Grandad will spur Luke Caldwell on

Mo Farah was never going to be the main Commonwealth Games’ attraction for Ronnie Caldwell.

The 92-year-old Glaswegian will be watching his grandson, Luke, run for the first time when he takes part in the 5000m at Hampden today. It will be an hugely emotional occasion for the athlete and his family.

Luke was born and brought up in Surrey and spent the last two years studying at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

This is the first time the 22-year-old has represented Scotland and he couldn’t make a more sensational debut in blue and white.

He said: “My dad and all his side of the family are from Glasgow. It means a lot and what’s most exciting for me is my grandad, who has lived in Glasgow all his life, is going to be there. He’s never seen me compete because it’s quite difficult for him to travel around and I haven’t competed in Glasgow before.

“Just having him watching me is great, but to be on the biggest stage in his home town is something very special.”

As well as his support, Luke may have Ronnie to thank for some of his ability on the track.

He went on: “He often tells me a story about running when he was in Army. He claims he only got promoted to being an officer because he was good at cross-country. So he’s claiming responsibility for my success!”

This is one athlete who spends just as much time training his brain as he does exercising his legs.

Luke was studying physics at Oxford University before moving to Albuquerque to complete his master’s degree. Living in a location where the air is thin was a conscious decision.

He went on: “It has been good for me. It’s not super high in New Mexico, it’s about 1600 metres. That was another reason I went out there.

“I wanted to test out how my body reacted to altitude and I think that has gone well. It is definitely something I will do again.”