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Scottish runner, Eilish McColgan, picked up her first British track record in Oslo on July 1 with a 14:28.55 performance in the Wanda Diamond League meet. She is over the moon with the result.

McColgan told Athletics Illustrated, “Yes, I am really happy with the performance last week….of course, I’m over the moon to break the record.”

McColgan finished in fourth place and within three seconds of winner Hellen Obiri of Kenya, who ran a new personal best time. The top three were Obiri in 14:26.38, Fantu Worku of Ethiopia with a season’s best in 14:26.80, and Kenyan Margeret Kipkemboi with a 14:28.24 performance, which is her lifetime best. Obiri led most of the race, from approximately 1500m and on.

Eight of the athletes clocked times under 15 minutes.

“I knew Oslo would potentially be my only 5000m at that level and would be the best chance of getting close to the British Record,” said the two-time Scottish record holder. “I felt strong and just did my best to stay with the front group for as long as I could.”

Going into the race, McColgan held the 5000m Scottish record at 14:48.49, which will now be upgraded. She also holds the 3000m steeplechase record at 9:35.82. Her mother and coach Liz McColgan-Nutall continues to hang onto the Scottish 10,000m record at 30:57.07.

“I felt strong and just did my best to stay with the front group for as long as I could.” 

The Oslo 5000m performance breaks Paula Radcliffe’s British record of 14:29.11 which was set in 2004 in Poland.

The Scottish and British 3000m and 10,000m records may also come down soon. McColgan-Nutall set the Scottish 10,000m record in 1997. Radcliffe’s 30:01.09 British record is from Munich, 2002. McColgan set a new personal best at 30:58.94 in February this year.

The 30-year-old, three-time Olympian looks to race her first half-marathon after the Olympics, sometime towards winter.

The respective 3000m records are 8:29.02 by Yvonne Murray set during the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. The British record of 8:22.02 from 2002 is another Radcliffe benchmark, set in Monaco.

“I am excited now to see how fast I can run over the 3000m towards the end of the season before doing my first half-marathon over the winter.”

But first, she has the Tokyo Olympic Games to focus on, which is starting on July 23.

See full results from Oslo, here>>

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