Olli Hoare denies witnessing Glasgow murder, says scene was six miles away

Australian middle-distance runner Olli Hoare has denied reports that he witnessed a murder while training in Glasgow, saying the incident in question occurred six miles from where he was and at a different time. Hoare, a 29-year-old and reigning Commonwealth Games champion, was asked about the reports after racing in the heats of the men’s mile.

Hoare, who competed on Wednesday in the heats of the men’s mile, finished that race with bloodied knees after being tripped. The question about a murder arose because of reports that he and teammate Ky Robinson had encountered a crime scene while out on a training run. Hoare rejected that suggestion and was explicit about the timing and distance separating him from the reported incident.

“No, no, I didn’t see a murder,” Hoare said. “The murder that was reported was six miles away and also at a different time.” He made the comment when journalists asked whether he had come across a murder scene during training in Glasgow, clarifying the reports did not apply to him. The remark ended any immediate uncertainty about his involvement in the matter.

The 29-year-old’s physical condition after the heat — with scraped and bloodied knees following a trip during the race — was visible to observers and became part of the post-race narrative. Hoare’s status as the reigning Commonwealth Games champion meant the question drew extra attention, given the unusual nature of asking an athlete about such an incident amid a track meet. Teammate Ky Robinson was mentioned in the context of the training run, but Hoare’s comment separated his own whereabouts from the reported crime.

Media attention at the meet also included other competitors: Josh Kerr booked a place in Saturday’s men’s mile final, a result that featured elsewhere in coverage of the event. The focus at the track remained primarily on qualification and race outcomes despite the distracting reports off the course. Organisers and athletes continued to navigate the balance between competition and the wider news environment in Glasgow.

Hoare’s brief, clear denial served to remove him from the centre of the police-related reports and allowed attention to return to athletic matters. With his clarification that the reported murder was both six miles away and at a different time, the immediate confusion over his involvement was resolved.