Mccolgan is European athlete of the month

ATHLETICS: Dundee Hawkhill Harrier’s efforts in November rated best in Europe

Dundee Hawkhill’s Eilish Mccolgan has been voted the European athlete of the month for November.

Mccolgan, the Belgrade 2017 European Indoor Championships 3,000m bronze medallist, had an impressive victory at the Leeds Abbey Dash 10km on November 5, winning in 32 minutes 06 seconds.

Mccolgan was on top form again last Sunday when she won the Percy Pud 10km in Sheffield in 32:32, defending her title and once more smashing her own course record. She took nine seconds off her time from last year as she finished second overall as Andrew Heyes won the men’s race in 29:42.

Her mother Liz’s victory in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991 remains one of the greatest front-running performances of all-time but Eilish is now carving out her own reputation and will be looking towards the podium next summer at the Berlin European Championships.

After finishing 10th in the 5,000m at the World Championships in London, Mccolgan broke her personal best for the distance a few weeks later in Brussels when she ran a Scottish record of 14:48.49 to move to fourth on the British all-time list behind Paula Radcliffe, Jo Pavey and Zola Budd.

It was one of seven personal best times she has achieved in 2017, the others being: 1,500m (4:01.60), 3,000m (8:31.00),10,000 m (32:10.59),10 km (32:01) and indoors, 1,500m (4:19.99) and 3,000m (8:43.02).

Mccolgan will soon head for a winter training stint in Kenya and, if she is running well, may compete in birmingham before heading out to Australia for the Commonwealth Games in April.

Mccolgan said: “I feel like a medal is definitely within my reach for the Commonwealths and Europeans. I think for the Gold Coast the gold is wrapped up for Hellen Obiri but I think there will be quite a big scrap on for silver and bronze, which is exciting, and I feel like I should be a part of that.

“I think there’s a good chunk to still come off that 5km time because I think that’s the distance where I’m still developing.”

Picture: PA. Eilish Mccolgan: targeting medals at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.