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Scottish runner, Eilish McColgan, continued her assualt on the British record book with a 65:43 performance in the Berlin Half Marathon on Sunday.

McColgan improved upon her previous best of 66:26. She won. The performance puts her in great company in the European record book now behind only Dutch Sifan Hassan (65:15), Ethiopian Melat Kejeta (65:18) and Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen (65:41). 

The half marathon run was a training race in advance of McColgan’s debut in the marathon in London on Sunday, April 23. McColgan’s mother and coach Liz McColgan-Nutall won London 1996. She also won the New York and Tokyo Marathons and earned Olympic and World Championship medals.

McColgan, has had a strong two years of running, breaking Paula Radcliffe’s 10,000m British record and rewriting the Scottish and British record books.

Berlin is McColgan’s second record performance this season after she eclipsed Radcliffe’s 10,000m time with a 30:00.86 performance in March at the Sound Running meet in Los Angeles. 

McColgan sat in second place for much of the half marathon. It was Ethiopian Tsigie Gebreselama who led until approximately 17K. The Scot, then rolled passed to take the lead. She slowed in the latter portions of the race and appeared to have a hamstring issue, however, prevailed for the victory.

“I felt my hamstring tighten badly around one kilometre to go. Fingers crossed it’s just cramp, but thanks for all the support!” said McColgan on Twitter.

Gebreselama and fellow Ethiopian Yalemget Yaregal finished second and third respectively. They finished in the times of 66:13 and 66:27 while Brit, Samantha Harrison, took fourth, also in a personal best of 67:17.

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