Busy summer for Commonwealth Games gold medallist McColgan, European Championships are next

© Copyright – 2022 – Athletics Illustrated

Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Eilish McColgan, competed in the World Athletics Championships that took place in Eugene, Oregon last month. She suffered a hamstring issue after racing three times in short order. The 31-year-old competed twice in the 5000m event and once in the 10,000m, finishing a disappointing 10th — she wanted more.

During the spring, she raced several times leading up to Worlds. Next, the Scottish runner will be racing in the European Athletics Championships starting in less than two weeks in Munich, Germany.

What a final lap between Irine Cheptai of 🇰🇪 and Eilish McColgan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 in the women’s 10,000m.

Nothing but chills… Listen to this crowd!#Athletics #CommonwealthGames2022 pic.twitter.com/IaetCqxfPe

— Marley Dickinson (@marleydickinson) August 3, 2022

Asked if she will be racing in the European Championships, she told Athletics Illustrated, “yes, I will be racing both the 5000m and 10,000m.”

She also plans to move up to the marathon, probably sometime this fall.

For McColgan, the 10,000m gold was her first major medal. The 32,000 screaming fans at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham were the tailwind she needed to put away Kenyan Irine Cheptai. Asked if she had dug deeper than during any other race she said, “races are always tough but all went to race plan. You can never say what that last two laps are going to look like but last night was digging deeper than ever before and the home crowd helped 100 per cent.”

McColgan broke the Commonwealth Games 10,000m record with her 30:48.60 clocking.

Her mother and coach Liz McColgan-Nutall twice won gold in the Commonwealth Games 10,000m. She was on hand to witness the win.

McColgan took the lead early and added more pace after the 13th of 25 laps. Kenyan Irine Cheptai finished second but did not give in easily as the two battled hard over the final five laps. They surged off and on trying to break each other. With 200 metres remaining, the two were stride for stride, then McColgan pulled ahead, to take the race.

McColgan stepped out from behind Cheptai on the final bend, pulled up beside her, and put everything she had into the final 60m. Cheptai hung on but could not respond to McColgan’s pace. Cheptai clocked a 30:49.52 finish time for silver.

Sheila Kiprotich of Kenya finished third to take bronze in 31:09.46.

SHOESTRINGS:
Fellow Scot, Sarah Inglis, competed in her first global championships and finished ninth in the time of 32:04.74. She was teaching school in Langley, BC (Greater Vancouver), however, was recruited to Puma Elite in North Carolina and made the move in April this year.

Inglis has run as fast as 31:39.60, which she did in May this year in London. Inglis has already moved up to the marathon. She owns a best of 2:29:41 from the one-off The Marathon Project that took place in Chandler, AZ.

Two English runners fared well in Jessica Judd and Samantha Harrison finishing fifth and sixth, respectively.

Results