Natasha Phillips

Natasha Phillips

Personal information
Nationality	British
Born	(2005-03-01) 1 March 2005 (age 19)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event	Long distance running
Achievements and titles
Personal bests	1500m: 4:38.95 (Livingstone, 2022) 3000m: 9:33.16 (Glasgow, 2022) 5000m: 16:18.50 (Chelmsford, 2023) Half marathon: 70:18 (Valencia, 2024) AU20R

Natasha Phillips (born 1 March 2005) is a Scottish runner. In 2023, she broke the European U20 record for the half marathon. She then broke the record again at the Valencia Half Marathon in 2024 in a time of 70:18.[1]

Early life

From Dundee, she was a competetive swimmer and triathlete before concentrating on athletics. She studies at the University of Dundee.[2]

Career

A Dundee Hawkhill Harriers athlete, she represented Scotland at the WMRA International Youth Cup in Italy in 2022. That year, she came third in the Scottish National Cross Country Championships and sixth in the UK Inter-Counties across Country Championships.[3]

In March 2023, she became the Scottish half marathon champion in Inverness in a course record of 71:53 to break the previous women’s mark of 73:21 set by Kenya’s Cathy Mutwa in 2007.[4][5] In May 2023, she won the Scottish national title and set a British-born U18 record for the 10km of 33:00 in Glasgow.[6]

In August 2023, she ran at the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships in Jerusalem, finishing fourth in the 5000 metres.[7] That month, she set a British and European U20 record for the half marathon of 1:11:20 in Antrim.[8][2]

In October 2023, she won the half marathon at the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow in a time of 1:12:23.[9]

In March 2024, she was selected for the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Serbia alongside Eliza Nicholson and Innes FitzGerald.[10][11] She finished in 30th place, as Britain finished fifth in the team U20 event.[12] Competing at the Valencia Half Marathon on October 27, she set a new personal best and European under-20 record time of 70:18.[13]

References

1. "Natasha Phillips". World Athletics. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
2. Egelstaff, Susan (4 November 2023). "Natasha Phillips leading the way for Scotland's next generation". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
3. Barden, Katy (August 6, 2023). "How they train: Natasha Phillips". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
4. "Natasha sets Course Record and Fraser savours first Scottish title". Scottish Athletics. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
5. Clark, Will (12 March 2023). "Dundee teenager destroys Inverness half marathon record to become Scottish champion". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
6. Smythe, Steve (May 16, 2023). "Stunning 10km times for Natasha Phillips and Fiona Matheson – UK distance running round-up". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
7. "European Athletics U20 Championship". World Athletics. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
8. "Scotland women win at Antrim Half Marathon; East District Half Marathon". Scottish Athletics. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
9. "Thousands on Glasgow's streets for Great Scottish Run". BBC News. 1 October 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
10. "Abbie Donnelly and Calum Johnson win Inter-Counties crowns". Athletics Weekly. March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
11. "GB& NI TEAM ARE BELGRADE-BOUND FOR THE 2024 WORLD ATHLETICS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS". British Athletics. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
12. Henderson, Jason (March 30, 2024). "FitzGerald and Bailey finish top Europeans in Belgrade". Athletics Weekly.
13. Collett, Jasmine (Nov 1, 2024). "Natasha Phillips reflects on European under-20 record in Valencia". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 1 November 2024.