MARATHON specialist Callum Hawkins has become the first athlete pre-selected for the British team for next summer’s IAAF world championships in London.

The 24-year-old Kilbarchan prospect, who finished ninth at the Rio Olympics, will now be allowed to skip the official trials at April’s London Marathon in order to concentrate on preparing for the showpiece in August.

“He has only competed over 26.2 miles three times,” said UKA performance director Neil Black. “But we can already see the talent he has, finishing eighth at the London Marathon in 2016 and following that up in Rio at the Olympics with a brilliant ninth place.”

With fellow Scot Laura Muir already guaranteeing her spot by winning the 2016 Diamond Race over 1500m, Black has confirmed the UK plans to field as large a squad as possible as the London 2017 hosts by “selecting all qualified athletes who demonstrate the necessary form and fitness at the time of selection".

He added: “It is important for British Athletics to capitalise on the once in a generation opportunity of hosting the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London by selecting a large and competitive team, to help inspire the next generation of British track and field stars.”

A similar policy will be put in place for July’s world para-athletics championships in London, subject to the selection quotas imposed by the IPC. But Hawkins is set to focus entirely on cross-country and the road in a bid to further boost his growing reputation as a marathon star.

“This is really good news on Callum and fully merited on the back of his great performance in Rio – getting inside that top 10,” Scottish Athletics director of coaching Rodger Harkins added.

“We’ve all seen the progress he has been making over the past two or three years and, of course, he’s young in marathon terms in that he has only run the distance on three occasions so far. It takes the pressure off for the next few months knowing he is selected. It allows Callum and his coach, Robert, to concentrate on the build-up and preparation, rather than thinking about the London Marathon in April as a qualifying step.

“From our perspective, it is great to have a Scottish athlete already selected for the World Champs in London. It is another home Games opportunity for our athletes and we hope as many as possible will make it with Team GB & NI.”