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<\/p>\nAfter three challenging years, Canada\u2019s 1500m star found new speed and purpose under Edinburgh’s Global Endurance Project.<\/p>\n
When Gabriela DeBues-Stafford crossed the line in the 1500m final at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, the moment felt almost unreal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Three years had passed since her last global final at the Tokyo Olympics. Three years that had included setbacks and whispers that perhaps she had already run her best races. Yet here she was in a world final, clocking a sub-four-minute (3:59.65) performance and proving that she still belonged on the biggest stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s still surreal when I think about it,\u201d she said. \u201cWe actually framed my final\u2019s singlet – it\u2019s on the wall now. Every now and then we\u2019ll just look at it and say, \u2018We made a world final.\u2019 I ran sub-four. It\u2019s just crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her return wasn\u2019t the result of luck or nostalgia. It was the product of deliberate change \u2013 a new coaching setup, a fresh environment, and the bold decision to relocate to Scotland and join the Global Endurance Project at the University of Edinburgh.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
At the end of the 2024 season, DeBues-Stafford was at a crossroads. Her husband and coach, Rowan, had only recently taken over her training, and both were looking for a step-up. The turning point, unexpectedly, came on a track in Victoria, Canada.<\/p>\n
\u201cGabriela was doing drills one day, and Mark [Rowland] happened to be at the track,\u201d Rowan said. \u201cHe stopped and said, \u2018Right, let\u2019s clean this up.\u2019 Then he started demonstrating how he thought it should be done. We had a laugh, got along really well, and something just clicked.\u201d<\/p>\n
That moment evolved into a working relationship. When Rowland later accepted the position of Performance Endurance Head Coach at the University of Edinburgh, it suddenly offered a new direction for the couple. \u201cWe already knew we wanted to move back to the UK,\u201d Rowan said. \u201cIt\u2019s the centre of the athletics world – closer to meets, training camps, and competitive groups. And when Mark took that job in Edinburgh, it just made sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
So they reached out, half-jokingly at first. \u201cWe asked him for a coffee,\u201d Rowan said, \u201cMark thought we just wanted to talk about Gabriela\u2019s season plan. But then we said, \u2018What if we came with you to Edinburgh?\u2019 He was surprised, but open. He said, \u2018Come visit and see what you think.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
They did, and by March 2024, the decision was made. \u201cThe University was so supportive,\u201d says Gabriela. \u201cMark\u2019s vision for the group was clear, and the athletes there were positive and motivated. It just felt like the right place.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Gabriela-Debues-Stafford-8-scaled.png.webp.webp\")
Gabriela Debues-Stafford (Getty)<\/p>\n
The Global Endurance Project aims to create an elite endurance environment in Scotland \u2013 a programme that blends world-class coaching, access to sport science, and a collaborative athlete culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve given us access to everything \u2013 facilities, physio, strength and conditioning, and, of course, Mark\u2019s coaching,\u201d said Gabriela. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to have that integrated setup where everyone\u2019s connected and supportive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Long-term thinking has been essential. In 2024, DeBues-Stafford\u2019s season\u2019s best stood at 4:15.09. Just one year later, she ran 3:59.65 and reached the World Championship final. \u201cGoing from 4:15 to 3:59 in a year is a pretty good indicator that things are working,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Much of the success, the pair agree, comes down to working with Rowland, whose blend of world-class experience and approachable mentorship has shaped the group\u2019s tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s just great energy to be around,\u201d said Gabriela. \u201cHe\u2019s so knowledgeable and has so much experience as an athlete initially and now as a coach. He has guided athletes to do the things that I would like to do in my career.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rowan adds: \u201cAs a younger coach, I\u2019ve learned so much from Mark\u2019s sense of urgency. He knows that when you\u2019re aiming for world finals, every week is precious. He doesn\u2019t panic if a session goes wrong, but he is always looking at the end goal. That focus keeps the energy in sessions really high.\u201d<\/p>\n
That mixture of intensity and warmth is something both say defines the Edinburgh environment. \u201cHe jokes about being grumpy,\u201d Rowan said, \u201cbut when an athlete gets a niggle, he goes straight into problem-solving mode. That\u2019s when the \u2018Mark the dad\u2019 side comes out.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Gabriela-Debues-Stafford-5-scaled.jpg.webp.webp\")
Gabriela Debues-Stafford, Jessica Hull & Laura Muir (Getty)<\/p>\n
The energy around the Edinburgh setup is also infectious. \u201cIt\u2019s been fun watching the group grow,\u201d said Gabriela. \u201cEveryone\u2019s lovely \u2013 we just had a team dinner last night. It feels like we\u2019re building something together.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s exciting having the difference of vibes. It\u2019s not just about coming to the season in good shape and feeling optimistic, it\u2019s about a real sense of momentum and growth across the board. It\u2019s a fun balance.\u201d<\/p>\n
As winter training takes shape in Edinburgh, the tone in the DeBues-Stafford household is one of quiet optimism. \u201cIt\u2019s been fun comparing this autumn to last,\u201d Gabriela said. \u201cIt\u2019s a much more pleasant experience.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next step is a possible short indoor campaign, targeting qualification for the World Indoor Championships. \u201cI\u2019ll probably do a couple of races – maybe one 1500m and one 3000m,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we\u2019ll see what my best event is for the indoor season. Hopefully having some successful events will also lead to more Diamond Leagues in the summer.\u201d Beyond that, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow loom large.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After three challenging years, Canada\u2019s 1500m star found new speed and purpose under Edinburgh’s Global Endurance Project. When…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":583442,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8816],"tags":[748,1102,4884,712,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-583441","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-edinburgh","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-edinburgh","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-scotland","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115584432916708282","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/583441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=583441"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/583441\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/583442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=583441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=583441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=583441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}