Commonwealth Games: Emotional Laura Muir exorcises demons with 1,500m exhibition

Three major championships in 37 days is a gruelling, unforgiving schedule. But don't tell Laura Muir and Eilish McColgan that the Commonwealth Games doesn't matter as much as the world and European meets either side of it.

Watching an emotional Muir on the podium on Sunday, alternating between singing a Flower of Scotland and biting her lip to hold back tears, five days after McColgan had bawled her eyes out on the same step, it was clear this means something.

Speaking to both before these Games about why competing for Scotland was so special, each had their own stories to tell.

For McColgan, it was about representing her wee country, her home town, and the people she's known since she was a wean. Tears were in her eyes after Wednesday's astonishing 10,000m victory because those thoughts were in her head.

Muir, a more traditionally taciturn Scot, was less candid. But having been clipped and fallen away in the 1500m final at Glasgow 2014, then missing Gold Coast in 2018 because of her vet exams, there was a determination about her in Birmingham.

That much was clear in the way she lunged to snatch a frankly ridiculous bronze in Saturday's 800m. And, while less dramatic, that steel was in evidence again in Sunday's 1500m final. Muir didn't just win the race, she owned it.

The overwhelming favourite, and one of only two in the field to have run under four minutes this year, she lingered at the back with team-mate Jemma Reekie for the first lap-and-a-bit.

But any fears she had emptied herself 24 hours earlier were dismissed as she moved through the field in the time it took to say the name of early leader Abbey Caldwell.

She was on her shoulder before the Australian knew it and, with 500m to go, Muir's patience ran out. Ireland's Ciara Mageen tried gamely to go with her but the Scot was gone and, with her, so was the gold medal.

"I just thought my strength is in my kick. I tried to trust it and hoped no-one caught me. I was tying up at the end and I ran as hard as I could for the line," the 29-year-old told BBC Sport.

She was kidding nobody, not least because she then embarked on a prolonged daunder round the Alexander Stadium.

Wrapped in a Saltire and dressed in a beaming smile, Muir took the thick end of 15 minutes to complete the circuit, stopping for pictures, hugs and blethers while the men's 800m final rampaged on behind her.

"It's eight years since my last Commonwealths, and it's been bugging me, so this means a lot," she said when she finally returned to the finish line.

By then, the women's 5,000m was just starting and McColgan had a sniff of a scarcely-believable distance double.

The second fastest in the field this year, the 31-year-old led from the outset and soon had only Beatrice Chebet and Selah Busienei for company. The Kenyans were menacing but the Scot looked comfortable. Until the bell rang, that is.

Chebet took off. Busienei followed. And McColgan, emotionally and physically wiped after the biggest five days of her career, could only keep pace with the latter.

With one last surge of energy, she bounded into second and in pursuit of Chebet, but she was gone. Silver would have to do.

Not a bad week's work after 10,000m gold and a wee shot at carrying the Saltire at Monday's closing ceremony. And well worth working into her crowded schedule.