Hughes hoping improved fitness, altered mindset lead to PB at Diamond League opener

Matt Hughes isn't interested in easing his way back on the Diamond League circuit, especially when the Canadian runner's season-opening race is contested on one of the faster tracks in the world.

He's aiming for a personal-best time in the men's 3,000-metre steeplechase on Friday in Monaco, something the 31-year-old hasn't achieved since Aug. 15, 2013, when he set a national record of eight minutes 11.64 seconds in Russia.

"I'm really excited to go out there and see if I can run a PB," said Hughes, who last competed outdoors in the steeplechase in October at the world track and field championships ahead of a 2020 campaign disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

"I think you've always gotta be optimistic. I think it's just the competitor in me. I don't see the point of getting to a start line if you're not confident and trusting your training and yourself."

The first meet of the abbreviated professional track and field season will be live streamed at CBCSports.ca at 2 p.m. ET. Hughes races at 3:47 p.m. and Marco Arop, the only other Canadian competing, is scheduled to run the 800 metres at 2:12 p.m.

A couple of strong months of training has only fuelled Hughes' confidence entering Friday's performance at Stade Louis II, where six world records have fallen at the Herculis EBS meet. Finding a routine after this year's Tokyo Olympics was postponed in March was crucial in keeping the 2016 Olympian motivated.

"I trained as if it was a normal year but didn't put as much pressure on myself. I'd train but forget about training afterwards where in a normal year I would dwell on things a little bit if I went to the track and didn't have a good workout," Hughes told CBC Sports from Sweden, where he ran a two-kilometre race in 5:02.31 on Monday as a "dress rehearsal" for Monaco. "I would say I've had some of my best workouts ever in the last eight weeks.

'It's just a different world'

"Maybe enjoying the process of getting fitter rather than putting so much pressure on myself is the reason I felt like I was able to get fit."

Hughes had a COVID-19 test by choice before departing for Sweden and another there on Tuesday before flying to Monaco, where he was told he would be tested 24 hours before Friday's meet. Hughes described travelling during a pandemic as "a little weird" with fewer people in baggage and security lines at the airport and keeping their distance.

"You get on the plane and it's half full. It's just a different world," said Hughes, who now carries a hip bag with sanitary wipes, disinfectant spray, hand sanitizer and a couple of face masks. "[Running] is my job, I'm a competitor and I want to keep pushing and see where I stack up against the best guys in the world, so I was willing to take that risk [of travelling]."

Friday will mark the Toronto resident's sixth time racing in Monaco, the site of his first race in Europe on July 22, 2011 and where his times have dropped steadily since 2017 to 8:17.26 last July 12. He clocked a season-best 8:13.12 three months later in the heats at worlds in Doha, Qatar.

WATCH | Matt Hughes runs 2019 season-best in world heats:

Matthew Hughes evaluates his season's best run in 3000 metres steeplechase

5 years ago

Duration 2:39

Canada's Matthew Hughes reflects on advancing to 3000 metres steeplechase final.

Ranked 17th in the world, Hughes said he doesn't put much stock in how his performance and that of others could be affected by a new track installed at Stade Louis II. However Arop, who has never raced in Monaco, offered a different take after Tuesday's practice session.

"It felt really good being out there," he said of the new track. "When I put my spikes on I felt faster. It was a little hard but comfortable and didn't have the cushion feeling slow tracks tend to have. I'm excited for Friday."

Breakout season in 2019

Arop, 21, announced in December he was foregoing his NCAA eligibility at Mississippi State University to turn professional and prepared for his Diamond League debut with a 1:47:70 clocking on Aug. 1 at a Georgia meet.

Many haven't seen the Sudan-born, Edmonton-raised runner race since his debut at worlds in Doha, where Arop finished seventh in the eight-man, 800 final in 1:45.78 to complete his breakout season. He won Pan Am gold and set an event record with a 1:44.25 outdoor PB less than two months earlier in Peru.

WATCH | Marco Arop runs to Pan Am games 800-metre gold:

Edmonton's Marco Arop wins Pan Am 800m gold

5 years ago

Duration 1:08

Marco Arop set a Pan American Games record in the men's 800 metres race, finishing with a personal-best time of one minute 44.48 seconds.

Arop cited a slight increase in training volume that helped him build strength for his impressive season along with the ability to stay focused while recovering from a Grade 2 right hamstring strain suffered last April at the Crimson Tide Invitational in Alabama.

When the pandemic shut down the track season, he spent time with family in Edmonton and found secluded areas with hills to train. Arop plans to return to the U.S. once this season is over to resume the life of a student-athlete.

In Monaco, he'll face 2019 world medallists Donavan Brazier (gold) of the U.S., Bosnia's Amel Tuka (silver) and 2017 Diamond League Trophy winner Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich (bronze) of Kenya. Rotich's teammate, Olympic and world 3,000 steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto, will miss Friday's race after contracting the coronavirus.

"Donavan can win going out fast or slow so he'll be the main threat, obviously," said Arop, the Canadian-record holder in the indoor 800 and world No. 15. "I know as long as I'm up there with Rotich and Amel I should be able to stay in contention for [a podium finish], if not win the race. My goal is to not second-guess myself at any point … hold on and make a move whenever I feel it's right.

"I just want to be as competitive as I can. These are all world-class competitors."