But the email informing him that he had been chosen came as a complete surprise. “I had no clue,” said Brighton AC’s Tarragano, who celebrated his 19th birthday last weekend by becoming Sussex U20 county champion for the second time.

“At this level you look out for England selection races, but I didn’t realise that the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Liverpool in November [where Tarragano came ninth], which I knew was a European championships qualifier, was also an U20 selection event for Stirling.” 

Yet Tarragano - his father’s family was originally from the Spanish town of Tarragona - has actually been building up to this moment for some time.

He started running while at primary school and has been training seriously for the past five years, with three sessions a week at the club supplemented by group or solo runs on other days. “Each year is an incremental build-up, to the point where running comes first for me now,” he remarked.

Tarragano’s gap-year job at a local school fits in with his running schedules and race preparation, so his international debut comes at an ideal time.

Looking ahead, Tarragano is both ambitious and realistic. “As much as I’d like to think it, I won’t be running forever, “he said. “Athletics isn’t well supported financially, and then when you get to the top you’re on a knife-edge with your performances. Anything could happen.”

Academic work is therefore set to take priority from next September, when Tarragano begins a chemical engineering degree, but he will continue to train and compete as much as possible. “I really enjoy running, I’m excited about this weekend and I’m looking forward to the opportunities the sports facilities at university will allow me to keep on getting better.”