Alan Soutar produced one of the standout results of the opening round at the Austrian Darts Open on Friday evening, comfortably defeating Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 in Graz to book his place in the second round. But the post-match discussion was not only about darts. Soutar spoke extensively to DartsNews about running the London Marathon, his charity work, and his life outside professional darts.
For Van Barneveld, it turned into a frustrating evening. The five-time world champion never truly found his game and recorded a particularly low 77.79 average. From the opening legs onwards, the Dutchman struggled with his scoring, while Soutar remained calm in the key moments. The Scot did not even need to produce his very best darts to control the match, but he took full advantage of Van Barneveld’s mistakes. An early break immediately gave Soutar control, after which he constantly kept his opponent at arm’s length. The highlight came with a brilliant 101 checkout that moved him to match point.
Afterwards, Soutar admitted to DartsNews that the match made him more nervous than his recent marathon in London. "I think I was more nervous playing Barney than I was running the London Marathon, 100 per cent. He’s a legend and I could feel that up there myself. When he’s struggling, we all know he’s struggling as well, so you kind of feel sorry for him — but you have to put that to the back of your head and try to win the match," he said.
The 47-year-old Scot had already earned admiration in recent weeks by completing the London Marathon, something he combined with his busy darts schedule. According to Soutar, however, there was a far greater motivation behind it than simply sporting ambition. "It’s very easy because I’m the fittest darts player on the planet. I did it for Guide Dogs UK. Myself and Amanda, my partner, train the dogs so that people who are less fortunate, maybe with sight loss, can lead an independent life," he joked. The fundraiser generated nearly £17,000 for charity. "We raised almost £17,000 for Guide Dogs, so that was the whole motivation. When it got hard, around 21 miles in, that’s what was in my head — we were doing it for other people."
The combination of running a marathon and then immediately returning to the Pro Tour proved physically exhausting. Soutar admitted that he could barely walk during the tournaments that followed. "Honestly, I could hardly walk. I had sore legs, sore feet, and I was dreading a bounce-out because I’d have to bend down to pick the dart up and then I’d get cramp in my legs. Because of where I am in the rankings, I have to attend all the ProTours. I don’t have the luxury of missing any, so I was never not going to go. I’ve got a strong head, a strong mind and a strong body, so I can push through the pain and do what I need to do for my family and for my PDC darts career."
From a sporting perspective, Soutar is also pleased with the opening months of his 2026 season. The Scot is in a strong position for qualification to Alexandra Palace and feels increasingly comfortable on the big Euro Tour stages. "Proud and happy. I’m in all the right places for Ally Pally and the Players Championship Finals, but the Euro Tour is amazing and that’s where I want to be. The experience you get on these stages in Germany, Austria and Belgium is so vital for the bigger tournaments. That atmosphere in there was incredible. The crowd were amazing and when Mensur is playing, it’s crazy."
Within the darts world, Soutar has long been known as one of the friendliest players on the circuit. Alongside his darts career, he still works for the fire service and is constantly involved in charitable projects. "I think my whole life I’ve been a public servant. I was in the forces and I’ve been in the fire brigade. I’m a servant of people and anything I can do to help someone, even just one person’s life, then I will do it. Even in here, when fans ask me for a picture, autograph or signature, I’ll do it for every single one because I think it’s important to give back. I’ll keep giving back. If I can be a professional darts player for the next 10 years, then I’ll continue to do that. I just fit it all in. I don’t watch much TV."
Soutar also revealed that he is about to begin a new chapter in his life. The Scot has eighteen months left with the fire service, but is already working on launching his own business, with hopes also to involve dart players. "No, I can do more and I’m going to do more. You’ll find out very soon. I’ve got 18 months left in the fire service and I’ve started a new company, so I’m going to do even more than I’ve already done. I’m going to continue with it and hopefully get more PDC players involved in things like the London Marathon or charity work. Watch this space."