The relentless solitude of road running would deter most athletes — but for Natasha Phillips, it’s her secret weapon.
At just 20 years old, the Dundonian has already emerged as one of Britain’s brightest endurance stars. Training almost entirely on her own, Phillips has discovered a mental toughness that sets her apart in a sport where resilience is everything. While many runners rely on the camaraderie of group sessions, she finds strength in solitude.
“Training on my own can be tough at times,” she admits. “But mainly, it’s fine and sometimes, it’s actually really nice because it’s like enforced meditation. You’re forced to think things through and that can be quite important.”
Phillips adds that solo training has sharpened her mental edge. “It gives you an edge so when things do get hard in races, you know that you’re mentally strong and that you can get through whatever situation you’re in. It builds a lot of discipline and self-motivation as well.”
Though she came to running relatively late — switching from swimming in her teens — Phillips has made rapid progress. She’s broken both British and European U20 half marathon records, and clinched several senior Scottish national titles. Her standout moment came last October in Valencia, where she smashed her own British U20 half marathon record with a time of 70 minutes and 14 seconds. That run propelled her to fourth on Scotland’s all-time list, trailing only Eilish McColgan, Liz McColgan, and Steph Twell.
“It’s really inspiring, and very cool. Sometimes I really can’t believe it, especially being still quite new to the sport,” Phillips says. “I’ve been really happy with my results but it still feels surreal to be in a list with these athletes.”
An injury setback last month denied her a senior GB debut at the European Road Running Championships, but she’s bounced back quickly.
“I was absolutely gutted to have to pull out…but I’m only 20 and hopefully I’ll have a lot more years at this,” she says.
She returns to competition at the Babcock Shettleston 10k in Glasgow, targeting a personal best. Looking ahead, Phillips plans to explore longer track events, with eyes on the European U23 Championships and next year’s Commonwealth Games.
“I feel like I’m too young to box myself into just doing half marathons,” she explains. “Seeing Eilish combine the track and road so well has been really inspiring… it shows that it’s possible to do both.”
