A deep dive into Eilish McColgan’s training

These are the methods that the British 5km, 10km and half-marathon record-holder has undertaken ahead of the Great North Run

Eilish McColgan is in full preparation ahead of the Autumn road running season.

After making her 26.2 mile debut in London back in April – she placed eighth overall in 2:24:25 – the 34-year-old is gearing up to compete at the Great North Run (September 7), before she takes on the New York City Marathon two months later (November 2).

It’s obvious McColgan knows what it takes to perform at the highest level. The Brit is the national record-holder over 5000m, 10,000m, 5km, 10km, 10 miles and the half-marathon. She is also a triple European outdoor medallist and the current Commonwealth 10,000m champion.

McColgan, after running the London Marathon in April, has used the summer as an abbreviated break, with the view of getting back into peak shape for her next set of road races.

Reflecting on her experience in the British capital, she says: “Initially I was disappointed with my time because I know I can run much faster but after speaking with all the other elite athletes – I realised that almost everyone was down on their best.

“Perhaps it was the weather conditions as it was much hotter than we all expected. I definitely wasn’t prepared for it to be as warm as it was and ended up cramping very early into the race which made for a pretty painful last half. Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of finishing my first marathon despite the challenges leading into the race and during it.”

McColgan’s focus is now squarely on the Great North Run. Completing the 13.1 mile course from Newcastle to South Shields last year in 67:45 saw the Brit beat her mum Liz’s Great North Run record mark and, this time around, she is determined to join Liz on the honours board.

To best prepare for the race, McColgan’s weekly training has involved two interval sessions on the track, one long run, several easy runs and one full rest day, allowing her to build towards the event without sacrificing recovery or increasing injury risk. “It’s a pretty standard format for me regardless of what race I’m aiming for,” McColgan says. “Obviously for the half-marathon, my sessions will be geared more towards 10km and half-marathon pace and my long runs will build towards 16 miles.”

With McColgan adding volume through low-impact cross-training sessions, it means she doesn’t run as many miles as some other elite endurance athletes. After a brief recovery period after the…