Shadowing Mo Farah, as the elite of Ethiopia and the kings of Kenya have found, is easier to intend than accomplish. Any encounter with the Olympic champion is an opportunity to benchmark, Andy Butchart admits, as well as an occasion to inhale his rarefied air. And the Perthshire prospect hopes that their meeting in tomorrow’s Great Edinburgh XC will be the first of many en route to a further reunion in Rio in August.

With Farah set to end a five-year hiatus from the cross-country circuit, Butchart will not easily cede his mantle as arguably the UK’s leading exponent on mud and turf. Missing out on last month’s Euro Cross due to an untimely virus, the Scot comes to Holyrood Park with lessons learnt from an autumnal workload that left his body screaming overload.

“I started to feel unwell and by the time I realised what was going wrong, it was too late,” he reveals. “I shouldn’t have run. I wasn’t right. My muscles weren’t working. I had tests after the European trials but the weekend before I didn’t run for four days due to the flu. But it was because I was run down from the mileage.”

It has, however, forced him to reset and refocus ahead of a campaign that he trusts will spirit him to the Olympics and a 5000 metres where Farah intends to prolong his omnipotence. Butchart’s two international appearances on the track for Great Britain & Northern Ireland last summer were an appetiser. Now he is hungry for the main course to be served. “And in my opinion, it’s very achievable. Last year I reckon I could have got the qualifying standard easily if I’d got into the right races so I don’t think I need to change too much. But I want to achieve more than just the qualifying time. I want to do a lot better than that.”

Giving up his job on the staff at Gleneagles, Butchart’s quest has been boosted by signing a professional contract with New Balance last week. Not yet on Lottery funding, the two-year deal brings a small stipend with bonus incentives on top but it is enough to plan ahead with bills assured.

More sponsors, he hopes, will arrive if he performs to expectation. There are hours, still, going spare. “I might have to find something to fill my time. There’s only so much gym work or running you can do in one day. I’d drive myself mental from just resting so I’m looking at some ideas to keep me busy, maybe some Open University courses to keep me occupied.”

A brief indoor campaign might yet see him meet Farah again next month at the Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow. Then it will be off to the United States and a training spell that will steel his nerve for a vital summer.

“There are a few options to take a shorter trip or stay longer,” he says. “If I do a good time, I could extend it and look at the Diamond Leagues there. But it can be hard to find the right race. If they’re out there, we have to make sure we find them.”