University of Birmingham PhD student Poppy Tank will compete in the 10,000m event at the European Athletics Championships tonight at the Alexander Stadium, balancing her elite running career with research on recycling hip and knee replacements.
From Utah to Birmingham
Originally from Plymouth, Tank moved to Birmingham after completing her undergraduate degree in kinesiology at the University of Utah. She is now pursuing a doctorate at the University of Birmingham, where her research focuses on recycling hip and knee replacements.
Speaking to BirminghamLive, Tank named Harborne as her favourite neighbourhood, saying: "I think I prefer Harborne rather than the city centre. Harborne/Edgbaston is where the university's based, it's very leafy and I think it's a very safe area."
Training and Fuel
Tank's training sessions can last up to four hours a day, including gym work. To fuel her intense schedule, she divides breakfast into three parts: "I'll start with two pieces of toast before going back for some eggs and then go back again for granola & yoghurt. If I'm still feeling peckish, I'll bring a banana and Belvita bars on my way."
She prefers eating five to six smaller meals a day rather than three larger ones, saying: "I'm eating all day every day and trying to stay on top of my calories. I don't enjoy three meals in a day, I'd rather enjoy five to six smaller meals a day and keep my metabolism ticking over."
Event Preference
Despite the 10,000m being longer than the 3,000m steeplechase where she won gold at the British Athletics Championships, Tank finds the 10,000m easier. She explained: "I grew up doing cross country and a lot of road running, having that aerobic base suits me more for the 10,000. The steeplechase was more of a side quest that I had pursued just for a year. That was more to keep me in the sport at a time when I was struggling to enjoy athletics."
She added: "In a way, it really helped me because it made me realise I loved the 10,000m and made me want to pursue that more long-term."
You can watch Poppy Tank in action tonight when she competes in the 10,000m at the European Athletics Championships on BBC Two from 7pm.
