Erin Wallace plans to bump up the medal haul for Andy Young’s training group at this weekend’s British Championships, even though star turns Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie are sitting out.

The in-form duo will be among a lengthy list of absentees when the event begins today in Manchester with a lack of fans at the Trafford Arena set to make it a showpiece to forget.

That leaves Wallace to spy an opportunity in the 1500 metres with the 20-year-old Glaswegian proving her tantalising potential with European and Commonwealth medals at youth level while coming seventh at the 2018 world junior championships as one of the youngest in the field.

And her decision to step away from triathlon, where she was dynamic enough to earn global medals, and throw her lot in with Young paid off with a massive new best in Bydgoszcz behind Reekie earlier this month that underlined her progress.

She said: “I was able to get enough running done to come out of lockdown feeling pretty good about. That’s probably one advantage of having changed sports. The swimmers and triathletes couldn’t get any access to pools. Whereas I could just get out and run.

“And the switch to athletics feels like the right decision. It just came down to what I was enjoying more. I liked doing athletics more and it was the right time to make a decision on when I was finishing up as a junior in triathlon. I could always go back. But I thought I’d regret not giving athletics a full go to see how far I can take it.”

Young’s next generation will be out in force in Manchester with European junior 3000m finalist Eloise Walker also getting an opportunity to prove she has learnt from observing Muir at close hand.

And Wallace said: “Andy’s training does work. You see the whole group moving forward. He makes you push yourself to levels I haven’t done before. There’s a new motivation to see how far I can go. I’ve done a few sessions with Laura and Jemma and there’s been a tendency to go off very fast and then I end up fading. But it’s good to have them to chase down.”

With a long list of stayaways, Jake Wightman has been propelled into the role of star turn in Manchester with the Scots star opting to hunt the 800m title in a duel with teenage sensation Max Burgin.

While fellow Doha world championship finalist Neil Gourley is a huge favourite to defend his 1500m crown tomorrow with none of his usual rivals taking part.

“It’s the focus of the year,” the Glaswegian, 25, said. “It’s the only piece of championship racing I’ll get so I’ve been aiming for it for a couple of months. Defending my title is what I want and that’s a motivation, which we’ve had precious little of it.

“Being behind closed doors is going to be strange but it’s not as weird as I’d expected. Once you come out, you’re putting the blinders on and ignoring that there’s no crowd atmosphere. You’re sticking to your task. I prefer a loud crowd but it’s not put me off.”

Elsewhere, Mo Farah is set to attack Haile Gebrselassie’s one-hour world record of 21.285km at tonight’s Memorial Van Damme meeting in Brussels in his first track outing in three years. While Katarina Johnson-Thompson stretches her legs in a triathlon at the Diamond League leg.