Sam Reardon made his Olympic debut for Team GB at Paris 2024 winning a Bronze medal in both the Mixed 4x400m Relay and the Men’s 4x400m Relay (running in the heats of the latter race), having been a last-minute replacement for his injured British Athletics teammate Charlie Carvell. After competing at the Olympic Games, Sam was invited to meet King Charles at Buckingham Place with his fellow Team GB teammates, attended the Emirates Stadium to speak before an Arsenal Football Club game about his achievements, and was announced as runner-up for SportsAid’s One-to-Watch Award 2024. Having been injured during the early part of 2024 and missing competitions leading up to the Olympics, Sam returned for the Morton Games in Dublin, running his personal best, and lowered it the following week at the Diamond League. At the 2023 British Indoor Athletics Championships, Sam became the champion in the 400m event, and at the European Athletics U23 Championships, Sam won the Bronze medal in the relay. Amongst Sam’s further athletics competitions, he won Gold in 2021 for his first international event, when he competed in the Men’s 4x400m Relay at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Estonia. Since the age of 11, Sam has trained at Blackheath & Bromley Harriers Athletics Club, and he is aiming to compete at the World Championships in Tokyo in September, as well as upcoming European events, hoping to reach an individual qualifying time of 44.85. Recently, Sam has become an ambassador for Brain Tumour Research after raising money for the charity since his mother passed away in 2019 from a Glioblastoma, a very aggressive type of brain tumour, and he is now raising awareness for the disease. Chatting with Sam, he answered our questions about winning two Bronze medals at his Olympics debut with Team GB at Paris 2024, becoming the British Indoor 400m champion in 2023 and his first international competition at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Estonia – coming away with the Gold medal in the Men’s 4x400m Relay.
Having made your Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games last summer, how did you find the experience competing in Paris and what was the atmosphere like at the Stade de France?
Competing in Paris was an amazing experience – something I had only ever dreamed about doing before. It was truly, utterly surreal to be out there, especially after the season we were having before that. It most definitely exceeded all my expectations, and walking out into the Stade de France for the first time is a feeling I will always remember.
The noise was unlike anything I’d heard before. I remember standing under the tunnel just before walking out onto the track and feeling the vibrations from the home crowd cheering on the French quartet in the heat before me. As if I wasn’t nervous already, that definitely made me realise where I was, but also made me just as excited to get out and perform on that stage.
What was it like racing in the Mixed 4x400m Relay and the heats of the Men’s 4x400m Relay and how was it standing on the podium to receive your Bronze medals for both races?
Like I said before, the heats were quite terrifying. Running on Leg 1 for the first time in an Olympic heat was very, very scary. I remember just telling myself not to false start and not to leave the baton on the floor. I was so nervous and my palms were so sweaty, but seeing my family on the first bend with their big signs made me feel a little bit more at ease.
It was a challenging race, trying to tactically run the first leg correctly, having never done it before, but we got the job done and won our heat. I was a bit disappointed in how I executed the race, and was hoping I’d be given the opportunity to correct some of the mistakes and show what I could do in the final.
After being selected, I remember my nerves disappearing and just feeling excited. I couldn’t believe I was running in an Olympic final, with a great chance of winning a medal. On the start line for the final, I remember just looking around as some light rain fell and hearing the roar of the crowd. It was breathtaking, and I just savoured every moment.
I vividly remember being in the blocks and the French crowd still chanting “Allez les Bleus!” whilst we were on our marks. It was so surreal, but I channelled their energy and just ran for my life when I heard the gun. I was really happy with how I executed the run, and for the team to grab a Bronze was the most unreal feeling ever.
We had a couple of days before we received our medal to really soak in what we had achieved – Team GB’s first athletics medal of 2024, and a British record too. It was amazing. Seeing the medals for the first time, hearing that Olympic music, and feeling the surprising weight of the medals as they were hung around our necks are memories that will always live with me. It was truly special.
The second time was so much fun. Getting to go on there with the boys I had just spent two weeks living, eating and sleeping with was amazing, and to be able to have my family in the crowd, to see me get given a medal and to be able to wave to them, topped off what was a really special Olympics.
You were called-up as a last-minute replacement for your injured teammate Charlie Carvell, how did you feel receiving the call and how did you prepare for the competition?
It was a very weird experience being called up late, but it made it quite special. I was obviously overjoyed with the news, but gutted for Charlie at the same time. He’s someone I have been competing with and against for a while and respect as a competitor so much, so it was very bittersweet.
When I was given the news, I was at training with my group that had helped me so much that year. To be able to share that experience with them was very special. I remember then calling my dad, my girlfriend, and my brothers straight away to tell them that I was going to Paris – everyone was over the moon.
It was hard to prepare for, especially not knowing how I was getting there, when I was going, and if I’d have any kit, but the team was super helpful and sorted me out very quickly.
I worked with my coach, Nigel Stickings, and my sports psychologist a lot to get mentally prepared for what was coming up. I don’t think I would’ve been able to do it without them.
How did you stay focused during your time in Paris and what was it like staying in the athletes village?
I think staying with the other relay boys really helped. We formed a sort of brotherhood and looked out for one another. It really felt like we were just six boys living our dreams and having fun. They made it really easy to have a good time and be confident in ourselves and in what we could achieve as a team.
Like I said, we spent pretty much every minute with each other, whether that was eating, sleeping, training, recovering, or just chilling playing some FIFA. It was just so much fun, and so cool to be in that village with them.
What was it like representing Team GB at an Olympic Games for the first time?
Representing Team GB was a dream come true. In athletics, it’s everyone’s dream to make the Olympic team, so to be there was amazing. I don’t really think I have the words to describe it.
I remember watching the 2012 Olympics, saying that I wanted to be there one day, and then, to actually be there 12 years later was so surreal.
After the Olympics, you had many experiences including meeting King Charles at Buckingham Palace, being named runner-up for SportsAid’s One-to-Watch Award 2024 and being invited to speak at Emirates Stadium before an Arsenal football game, can you tell us about some of them?
Yeah, I was very busy post-Olympics, trying to enjoy this feeling for as long as possible. Some of the highlights had to be being invited to Buckingham Palace to meet the King and speaking in front of the Emirates Stadium on a Champions League night against PSG.
Firstly, I never imagined that one day I would be face to face with the King of the United Kingdom, talking about running, so that was a very weird but enjoyable experience. He was very humble and gave us so much of his time, so we were all very thankful for that.
And being at the Emirates and talking in front of a stadium full of Arsenal supporters on a Champions League night was very special. It’s a club I have supported since I was very small, and a club that a lot of my family supports too. For the club to say that they wanted me to speak about my achievements on such an important night for them was really special.
In January last year, you picked up an injury which saw you miss many competitions leading up to the Olympics; what was it like getting back to competing and how was it running your personal best at the Morton Games in Dublin, and then lowering it the following week at the Diamond League?
Yes, 2024 started off on a rough note. Tearing your hamstring one week before your opening race of the year is never how you want to start your Olympic pursuit. However, that was the situation I found myself in. Getting back to competing was not easy, to put it lightly. The initial rehab phase went well, but I was still left with other problems and feelings of pain when I decided to start back up my campaign in pursuit of making the European Championships team heading out to Rome.
It meant that my performances to that point were extremely underwhelming and highlighted how much work we had to do if I stood any chance of making that Olympic relay team. I sat down with my coach after not making the European team, and we came up with a plan. We had six weeks until the Olympic trials to do everything we could to make that team. We saw everyone we could to optimise my training – physios, sports therapists, nutritionist, psychologist etc. Together, we came up with a plan to get me back to my best.
After six weeks of gruelling hard work, the trials rolled around, and I just wasn’t race-fit by then. I was in much better shape, having just run 0.03 seconds off of my PB at the time a week prior, but my race craft wasn’t one to be desired when it came to the heats of the trials. I missed out on the final and effectively accepted that I was not going to the Olympics. However, I still had a few races lined up on the European circuit to close out my season.
Race after race, I was improving, and then, as if by magic, in Dublin, I ran a brand-new PB and went sub 46 for the first time in my life. This was a big achievement for me. It proved that I was back and better than ever after my injury, proving to me and my team that the hard work we put in was effective. It also helped get me a lane at the London Diamond League a week later in the national race, against a fair few of those selected for the relay team heading out to Paris the week after.
Heading into London, I was fuelled with a desire with wanting to prove to everyone that I was good enough to be in that relay team. I had built up this comeback so much in my head that it began to take me over with nerves. If it wasn’t for my coach reminding me where I was and just to forget about all of that and enjoy the occasion, I doubt I would’ve survived the race.
With a new mindset and an outlook of just to enjoy racing in a wonderful stadium in front of a home crowd, the building blocks for what was about to be the performance that changed my life were created. I ran competitively but, most importantly, free, and went on to win. Not only beating some members of the very team I wasn’t a part of, but winning in another PB of 44.70, which just so happened to be under the individual qualifying time for the Olympics, made me the 14th fastest individual in British history, the fourth fastest in Europe that year, and third in Britain.
Running that time of 44.70 was enough for me that year. I had come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to the Olympics and had been told there was no way of getting me into the team. I had moved on and was just enjoying what I had just achieved. However, it was a performance no one expected, and it’s the very reason I was subsequently picked as the replacement for the injured Charlie Carvell.
For me, it’s my favourite race of the year. It was the end of a gruelling process of getting back and the beginning of what turned out to be an amazing summer.
How did you feel becoming the British indoor 400m champion at the British Indoor Athletics Championships in 2023?
Winning the UK Indoor title over 400m was really special. I hadn’t planned on running the 400 at those Championships, but after struggling to find the form I was looking for over the 800m, I decided to drop down to the 400 and have some fun, with hopes to make the relay team once again.
The semi-final proved difficult. I came home in 3rd in a blisteringly fast race, behind two great individuals. Luckily, I was quick enough to qualify for the final as a non-automatic qualifier due to the quick time, but as a result, I was seeded in lane 2. Now, normally, this would be a bad result, but as an 800m runner, I was never going to be challenging through 200m so I wasn’t too fussed.
I remember waking up on the day of the final, heading to breakfast, and telling my team that I had a dream that I won. We all laughed, as that seemed like a slim possibility, but it just so happened to become reality a couple of hours later. With 50m to go, I weaved my way around into 1st position and claimed my maiden British title. I couldn’t quite believe it.
But this gave me so much confidence. It made me believe that I could actually be a winner in this sport and at the senior level. Believing that winning is possible is the key to actually doing it, so I really think that this was the catalyst for my future success.
Later that year, you represented Team GB at the European Indoor Athletics Championships and the European Athletics U23 Championships, what were these competitions like to compete at and what do you enjoy most about the European Championships?
Yes, after my indoor title, I went on to represent Great Britain at the European Indoor Championships as part of the relay. These Champs didn’t go to plan and were my first taste of what it was like to let my team down. On my leg, I tried to make a move to make the bend in second position. As a result, my foot got clipped, and I got pushed on the shoulder. This sent me stumbling up the bank and out of the leading pack. Somehow, I managed to stay on my feet and continue running, but that extra energy used paid dividends at the end when I struggled down the home straight, handing the baton over in 5th. This effectively lost us a chance of getting a medal and was a really disappointing moment. I felt a lot of shame and regret at what had happened, but it served as motivation to not let something like that happen again.
Come July, I was selected to be part of the European U23 Championships in the 800m. This is a great Championship to race against some of the best up-and-coming European talent. Going into the 800, I had a lot of nerves, feeling as if I didn’t belong. This was because I hadn’t run as fast as I would’ve liked that year and was ranked 15th out of the 16 there. However, despite this, my coach once again put me back on the right path for success. I then managed to run a PB in the heats of 1:45.95 to finish 2nd and qualify for the final. This was a great achievement for me and gave me a lot of confidence that I do actually belong at that level.
I went into the final wanting to medal and to better my 5th place finish from the World U20 Championships the year before. This wasn’t meant to be, as I once again finished 5th. Still an incredible achievement and one to be proud of. But I had more work to do still.
The day before, I was asked by the team if I could run in the 4x400m final, just 20 minutes after my 800m final was scheduled to run. Originally, I was told by the selectors that this wouldn’t be possible due to the scheduling and that I should just focus on my individual race. But once the request came in, I knew that I wanted to do it. We had always done hard reps in training off similar recovery, but doing two flat-out races in European finals in the space of 20 minutes is a completely different kettle of fish. With a go-bag at the finish with my sprint spikes in and energy drinks and water, I had to walk 100m back down to the call room at the 100m start point.
With lactic filling my legs and stomach, I was in excruciating pain and feeling quite sick. Stopping every ten meters to rest my legs, I finally reached the call room where my team was waiting. With a final bout of throw up to remove the remaining lactic acid from my system, it was time to race, where I then helped to get us an amazing Bronze. A medal I’m so proud of, as I believe it shows the fight and team spirit I try to live by.
In 2021, you won Gold in the Men’s 4x400m Relay at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Estonia, what are some of your favourite memories from this competition?
2021 was another special year that started my journey at the top end of our sport. Before 2021, I had never gotten an international vest. I hadn’t run at a single English Schools’ Track Championships and didn’t think I really had enough talent to make it in this sport. But after a good end to 2020 and a good start to 2021, I found myself running 400m for the first time and getting my first two GB vests at the Loughborough International and the European U20 Championships in Estonia.
The latter was particularly special as it was my first international event. I was a complete unknown to most of the team and was just seen as a member of the relay team. Many knew each other from previous international competitions, but not me. I got the opportunity to run in the heats due to our best runners having individual events. I then put down a performance to be very proud of, running the fastest of all the legs in the heats, giving me a great chance to be picked for the final.
As predominantly an 800m runner up to that point, this was just a very fun and different experience and showed that maybe I had what it takes to be a good 400m runner. After getting the call-up for the final and drafting in our incredible individual runners, we ended the Championships with a Gold medal, and with some ease too.
It was an amazing feeling hearing that national anthem on the podium, especially two years after my mum had passed. I promised her that one day she would hear that anthem when I stood on top of the Olympic podium. This truly felt like the first step in a long time in making that one day happen. This fuelled me to continue to make teams, as it is one of my fondest memories. I had so much fun and made friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
Is there anything you find most rewarding about representing Great Britain at major international competitions?
I think representing your country internationally is the greatest privilege of any sportsperson, so to have been able to do that every year in some capacity, and even captain a team since 2021, has been a dream come true.
I hope I can continue to make teams year on year and live out this dream I’ve had since I was small.
What is it like training at Blackheath & Bromley Harriers Athletics Club, and what does a typical training day look like for you?
Blackheath & Bromley Harriers have always been a great club and fostered my athletic ability when I was young. They have always supported me and encouraged me since I joined when I was 11 right up to making an Olympic team. Their support and belief means the world.
Having athletes such as Dina Asher-Smith and Adam Gemili to look up to as club members at the top level was amazing. I hope I can give the young members of today that same belief that those two gave me when I was younger to make it to the very top.
How different do you find competing in individual 400m and 800m races opposed to relay events?
The individual races are very different to the relay races. We all want to make it to the top in our individual disciplines, as that is the ultimate goal. But the relay is so much fun.
To compete in a team in a predominately individual sport is so exciting. The pressures are different, but they are equally thrilling. I really do love racing both.
Where does your love of athletics come from and how did you get into the sport?
My love for athletics came a lot from being fast. Growing up, my family has always been into sport. With two older brothers, I was always trying to prove that I was better than them at whatever they put in front of me. Time and time again, my speed seemed to be the one thing I had over them.
In primary school, we did a cross-country race against all the other schools in the borough. It was a massive event that my brothers had done previously, and naturally, I wanted to beat my brother’s best position of 4th. Over the next four years, I won the event five out of eight times. I think that feeling of running and being the best fuelled my hunger and love for it. Getting to race other people with that same passion and same drive to want to say that they are faster is very, very fun. When I joined my athletics club, that is instantly what I found, and it’s what made me instantly want to be a runner when I grew up.
Do you have any favourite sports to watch and how do you like to spend your free time?
I love watching any sport really. I love football, as that was my first sporting love, and, as I previously said, I am a big Arsenal fan.
When the Olympics are on, I love watching all the different sports too, not just the athletics. But anytime sport is on, I’ll try my best to watch it. I really think it’s the best entertainment out there.
You have recently become an ambassador for Brain Tumour Research, how is it working with the charity?
Yes, I’m really proud to say that I have become an ambassador for Brain Tumour Research. It’s a charity that means an awful lot to me. My mum passed away from a Glioblastoma, a very aggressive type of brain tumour, back in 2019.
Since then, we have done a lot to raise money for this charity that fights to find a cure for this awful disease. It is the biggest cancer killer of children and young adults under the age of 40, yet it hardly gets any funding. I’m trying to use my profile that I’m growing from my sporting endeavours to raise as much awareness for this disease as possible and the very real impact it has on so many people around the world.
My mum was my biggest inspiration and best friend. She was taken away from us too early, and I just wish I can live to be half the person she was.
Do you have any competitions coming up that you can tell us about or that you are targeting?
Yes, this is a big year. I’m hoping to build on from last year’s successes by going to the World Championships in Tokyo in September. But first, I have a few races around Europe, where I’m looking to target the individual qualifying time of 44.85.
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