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Eilish McColgan

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Eilish McColgan
McColgan at the 2016 Rio Olympics
Personal information
Born (1990-11-25) 25 November 1990 (age 34)
Dundee, Scotland
Height1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Weight53 kg (117 lb)
Sport
CountryGreat Britain
Scotland
SportAthletics
Event(s)Middle-, long-distance running
Steeplechase
ClubDundee Hawkhill Harriers
Coached byLiz McColgan
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Commonwealths 1 1 0
European Outdoors 0 2 1
European Indoors 0 0 1
Total 1 3 2
Women's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2018 Berlin 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2022 Munich 10,000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Munich 5000 m
European Indoor Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Belgrade 3000 m
European 10,000m Cup
Gold medal – first place 2021 Birmingham 10,000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2019 London 10,000 m
Representing  Scotland
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Birmingham 10,000 m
Silver medal – second place 2022 Birmingham 5000 m

Eilish McColgan (born 25 November 1990)[2][3] is a Scottish middle- and long-distance runner. She is the 2022 Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres champion with the Games record, and 5000 metres silver medallist. McColgan is a four-time European Championships medallist, winning silver medals for the 5000 m in 2018 and 10,000 m in 2022, bronze in the 5000 m in 2022, and a bronze for the indoor 3000 metres in 2017. She is the European record holder for the 10 km road race, and the British record holder for the 5000 m, 10,000 m, 5 km and half marathon. She also holds the European best in the 10 miles on the roads.

McColgan represented Great Britain at the 2012 London, 2016 Rio, 2020 Tokyo, and 2024 Paris Olympics. She represented Scotland at Commonwealth Games in 2014 in Glasgow, in 2018 in Gold Coast in addition to the 2022 Games in Birmingham. She is the Scottish record holder in the event she originally specialised in, the 3000 metres steeplechase, from 2013 before injury forced her to move away from steeplechase. She holds the Scottish record in 10,000 metres. McColgan is a seven-time national champion.

Early and personal life

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Eilish McColgan was born in Dundee, Scotland to Liz and Peter McColgan, both athletes.[4] She is a member of Dundee's Hawkhill Harriers Club and is coached by her mother, former 10,000 metres World Champion and Olympic silver medallist Elizabeth Nuttall known more commonly during her racing career as Liz McColgan.[4][5][6]

She attended the High School of Dundee and studied mathematics and accountancy at the University of Dundee, graduating in 2013.[7][8]

Following her mother's second marriage, McColgan is step-daughter of long-distance runner John Nuttall and step-sister of his son, para-athlete Luke Nuttall.[9][10] Her partner is former international middle-distance runner for Great Britain and England Michael Rimmer.

In 2019, her home in East Didsbury was the target of a burglary while she was away on training.[11] McColgan reported the house was "completely ransacked", with numerous priceless materials stolen in the burglary, with McColgan also criticizing the police response to her report.[12]

Career

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In 2006, she won a silver medal at the Scottish Schools Championships in the 1500 metres and a bronze medal at the International Under-17s Schools Championships.[13] In 2007, she came fifth in the Scottish Senior Championships 1500 metres.[13] At the 2008 Scottish Indoor Championships she won a bronze medal in the 1500 m.[13]

McColgan was selected for the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in India but suffered a major knee injury which it took her a year-and-a-half to recover from.[6] She also missed the 2011 World Championships, held in Daegu, South Korea, after breaking her foot at a Diamond League event in London.[14] Her senior debut for Great Britain came at the 2011 European Team Championships in Stockholm, Sweden. Initially selected as a travelling reserve to cover a range of events, she was called upon to compete in the 3000 metres steeplechase, an event which she had only competed in twice before, and ran a personal best while finishing ninth.[15][16] She came fourth in the 1500 metres at the 2011 UK Indoor Championships and won the silver medal in the 5000 metres at the UK Outdoor Championships.[13] She won the gold medal in the 1500 m at the 2011 Scottish University Championships.[13]

McColgan won two gold medals at the 2012 Scottish Universities Indoor Championships, placing first in both the 1500 and 3000 metres events.[13] In June 2012 at a meeting in Oslo, Norway she ran a time of 9:38.45 to beat the Olympic 'A' qualification standard in the 3000 metres steeplechase.[17] McColgan confirmed her qualification for the steeplechase at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London by winning the British trials in a time of 9:56.90.[18] She was the only athlete to finish in under 10 minutes and the only British athlete to have achieved the 'A' qualifying standard.[19][20] After achieving Olympic qualification, McColgan chose not to compete at the 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Finland.[21] She competed for Great Britain team for the 2012 Summer Olympics in the women's 3000 m steeplechase alongside compatriot Barbara Parker.[22] Her time of 9:54.36 was not sufficient for her to reach the final.[23]

Having competed in the steeplechase at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014, the Dundonian switched from the barriers to the flat following a serious foot injury.[3]

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she reached the final of the women's 5000 metres.[3]

McColgan at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha

McColgan qualified for the 3000 metres at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships where she finished in a top ten position. In the 5000 metres event at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin, she won the silver medal.[24] In October, she won the Great South Run in Portsmouth, clocking 54:43 in her maiden run at the 10 mile distance.[25] Her mother had won the race twice previously, in 1995 and 1997.[26]

In 2019, her training regime included a daily run, cross training and a track session twice a week.[27] The Scotswoman finished tenth in the 5000 m event at the 2019 World Athletics Championships held in Doha, setting a personal best of 14:46.17.[3]

2021

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On 1 July in Oslo, McColgan set a British 5000 m record with her time of 14:28.55, beating the 17-year mark of Paula Radcliffe.[28]

Qualified for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan, she failed to advance to the 5000 m final on 30 July,[29] finishing in 10th place of her heat in a time of 15:09.68.[30] A few days later, she also competed in the 10,000 m event, finishing ninth in the final with a time of 31:04.46.

In September, she finished runner-up to Hellen Obiri in the half marathon at the Great North Run in 67:48, and won the 10 km race at the Great Manchester Run in 30:52.[3][31]

After a long track season, on 17 October, McColgan won for the third time the Great South Run in a time of 50m 43s, breaking Sonia O'Sullivan's course record and the European best mark for the 10 miles. She took almost half a minute off Radcliffe's UK record, and two seconds off the previous European best held by Israel's Lonah Chemtai Salpeter. Thus, McColgan improved on double win of her mother.[31]

2022

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In February, the Dundonian set a new British record in the 5 km road race, clocking 14:48 in Dubai to break the mark of 14:51 set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003. McColgan bettered her mother's unofficial 14:57 from 1991, and was only four seconds short of a European record.[32] Later that month, she beat Radcliffe's 21-year-old British half marathon record by 21 seconds, in a time of one hour six minutes 26 seconds, improving her mother's best yet again (1:07:11).[33]

Eilish McColgan on her way to a new Scottish 10,000 m record at the 2022 FBK Games in Hengelo

In March, McColgan launched a non-profit organisation Giving Back to Track with her partner Michael Rimmer with the aim to encourage young people to get involved in athletics and to fund the next generation of female athletes.[34][35]

In May, she broke Radcliffe's European 10 km record at the Great Manchester Run in a time of 30 minutes 19 seconds, shaving two seconds off the previous marker set by Radcliffe in 2003. McColgan finished second behind only Hellen Obiri who set the course record of 30:15.[36] In June at the FBK Games in Hengelo, she set a new Scottish 10,000 m record of 30:19.02, beating the time set by her mother at the same venue in 1991.[37]

After experiencing some health problems before the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July, McColgan finished there 11th in the 5000 metres and 10th over the 10,000 metres.[3][38]

On 3 August, the 31-year-old claimed the first major title of her career as she won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Her winning time of 30:48:60 was a new Games record, breaking her mother's 32-year mark. Thus, she completed the family hat-trick as her mother won over the same distance at Commonwealth Games Edinburgh 1986 and Auckland 1990.[39] McColgan later added silver in the 5000 metres, which marked Scotland's 500th overall medal at the Commonwealth Games.[40]

The Dundonian continued her outstanding season at about a week later securing two additional medals at the European Championships Munich 2022. First she won a silver in the 10,000 metres (behind Yasemin Can), and added bronze for the 5000 metres three days later (behind Konstanze Klosterhalfen and Can), becoming the first British distance runner to compete in six championships outdoor finals in the same season.[41][42][43]

In September, McColgan set a course record and the joint-fourth fastest women's half marathon in British history at the Big Half in London with a time of 67m 35s. She improved the previous best mark by more than two minutes.[44]

She had to withdraw from the 2022 London Marathon due to 'rebound hypoglycemia' refuelling problems.[45] McColgan apparently improved by a second her own European 10 kilometres record, which she set earlier that year in Manchester, when winning at the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow in October.[46][47] However, the record set in Glasgow was invalidated when it was found that the course was 150 m short.[48] In November, she set a new British record in the 15 kilometres with her fourth-place finish in a time of 47:40 at the Zevenheuvelenloop in Netherlands, breaking her mother's official record of 47:43.[49]

2023

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On 4 March, after five weeks of altitude training in Colorado, McColgan broke Radcliffe's 21-year British 10,000 m record by 0.23 s with a time of 30:00.86 at the Sound Running The TEN in San Juan Capistrano, California. In Europe only Sifan Hassan had run faster.[50][51] On 2 April, the Scotswoman chopped 43 seconds from her British half marathon record set 14 months earlier, clocking the second-fastest female non-African mark in history of 1:05:43 for a win at the Berlin Half Marathon. She became the first British woman to win the competition.[52] Later that month, she again missed her debut over the classic distance in London Marathon due to a knee injury.[53]

Achievements

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Personal bests

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Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

Road

National titles

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Competition record

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Representing  Great Britain &  Scotland
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
2008 Commonwealth Youth Games Pune, India 5th (h1) 1500 m 4:32.10
8th 3000 m 9:58.42
2011 European Team Championships Super League Stockholm, Sweden 9th 3000 m st. 9:55.13 PB
European U23 Championships Ostrava, Czech Republic 6th 3000 m st. 9:52.02
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 30th (h) 3000 m st. 9:54.36
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 10th 3000 m st. 9:37.33
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, United Kingdom 6th 3000 m st. 9:44.65 SB
2016 European Championships Amsterdam, Netherlands 6th 5000 m 15:28.53
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 13th 5000 m 15:12.09
2017 European Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 3rd 3000 m 8:47.43
World Championships London, United Kingdom 10th 5000 m 15:00.43
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 20th (h) 1500 m 4:13.32
10th 3000 m 9:01.32
Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 6th 1500 m 4:04.30
6th 5000 m 15:34.88
European Championships Berlin, Germany 2nd 5000 m 14:53.05
2019 European Indoor Championships Glasgow, United Kingdom 7th 3000 m 8:59.71
European 10,000m Cup London, United Kingdom 3rd 10,000 m 31:16.76 PB
The Match Europe v USA Minsk, Belarus 3rd 1500 m 4:05.58
3rd 3000 m 9:01.03
World Championships Doha, Qatar 10th 5000 m 14:46.17 PB
2021 European 10,000m Cup Birmingham, United Kingdom 1st 10,000 m 31:19.35
Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 23rd (h) 5000 m 15:09.68
9th 10,000 m 31:04.46
2022 World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 11th 5000 m 15:03.03
10th 10,000 m 30:34.60
Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom 2nd 5000 m 14:42.14 SB
1st 10,000 m 30:48.60 GR
European Championships Munich, Germany 3rd 5000 m 14:59.34
2nd 10,000 m 30:41.05
2024 European Championships Rome, Italy – 10,000 m DNF
Olympic Games Paris, France 15th 10,000 m 31:20.51 SB

Awards and honours

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2022

References

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  1. ^ "About Me". 24 May 2018.
  2. ^ "Eilish McColgan profile". UK Athletics. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Eilish MCCOLGAN – Athlete profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Eilish McColgan: Team GB". British Olympic Association. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  5. ^ Ralston, Gary (24 June 2012). "Liz McColgan 'proud' after daughter Eilish books her spot in Team GB for London Olympics". The Daily Record. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  6. ^ a b Fulton, Rick (13 October 2011). "Track legend Liz McColgan's daughter aims to follow in mother's footsteps with OIympic glory". The Daily Record. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  7. ^ McColgan, Eilish (2021). "Eilish McColgan: About Me". Eilish McColgan. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  8. ^ Graham Fraser (2 September 2012). "Eilish McColgan – Life after the Olympics and the Great Scottish Run". STV. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  9. ^ "Athletics star Liz McColgan reveals her new-found happiness as she marries for the second time". Scottish Daily Record. 19 January 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Luke Nuttall - IPC Athlete Bio". ipc.infostradasports.com. 27 August 2021. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021.
  11. ^ Britton, Paul (30 May 2019). "Burglars 'completely ransack' Didsbury home of Olympic athlete and steal priceless medals". ManchesterEveningNews.co.uk. Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  12. ^ Britton, Paul (30 May 2019). "Burglars 'completely ransack' Didsbury home of Olympic athlete and steal priceless medals". ManchesterEveningNews.co.uk. Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  13. ^ a b c d e f "Athlete profile: Eilish McColgan". United Kingdom Athletics. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Four Scots in GB World Championships team". BBC Sport. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  15. ^ "McColgan Makes Senior GB Debut". Commonwealth Games Scotland. 26 June 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  16. ^ Woods, Mark (19 June 2011). "European Team Championships: Personal best for debut Scot Eilish McColgan". The Sunday Mail. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  17. ^ Smith, Ewan (16 June 2012). "Olympic hopeful Eilish McColgan sneaks into Usain Bolt's loo". The Daily Record. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  18. ^ "Eilidh Child & Eilish McColgan qualify for GB Olympic team". BBC Sport. 24 June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  19. ^ Mulkeen, Jon (24 June 2012). "Proctor and Bleasdale break British records at UK Olympic Trials". Athletics Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  20. ^ O'Mahony, Jennifer (24 June 2012). "Olympic trials 2012: day three as it happened". The Telegraph online. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  21. ^ "Mum sets McColgan two-year target". The Scotsman. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  22. ^ "London 2012: Dwain Chambers picked for GB athletics squad". BBC Sport. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
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  24. ^ "European Athletics | European Athletics".
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  26. ^ "British Road Race Championships". www.gbrathletics.com.
  27. ^ Moreton, Jacob (27 July 2021). "Five things you should know about Eilish McColgan ahead of the Olympic Games". Runner's World. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  28. ^ Moreton, Jacob (2 July 2021). "Eilish McColgan breaks Paula Radcliffe's British record in women's 5000m". Runner's World. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  29. ^ "'I've let my family down' - McColgan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  30. ^ "Athletics - McCOLGAN Eilish - Tokyo 2020 Olympics". Tokyo2020.org. IOC. 31 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  31. ^ a b Henderson, Jason (17 October 2021). "Eilish McColgan smashes British 10-mile record at Great South Run". Athletics Weekly. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  32. ^ Smythe, Steve (15 February 2022). "McColgan sets UK 5km record – weekly round-up". Athletics Weekly. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  33. ^ "McColgan breaks 21-year British record". BBC Sport. 19 February 2022.
  34. ^ "Giving Back to Track". Giving Back to Track. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  35. ^ "'Giving Back To Track' – aiming to encourage youngsters into athletics and to help fund the next generation of female athletes". Twitter. 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  36. ^ Adams, Tim (22 May 2022). "Eilish McColgan sets European and British 10km record". AW. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  37. ^ "Eilish McColgan beats Letesenbet Gidey – and mother Liz's time - as she sets Scottish 10,000m best". BBC Sport. 6 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  38. ^ "Letesenbet Gidey Gets Her Gold, Outkicks Hellen Obiri, Sifan Hassan to Win 10,000m at 2022 World Championships". LetsRun.com. 16 July 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  39. ^ Ingle, Sean (3 August 2022). "Eilish McColgan's epic 10,000m triumph lights up Commonwealth Games". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  40. ^ "Golden Day Ten and Team Scotland's 500th Medal of All-Time". TeamScotland.scot. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  41. ^ Bozon, Jenny (16 August 2022). "Eilish McColgan takes 10,000m silver at the European Champs". Runner's World. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  42. ^ Lewis, Jane (20 August 2022). "Eilish McColgan: European double 'the best bonus I could ever ask for'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  43. ^ Smythe, Steve (15 August 2022). "Eilish McColgan makes history with European 10,000m silver". AW. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  44. ^ Adams, Tim (4 September 2022). "Sir Mo Farah and Eilish McColgan dominate at Big Half in London". AW. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  45. ^ Henderson, Jason (2 September 2022). "McColgan delays marathon debut to London 2023". AW. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  46. ^ Coyle, Andy (2 October 2022). "Eilish McColgan breaks British and European 10k records at Great Scottish Run". STV News. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  47. ^ Henderson, Jason (3 October 2022). "Eilish McColgan's record-breaking spree continues". AW. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  48. ^ PA Media (19 October 2022). "Great Scottish Run records chalked off after course found to be 150m short". The Guardian.
  49. ^ Smythe, Steve (21 November 2022). "Charles Hicks wins NCAA cross-country gold". AW. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  50. ^ Gault, Jonathan (4 March 2023). "Eilish McColgan (30:00.87) and Alicia Monson (30:03.82) Break National Records At The TEN". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  51. ^ "McColgan sets new British 10,000m record". BBC Sport. 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  52. ^ Henderson, Jason (2 April 2023). "Eilish McColgan smashes UK half-marathon record in Berlin". AW. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  53. ^ Winton, Richard (21 April 2023). "Tearful McColgan out of London Marathon with injury". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  54. ^ Henderson, Jason (20 December 2022). "BAWA awards go to Muir, McColgan and Wightman". AW. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  55. ^ Pattle, Alex (16 November 2022). "Eilish McColgan named BT Sport's Action Woman of the Year". The Independent. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  56. ^ Tarry, Peter (18 November 2022). "Eilish McColgan named Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  57. ^ "2022 SJA British Sports Awards". SportsJournalists.co.uk. Sports Journalists' Association. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  58. ^ "Record-breaker! Eilish runs new British mark for 15k in Holland . . . after four awards in four days". Scottish Athletics. 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  59. ^ "WSA Awards 2022 - Winners Revealed". Women's Sports Alliance. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  60. ^ "Eilish lands Scottish Sportswoman of Year award with more success for athletics and jogscotland, too". Scottish Athletics. 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  61. ^ "4J Annual Awards: Jake and Sean land our 4J Athlete of Year titles after memorable year". Scottish Athletics. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  62. ^ "Simpsons, Wightman & Muir among top Scots awards". BBC Sport. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  63. ^ "AW readers' choice poll results". AW. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  64. ^ Williams, Craig (8 November 2022). "Eilish McColgan to receive honorary degree from University of Dundee". The Herald. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
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