Back in the day: When Eilish beating Liz times and Records seemed, well, somewhat fanciful . . .

Monday 28th April 2025

Photo with thanks to London Marathon Events

By Peter Jardine, Head of Communications

Dundee on a Thursday night in late June; Wimbledon agog with the women’s semi-finals on the telly; football fans thinking about United in the Europa League early rounds.

A sudden cloudburst has the rain cascading down in a public park and sends the rabbits sprinting in lanes across the track at Caird Park Stadium.

It is the summer of 2011 . . . and Eilish McColgan is preparing for GB and NI duty at the European U23 Championships – in the steeplechase – under the watchful eye of her mum and coach, Liz.

This correspondent actually penned the words above in what we might reasonably call ‘the first interview’ with Scotland’s most famous athletics family.

‘London 2012 might be a possibility – I am five seconds away from the B standard in the steeplechase at the moment,’ said Eilish, barely out of her teens at the time.

It must be said, the notion of Eilish competing at the Olympics four times – a Scottish record in athletics – seemed a little fanciful that night almost 14 years ago.

Even less likely, arguably, would be the idea that Eilish would one day eclipse many of her mother’s Personal Bests which peppered the British and Scottish Record books.

What a debut! Eilish lands Scottish Record and British title in London

Yet that’s exactly what has happened on both counts and Sunday was another seminal moment.

Speculation on what Eilish might be capable of in the marathon seems to have been around almost all of the current century.

OK, that may be a slight exaggeration but certainly it has been mentioned in dispatches for ten years or more.

Now we know: 2:24.25 as a first attempt and a fine debut which nonetheless left Eilish wanting more. No really?

‘I am a little disappointed with the time to be honest,’ she said.

‘I think I am capable of running sub 2:20. There were really tough moments here and I need to take learning from it and be stronger.

‘I am looking to do another one in the autumn – I don’t know which one just yet.’

Eilish started out in high jump so there maybe should be no surprise she raised the bar and then immediately wants to move it up further.,

This is part of what makes her a brilliant role model for athletics in Scotland.

Our strategy is entitled ‘Building a Culture of Success‘ and, without over-egging the point, she could have written it . . . and yet Eilish also retains a wonderful appreciation of the importance of participation.

Mum Liz was a strong advocate of jogscotland last autumn at our Club Conference and 4J Awards and then Eilish, when unable to attend our Young People’s Forum Conference, contributed a candid video interview addressing a number of themes including body image. We created our ‘Learning from Olympians‘ content as a result.

Only last week she was highlighting again the work of her not-for-profit ‘Giving Back to Track‘ scheme.

A primary school in Langholm is next to benefit and will be setting up after-school athletics. Growing the sport and making it more accessible are the clear targets of ‘Giving Back to Track’ (and also our Strategy !!!).

Two weeks ago she was also in touch with Alex Jackson around our former Mini Marathon team manager’s website piece about her racing in London aged 12.

Warmly, Eilish ‘corroborated’ Alex’s memories from 2003 and her decision to turn down a BBC Sport interview on the start-line (doubt that would happen now . . .).

Photos: Jed Leicester for London Marathon Events

Then, come Sunday, and she was word perfect again in interviews.

‘The Scottish Record for the women’s marathon means an awful lot to me and the support around the course was just insane,’ she told Stuart Weir for Scottish Athletics in London.

‘Scotland flags were everywhere around the course and there were even bagpipes at one point.’

Eilish, frankly, has been and remains absolutely brilliant at blowing the trumpet for our sport and the reaction to London across our social media – and the more mainstream media – makes that abundantly clear.

Leave the last word to her from June 2011.

‘I can now see myself running for the rest of my life. Let’s say I would rather go a three-mile run than sit in the house.’

Or 26.2 miles, even.