Josh Kerr, Cam Myers and Jake Wightman are among the leading contenders in the men's mile final at the Commonwealth Games. Kerr and Wightman left the Scotstoun track on Wednesday morning to the sound of The Proclaimers singing about walking 500 miles, but on Saturday night, much of the attention will be on 13 men running just one.
The meeting of the two Scots over that mile distance at the Commonwealth Games - just before 21:00 BST - feels like the moment Glasgow 2026 has been building to. Kerr, the fastest man ever over the distance, and Wightman, who preceded his compatriot as world champion over 1500m four years ago, arrive with a story that has shaped much of the anticipation around the reinstated Blue Riband event.
Childhood pals from Edinburgh, they have been racing in this part of Glasgow's west end since they were juniors. Bad beatings, grim weather, and long car journeys along the M8 with sandwiches for sustenance are all part of their shared history.
And now they are back at Scotstoun. Different, but the same. Both are determined to win gold for Scotland in the historic Blue Riband event of these Games.
But people who know athletics are quick to challenge that simple narrative. They point to Cam Myers of Australia, a 20-year-old enjoying a stellar summer in which he has broken through in the Diamond League. Myers edged Wightman in their heat on Wednesday in a time almost five seconds faster than Kerr's.
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That in itself will not trouble the world record holder, who was coasting to such a degree that he had time to conduct the crowd at a couple of points. But he and Wightman will be wary of the youngster, as they will be of another Australian, Olli Hoare.
The 2022 champion has had quite the time of it in Glasgow, having witnessed a possible knife incident while on a training run earlier in the week. And once he finally got on to the track, Hoare was tripped early in Kerr's heat.
He only secured his place in the final after an appeal, but will be on the start line for the 1,609m race and will be a threat. As will one or two others who might have designs on emulating Cole Hocker, the American who capitalised on Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen's spiky pre-occupation with each other to snatch Olympic gold in Paris two years ago.
The fastidious Kerr, it's safe to say, will have kept those receipts. Just as he will the ones from the 2022 Commonwealth final, in which Wightman took bronze while he trailed in last place.
