Liz back in action for ‘unique’ race
Scottish sporting icon Liz McColgan says those taking part in this weekend’s inaugural Stirling Scottish Marathon are set to experience something unique.
The 52-year-old, who is now based in Qatar, will make the 4000-mile trip from Doha to join around 6500 runners participating in Sunday’s 26mile showpiece.
And ahead of arriving in Scotland tomorrow (Thursday) Liz, who won two Commonwealth gold medals, an Olympic silver medal and World Championships gold, spoke to the Observer about the scenic route runners are set to enjoy – insisting it’s unlike any other marathon in the world.
She said: “I’m really looking forward to taking part in the race. The fact that you get to start at the safari park, experience some amazing countryside and then loop around the city centre is quite unique. Most other marathons are based solely in a city centre, so to have that mix is great.
“I think those who live nearby will enjoy running around the area they know so well while those who are visiting will have a chance to see some of the best sights Scotland has to offer.
“It’s a good course to run for a first-time marathon runner while more experienced runners might see it as a good opportunity to run a personal best time.”
Along with husband John Nuttall, Liz currently runs coaching business Doha Athletic Club in the middle east for youngsters and adults to develop their running skills.
And she added: “I don’t get to come back to Scotland too often but this is a good excuse. I’ll be coming over with a group from Doha who will be running too and I know they are looking forward to it.
“I’ve heard that the whole of Stirling is really excited about the event. I’ve even had some running clubs get in touch on Twitter telling me how their training has gone. It’s going to be nice to experience all of that.
“What is great is that Great Run are investing in road races. When I was younger there were races taking place all over the place but a lot of those seem to have disappeared over the years, which is a real shame.
“There are now less opportunities for young people but hopefully the events taking place in Stirling can help draw more people in and keep them involved.
“It would be good to see people taking part in the 5K to progress on to a halfmarathon, or maybe even next year’s Stirling marathon.
“It remains one of the cheapest sports to take up and there’s a really good social side to it along with the obvious health benefits. We just need to provide more events.
“There are some fantastic runners, and top role models, coming out of Scotland at the moment so it’s important we take advantage of that.”
While she’s set to spend the weekend back in Scotland, Liz explained that she won’t be able to stop for very long.
She said: “We will be travelling back after the marathon on Sunday night as when we’re away there’s nobody to run the club.
“Things are going well at the moment. We have more than 100 people on our books. The challenge we find most difficult is the weather as you can’t train all year round because of the heat.
“We’re planing to run a week of coaching at the University of Stirling in July, though, and we should be releasing the details for that soon.”