Father and former coach of 2022 world 1500m champion Jake Wightman has brought four female middle-distance runners together in a new training group after an online search.

Geoff Wightman, the father and former coach of world 1500m champion Jake, has brought together four young middle-distance women in a new training group after recruiting them through an Instagram appeal.

Pippa Roessler, Lucy Austin, Annie Testar and Ella Fryer have now met for the first time, with the occasion captured in a YouTube video.

About 60 people responded to Wightman's appeal and he then shortlisted, interviewed and made offers to leave the final four.

Roessler, from Reigate, won British under-20 titles at cross-country, 3000m and 5000m in 2022 and has since been at the University of Colorado.

Three of the group are 22 and one is 24. They are currently outside lottery funding level, but Wightman says the important factors were their potential and an age profile that lets them adapt readily to new training methods.

“I have only ever coached one athlete as young as this,” he adds. “Everyone apart from Jake came to me around 28 or 29. They all have great promise and my task is to keep them in one piece and progressing relentlessly.”

The group will train together on Tuesdays and Saturdays, even though they have various work commitments.

“I hope their stories make them very relatable for most runners,” Wightman added.