Laura Muir has reason to believe. The Scot will enter the lion’s den in Budapest tonight with the faith that she can come away with a medal from the women’s 1500m final at the world championships.

Whether that’s gold, silver, or bronze, she’s less sure of.

Standing in her way of the top spot on the podium will be Faith Kipyegon, the defending world champion, double Olympic gold medallist, and world record holder.

And although Muir has hinted in the past that other rivals might not be running clean, the 28-year-old Kenyan, who’s set the quickest time in history in three different distances this summer, has her complete respect.

“The two of us have actually been in every global final since 2015 together in the 1500s,” said the 2022 bronze medallist. “So she’s been there in the medals more or less every year. And then to go away and have a baby and have injuries and to come back and be on top and have that consistency as well – especially in this event, which can be so unpredictable – is just amazing.

“So that’s why we appreciate her so much and respect her so much. You appreciate how hard it is and she’s gone out there and delivered it, again and again.

“There’s just that consistency, year after year after year, ever since she was a junior. Turning up all the time, performing when it counts, at the big championships. Ultimately, the only person I ever know truly about is myself. But I can have as much faith in Faith as I can.”

This evening’s final will provide a small slice of championship history: there’s one athlete apiece from each of the home nations – with Muir joined by English ace Katie Snowden, Welsh record-holder Melissa Courtney and Northern Irish No.1 Ciara Mageean.

Mageean, runner-up to Muir at last summer’s European and Commonwealth Games, is among six athletes whom the Scot reckons is in the mix for silver and bronze.

Expect the race to see a lightning-quick pace, she predicts, with records and personal bests set to tumble – and the British record of 3:54.50 that earned Muir Olympic silver in Tokyo primed for a re-write.

A brutal battle – between a tight-knit group who knows how hard this event can be.

Muir said: “On the track it’s business. Off the track you’re friends. My relationship with Ciara is very similar to all the athletes as well – all 12 of those girls on the start line, I’ve known for years, and is a really good friend. So to lose half of the semis was quite sad.

“I don’t want more than 12 in the final. But it’s nice. We see each other all the time and on the circuit, it is like a family to travel around the world together.”

Another podium in the stifling heat of Budapest would bring Muir’s tally of major medals up to a round dozen.

But after completing her mission to land a gong from every championship going at last summer’s worlds in Oregon, it’s all cool now.

She said: “I’ve gone there and done it on every single stage already. And I’ve got nothing to lose because I’ve got a world medal.

“So it means that I can go out there and be relaxed and enjoy it – and I can probably go in there and run a little bit better.

“I don’t have that pressure of being like, ‘I’ve never won a medal at X, Y, Z.’ Because I have. So I can go in there and say, ‘I’ve done this before… hopefully, I can do it again.’

“Obviously, it’s incredibly hard. It took me five times to get that bronze medal. But we’ll see how it goes. I want to be on that medal podium. It’s going to be difficult.

“But I’m as hungry as ever. No matter what colour they are, you always want to add to the collection. So to be a double world outdoor medallist would be really nice.”