The Brit clocks 15:18 at the Skechers Performance Run in the United Arab Emirates
Eilish McColgan has continued her fine form by recording her fastest 5km in two years in Dubai.
The 33-year-old, who regularly goes to Dubai for warm weather training, decided to take part in the Skechers Performance Run – hosted by Super Sports – and won the race in the United Arab Emirates.
McColgan officially clocked 15:18 and that is her quickest time over the distance in two years.
Since having knee surgery last September, the Brit had competed in just one 5km, running 15:19 in Vienna back in May.
Although both 15:18 and 15:19 are still quite a way off from her British record of 14:45 – set at the ASICS META:TIME:TRIALS in Malaga in April 2022 – it shows that McColgan is building up her fitness nicely ahead of 2025.
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“The early bird catches the worm,” she wrote on her Instagram. “A 4.30am wake up. Does this mean I’m a morning person now? With it being 30°C and 80% humidity, and on less than four hours sleep, I still managed to muscle out a small seasons best! No better way to kick off a Sunday morning – jumping into a local 5km race for some training.”
It marks yet another milestone for McColgan and is her fourth race since the Paris Olympics, with the other three being the Big Half, Great North Run and Vitality London 10,000.
At the Vitality London 10,000, where she won in 31:36, the Brit told AW: “I’m really happy at the moment. After the surgery towards the end of last year, it’s been a long process to get back to where I am now. With two half-marathons and then a 10km, it’s been a tough couple of weeks getting back into racing.
Eilish McColgan (Graham Smith)
“If you told me that I’d run back-to-back half-marathons and then do a 10km in the space of a few weeks, I would’ve thought there was no chance of me doing that. I just think that shows how my body has got that much stronger again and getting back to where I was. There’s light at the end of the tunnel and now it’s about resetting and building into next season.”
After McColgan underwent knee surgery, she spent the following three weeks in crutches.
What followed was a heavy rehabilitation programme – including everything from cross-training to aqua jogging – to help prepare the Brit get back to competition once again.
After failing to finish in the 10,000m at the European Championships – McColgan’s first track event since her national record of 30:00.86 in California last March – she then placed 15th over 25 laps at the Olympics.
Eilish McColgan (London Marathon Events)
McColgan then won the Big Half in 69:14 and placed fifth at the Great North Run with 67:45, finishing just five seconds off the lead and beating her mum Liz’s best mark on the famous course.
All in all, the past few months have garnered huge success for the Brit and she is keen to finally make her marathon debut next year.
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