When Toby Harries was selected for the 4 x 400m British team at the World Champs in Doha last year, it was the proudest moment of his life.
Kate Matthews caught up with the 21-year-old Brighton Phoenix athlete to chat about his background in the sport, training and dealing with changes following isolation and Coronavirus.
Kate: Who are you?
Toby: Toby Harries (not Harris! Common mistake). Club: Brighton Phoenix. Coach: David Sadkin
During university term time, I’m based somewhere around central London near my uni (UCL). Outside of term time, I’ll be somewhere “down south”, whether that be in Lewes, East Preston, or a little town near Arundel called Walberton. It all depends on which of the lucky chosen will have me, my girlfriend, Mum or Dad.
Kate: What are your favourite distances/disciplines?
Toby: Not the 400m! I’m predominantly a 200m athlete, although, I recently broke through into the senior 4 x 400m team last year during the 2019 World Champs in Doha. As much as I enjoy the gruelling lactic acid sessions necessary to prepare for the 400m, a new foundation of my training this year, I still believe in my heart that I am a 200m sprinter. The distance, in my mind, is the pinnacle of sprinting ability. The bonus also being that the 200m is without the pounding headaches, extreme fatigue and muscular pain that any athletics fan will know comes from running a 400m.
Kate: How did you get into athletics?
Toby: Sally Gunnel spotted the raw, yet uncoordinated, talent in me as I fell across the line into 2nd place during the 2014 English Schools final for the 200m. She invited me to join a section of the Brighton Phoenix group coached by internationally renowned coach Jon Bigg, aka “Mr Gunnel”! Yet having joined the group, I still saw sprinting as my second-rate sport behind rugby. Having grown up playing a lot of club and school rugby, I made it into the Sussex county set up, the South of England u16 team, and the EPDG (elite player development group) for Harlequins. One of eight gunning for professional contracts, alongside my mate and school peer Marcus Smith, whose is now the starting quins fly half! I only started to take athletics seriously after a year of training under Jon, when I came 6th in the u18 World Championships in Columbia and 2nd in the u18 Commonwealth Games in Samoa, both over the 200m. At the end of 2015 I quit rugby to give athletics a shot, the hardest decision I’ve probably ever made: choosing track over field. 
Kate: Was the 200m always your favourite or did you start in one and change later on?
Toby: Always the 200, but now I’m trying some 400s
Kate: What do you love/hate about the sport?
Toby: I love the training and I hate the training. The sessions that leave you lying on the floor in pieces are necessary, but I’d be lying if I told you I enjoyed them.
I mostly miss being in a team. Being a sprinter, you have a group that you train with, but excluding the relay you’ll only ever compete against them. Battling through training together and achieving victory together is a moment hugely missed.
Kate: What has kept you in it?
Toby: Aspiration to win and stubbornness, two traits you’ll likely see in every sportsman.
I’ve had no breaks from the sport, but a lot of time out of competition due to injury. The time I then used to rehab the injury acquired.
Kate: What is your most proud athletics' achievement moment?
Toby: Being selected for the 4x400m team for the World Champs in Doha last year.
Kate: What has been the toughest moment?
Toby: The struggle to recover from the hamstring tears that at one point seemed to never go away.
Kate: How often do you train (in normal times) and type of things this includes?
Toby: I train six times a week, three track sessions: one for raw speed, one of speed endurance (e.g. maintaining that speed for a long time) and one for “cardio”. This is alongside two or three gym/circuit sessions to improve my strength and power. The philosophy I train under is train wiser not harder. Being a sprinter means rest and recovery is essential: running fast when you’re tried means risk of injury.
Kate: Have you had any bad injuries and how did you deal with these?
Toby: Battling to stay injury free, unfortunately, has defined a large proportion of my time whilst competing in elite level sport. I had two operations before turning 20. The first of which being keyhole surgery on my right knee, this in response to severe osteochondritis.
Years later, having fully recovered, I was faced by multiple hamstring tears on the same leg. Following one misdiagnosis, I was informed months into rehab that the damage was much worse that previously known. I was told that without operation I may never run again, and that even with an operation I may never fully recover or regain my speed. During the rehabilitation process which followed I was tormented with even more hamstring tears, amassing to such a great number I stopped keeping count (approx. > 15 in total). Nevertheless, between the two operations I became the Senior British indoor 200m Champion, and having recovered from my second operation, that summer in 2017 I won the 200m in the U20 European Championships. For over a year and a half now I have been injury free.
Kate: Other than actual achievements/PBs, what has being part of athletics brought to your life?
Toby: It’s given me companionship, from my coach and physio, to my teammates and competitors. You meet a lot of people in the sport, most of which you’d never have dreamed of meeting beforehand.
Maturity, being a professional sportsman means knowing when not to do certain things and know when the sport takes priority over what may seem to you, or others, as normal everyday wants and needs.
Kate: Best athletics memory?
Toby: Samoa, during the Youth Commonwealth Games, was a great fusion of hot tropical surroundings, exotic culture and high-level competition across numerous sports. The absolute golden trip of my athletics careers so far.
Kate: What would you say to younger people wanting to get started?
Toby: Don’t go at it alone. Track is a whole lot better when there’s a boy or girl next to you to compete against. Join a club or drag your friend along!
Kate: What would you change about the sport?
Toby: Elite track and field athletes need more of a voice in our sport, both on a national and international level. This needs to be enabled through British Athletics or by other means e.g. such as Christian Taylor pioneered for a greater say in track and field matters through The Athletics Association.
The sport also lacks publicization in a huge way in the UK, it needs to be promoted much more by the BBC and by British Athletics. This with a goal to not only encourage younger grass roots athletes, but to also build upon the excitement surrounding the elite athletes of UK sport. Advertisement and promotion of big UK competitions is poor, whilst televised meets are somewhat dull to watch for new viewers with little knowledge of the sport. The showing of athletics on the tv needs to be modernised, with track stats being simplified and explained in conjunction with entertaining commentary containing aspects such as back stories about performing athletes.
Kate: How do you juggle training/competitions around uni?
Toby: I’m at university in London at UCL studying biology, so this plays a large part. The answer is sacrifice whether that be sleep, seeing friends or relatives, parties or holidays, time studying or working, there’s always something you’re missing out on. The hardest party is deciding what to miss on what week.
Kate: Favourite athlete (past or present)?
Toby: From the big leagues? Yohan Blake. Last summer he was based at Brunel whilst running the European DL circuit, the track there is the same which I use to train. I was extremely lucky to get to know the “off screen” him and learn from his expertise during sessions together.
Kate: Any other favourites i.e food, music?
Toby: I’m a foody, yet I’m not fussy. I’ll eat whatever you give me!
In the way of music, anything but classical and screaming rock if I’m honest, something with a good beat keeps me happy.
Kate: How are you managing to keep fit/train during Corona? Any tips for others? Is it a lot better as the restrictions have been lifted?
Toby: If you’re tall enough to jump your local tracks fence, I’m not saying do it, but I will say don’t get caught! If that’s a no go, the great thing about running is you can do it almost anywhere, just be careful running on concrete roads! Too much running on hard surfaces will only lead you to sore ankles, not fast legs. My girlfriend has learnt that the hard way! Stick to track or grass where you can.
Kate: Have you missed doing competitions and how do you think this will affect your running etc?
Toby: Having already waved the Olympics goodbye this year and the Europeans now having been put in the can, the only major event left is the British Champs in early September. The rest of the season will involve local track meets wherever I can find them in the UK! I count myself lucky that after everything that has happened the world over, I still get to enjoy a outdoor season at all.