Eilish wins Big Half Marathon in London

Monday 2nd September 2024

Photo via Athletics Weekly: London Marathon Events

Eilish McColgan was a winner again on her return to road running in London.

The four-times Olympian took the victory in the Big Half event on Sunday morning in a time of 69:14.

Eilish won the Women’s race by 21 seconds after a good battle with Calli Haugher-Thackery, who won this event in 2023.

It was also a British Championship success and Eilish’s time counts as a qualifying standard for the European Half Marathon Champs next spring.

Haugher-Thackery led until around the 10-mile before Eilish pushed ahead in her first race since the Women’s 10,000m final at the Olympics in Paris.

The Men’s race was won in 62:35 by Jack Rowe and there was a third place there for the Shettleston Harriers athlete, Weynay Ghebresilasie. Weynay clocked 64:31.

In the wheelchair races, there were second place finishes for two Scots – well done to Sean Frame and Joanna Robertson.

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Giffnock North AC were the Scottish representatives at the British YDL final over the weekend,

The event took place in the Manchester Regional Arena on Saturday with a strong Giffnock contingent make the bus trip south.

Giffnock placed seventh and well done to all the athletes, coaches and parents involved.

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Young athletes were involved in various teams at the UK School Games.

The outstanding performance was a new U17 Scottish Record in the Men’s 1500m steeplechase. Andrew Baird clocked 4:18.02 to move beyond the previous record (set by Scott Green at 4:18.07 in 2009)

There was another age group Record in the Masters categories at an event in Tooting Bec over the weekend.

Robert McHarg, a Kilmarnock Harriers athlete based in England, was second in M60 800m with a new Scottish Record of 2:08.01 (improving a mark held by Paul Forbes).

Robert was actually inside the World Record for this age-group but that was rewritten by race winner Andrew Ridley at 2:07.45.

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Tags: Big Half Marathon, Eilish McColgan, Weynay Ghebreselasie