes were. One morning, I wandered through a market in town. The whole place felt calm and spacious, and as we drove back to the airport, I caught myself thinking: ‘I need to come back here, maybe with my bike, and just explore properly.’
Picking plums on the family farm
Since returning home, life has slowed down in the best way. Back on the family farm in Devon, I’ve been helping with the fruit and veg. It’s plum season, so I’ve picked more plums than I can count—though probably eaten far too many as well.
Most of what we grow goes to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage [British celebrity chef, television personality and environmental campaigner] where it ends up at events and weddings. Onions, courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweetcorn—whatever we have in season, they take.
To think that crates of fruit and veg picked by us at home end up being served at a wedding is a nice thought. Even if, truthfully, my family have done most of the hard graft this summer while I’ve been away racing.
Looking ahead to Brussels and Tokyo...
Looking ahead, Brussels is next. I’ll be racing the 5000m at the Diamond League on Friday 22 August, travelling there by train on the Eurostar. I love the simplicity of that—train up to London, train to Brussels, no flights.
And I know in the media, some have called me the 'Greta Thunberg of sport.' It feels like a huge comparison, but I take it as an honour. If I can use my sport to inspire even a fraction of the change she has, I’ll be proud.
My coach Gavin Pavey has spoken about how good the track is in Brussels, and Jo, his wife, raced brilliantly there during her own career. It makes me even more excited to line up on that start line.
Beyond Brussels, my big hope is the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. That would be another step up, but Tampere gave me confidence that I can handle the pressure of big stages.
For now, it’s about recovery, enjoying home life, and preparing for Brussels. Tampere gave me unforgettable memories, but I don’t want to stand still. There’s always another challenge waiting.