EILISH McColgan ended an incredible season by smashing her own European 10 kilometres record at the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow, then thanked the home support for carrying her to the finish line.
The Dundonian won the women’s 10km in 30 minutes and 18 seconds in the closing act of a campaign that began in February and peaked with her sensational Commonwealth 10,000m gold in Birmingham.
The 31-year-old, who will jet off on holiday today to unwind from a campaign that also delivered two European medals in Munich and five British bests, cited the buzz from her first outing in Scotland since the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth as a factor in making one last push.
“I was in the hotel and there was a group of women who were screaming for me, every time I’d came around the lobby. It was like some sort of sketch show,” she said. “But that support was great. I thought it’d be tired doing this but I actually felt okay.
“I found the course very tough. That first mile-and- a-half, even up on to the motorway, it’s quite deceiving. Every bridge does get you. But it helped having a couple of lads to chase down. The first half I was on my own. The second half I could see people and was trying to chase them and then I had a little bit of a sprint finish at the end. But I got excited when I saw the clock. It was a nice way to round out the season.”
Great Britain Under-20 international Lewis Hannigan won the men’s race in 29:56, 22 seconds clear of Callum Tharme who crossed the line at McColgan’s side. Sammi Kinghorn topped the wheelchair race in 26:40 ahead of fellow Paralympian Mel Woods.
“That was quite tough,” the double Tokyo 2020 medallist said.
McColgan’s record left organisers scrambling to hastily arrange a doping test to allow her mark to be officially ratified. She was up against the clock ahead of her flight to paradise in the Indian Ocean.
Her boyfriend and coach Michael Rimmer will demand she winds down.
“I feel like I can still continue racing but even my mum’s like, ‘no, you need a break’,” she said.
Before long, she will gear up again and build towards a planned marathon debut in London next April and then tilts at more success on the track.
“Mentally I probably didn’t realise how much Commonwealth Games meant to me,” she said. “It was all just a lot. Mentally and emotionally, it took quite a lot out me. I found Europeans very tough to do.
“But I think I’ve learned a lot though. I feel like now, going into any other season, I’ll be far more prepared. Like, three championships is no longer a scary thought. I feel pretty confident knowing next year, I’ve got London Marathon in April and then all my intentions will go to World Championships. So I’ve got that time now to get ready to prepare.”
Meanwhile, Callum Hawkins says he is edging back to his best after claiming the Great Scottish Run half-marathon title for the second time. The double Olympian, 30, surged clear of Adam Craig to win in 63 minutes and 35 seconds with elder brother Derek third.
After foot surgery last January, it was another step in the right direction, Hawkins signalled, as he nears a marathon comeback in Valencia in December.
“I pushed hard at half-way, just to try and break Adam, because I didn’t want to leave it to the end,” he said. “I probably need to apologise to him because we said we would get to 15km together. But it’s good to just go get another one under my belt because I’m just trying to race myself fit.”
Ireland international Michelle Finn won the women’s half-marathon in 1:12:33 by 23 seconds from Lily Partridge with Fionnuala Ross taking the Scottish title in third.
In the London Marathon, Kenya’s Amos Kipruto produced a late surge to win the men’s event in 2:04:40. Eritrean-born Scot Weynay Ghebresilasie was top Briton in ninth in a personal best of 2:11.57.
Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw, 23, became the youngest winner of the women’s race in 2:17:26 with Scotland’s Steph Twell clocking 2:39:16.
