Eilish McColgan marked a historic debut in the London Marathon, finishing eighth and breaking the Scottish record with a remarkable time of 2:24:25.
The result makes her the highest-placed female British athlete in the race, a feat that left her with mixed emotions of pride and disbelief.
Speaking to the BBC after the race, McColgan admitted to feeling nervous before stepping onto the starting line, noting the marathon distance was a completely unknown territory for her.
“I was very, very nervous,” she said. “It was probably the most nervous I've ever been for any event just purely because the distance was a complete unknown. I've never raced further than a half-marathon so the thought of doing it back to back was a little bit scary.”
However, McColgan’s nerves quickly turned into awe as she soaked in the support from the London crowd.
“But the crowd today is hard to put into words. Unless you are out there and you experience it, like, it is insane,” she added, praising the atmosphere that propelled her through the grueling 26.2-mile course.
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Despite a tough race that saw her battling fatigue earlier than expected, McColgan managed to cross the finish line with a new personal best – and a record-breaking achievement for Scotland.
Her time not only shattered her own expectations but also surpassed her mother Liz McColgan’s personal best of 2:26:52 in 1997, cementing a powerful family legacy in marathon running.
Reflecting on her achievement, McColgan shared: "If you asked me right after the race I would've said 'absolutely not' [about doing another marathon] but it was just an incredible experience.
"I knew my first one was always going to be tough and I always knew I was coming into it a little bit perhaps underprepared compared to 2023. But I didn't make the start line in 2023, so that was my main priority... make it to the start line, make it to the finish, that was the first goal and I achieved that."
Having reached that pivotal milestone, McColgan proudly embraced the title of "marathoner" for the first time. The Scot had originally hoped to race at the legendary London event in 2023 and 2024, but injury setbacks delayed her journey to the start line until now.
"I can now call myself a marathoner, which I’m incredibly proud of," she said. "It got tough out there a little bit earlier than I would have liked, but it was a really good learning experience."
One of McColgan’s most meaningful moments came with the achievement of breaking her mother’s marathon personal best. Liz McColgan, a former world champion, is one of the icons of British athletics, and for Eilish to surpass her mother's mark was a special milestone.
“Every time I run I feel like I'm doing it for my family and my mum. I wouldn't be here without her,” she said.
"It's just cool. It’s obviously a completely different generation from her time, she was using flat coke or whatever to fuel her to the end, I have super shoes, gels, and all sorts of stuff going on in my corner. But it’s really special and a pretty surreal moment."
