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Eilish McColgan finds Victory in Portsmouth with silver for Twell

21 years after her mother Liz won the event for the second time, Eilish McColgan stood proudly on the top of the women’s podium at Portsmouth’s Great South Run.

It was the first time 27-year-old Eilish had raced the 10-mile distance, putting in a performance her mother (and coach) called ‘strong and in control’.

Prior to Sunday, Eilish had never raced more than 10k – but her finish time of 54.43 put her clear of fellow Scot Steph Twell (55.16). Rounding out the podium in third place was 2017 winner, Gemma Steel.

Writing on Twitter after the race, Eilish said she was ‘over the moon’ and ‘couldn’t be happier’ with her win. She also shared a picture of her mother winning the same event over two decades earlier.

McColgan told Scottish Athletics: "I'm so happy. That was such a strange experience. I didn't know what to expect and to be honest that was probably what helped in a way.

"My mum said to me, 'Don't look at your watch, don't look at times, just be competitive and race the other girls', and that's what I did today. I got to eight miles and when I caught back up with Steph I thought I could try and slow it down or just go for it and I felt really good. It was definitely a much more pleasant experience than maybe I was expecting.

Twell, who had just returned from honeymoon before the race, was philosophical about her second place finish. She said: "I was still thinking about my training and I was still exploring trails – and for me that was a good way to enjoy it. Maybe that was one step too far right before a big race. But I’m happy with that.

"I’m a bit gutted but obviously I’ve had a lot going on!"

Image: scottishathletics

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