Club: Dundee Hawkhill Gender: Female Age Group: V60 County: Scotland East Region: Scotland Nation: Scotland

Lead Coach: Unknown Previous Lead: John Anderson 1987-1988

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Liz McColgan (nee Lynch) was a talented youngster, regularly battling with her great rival Yvonne Murray in cross-country events but McColgan’s career began to blossom when she was offered a sports scholarship to Idaho University, before transferring to Alabama University, where she won a prestigious NCAA title but her indoor title in 1986 was her last, as she was barred from competition due to unintentionally breaching prize-money laws. However, McColgan quickly made an impression on the international circuit, winning the Commonwealth 10000m title in front of her homecrowd in Edinburgh, defeating New Zealand’s Anne Audain in a tremendous race. One month later, McColgan attempted an ambitious 3000/10000m double at the European Championships in Stuttgart. Liz was 12th in the 3000m (9:02.42 and 8:58.85 in the heats) and 7th in the 10000m (31:49.46), where she was lapped by eventual champion Ingrid Kristiansen but this was only a tiny footnote in a prolific career. Six months later, McColgan won a silver medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Warsaw, in one of the greatest fields ever assembled for a cross-country race. McColgan succumbed to defeat to the hands of Annette Sergent but gained the satisfaction of defeating Kristiansen into the bronze medal position, as well as finishing ahead of luminaries including her nemesis on the track, Olga Bondarenko. McColgan had a good Grand Prix campaign but at the World Championships, McColgan finished just outside the medals. Liz allowed Kristiansen to make an early break and could not bridge the lead of the Norwegian and acted as a pacemaker for the second group. Heartbreakingly for Liz, she was outsprinted on the last lap by the Soviet Olga Zhupieva and East Germany’s Katrin Ullrich. McColgan improved her British and Commonwealth record to 31:06.99 at the Bislett Games in July 1988 and at the Olympic Games, Liz won a hard fought silver medal in Seoul. In a dramatic race, Kristiansen dropped out at 3km with a foot injury when she was in the lead and a similar scenario unravelled, as McColgan led the chasing group comprised of Bondarenko and Zhupieva, before catching Ullrich after 5km. McColgan continued to lead and successfully dropped Ullrich and Zhupieva but Liz could not shake off the persistent figure of the tiny Bondarenko. The Soviet attacked with 200m remaining and McColgan had to settle for a silver medal behind the diminutive Russian, whose gutsy break proved to be decisive. In 1989, McColgan won silver at the World Indoor Championships behind Elly van Hulst, before setting a 10km world record of 30:38 in Orlando just one week later. In 1990, McColgan defended her Commonwealth 10000m title, as well as taking 3000m bronze, but soon after this triumph, Liz chose to abandon the rest of the year to start a family but returned with a vengeance in the 1991 campaign. Just weeks after giving birth, McColgan won bronze at the World Cross Country Championships in Antwerp and broke the 31-minute barrier for the first time over 10000m in June, running 30:57.07 in Hengelo, as well as setting a 3000m PB in Nice. McColgan started as the pre-race favourite for the World Championships in Tokyo and Liz had prepared meticulously by training in humid conditions in Florida. After running the heats in flats, McColgan made her intentions clear in the final by leading from the gun, churning out consecutive laps of 74/75-seconds, which dropped everyone by 7km expect for Ethiopia’s Derartu Tulu but soon after, Tulu was broken and McColgan was in the clear at 8km. McColgan crossed the line for the gold medal, setting a winning time of 31:14.31, defeating China’s Zhong Huandi by more than 100m. Two months later, Liz won her debut marathon in New York, setting the world’s fastest debut of 2:27:32. However, McColgan could not reproduce the same form in 1992. A cold affected her chances at the World Cross Cou

Best known performances

Event PB 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Event 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 1998 1997 1996 1995 1993 1992 Event 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1000 2:41.8 1000 1000 2:41.8 1500 4:01.38 1500 4:07.29 1500 4:09.57 4:10.16i 4:01.38 4:13.13 Mile 4:26.11 Mile 4:32.37 Mile 4:26.11 4:35.06i 4:33.91 2000 5:40.24 2000 2000 5:46.29i 5:40.24 5:43.40 3000 8:34.80i 3000 9:31.11i 8:43.34i 3000 8:38.23 8:47.66 8:34.80i 8:46.53 2Miles 9:50.85i 2Miles 2Miles 9:50.85i 5000 14:59.56 5000 14:59.56 15:03.17i 5000 15:01.08 15:41.58 10000 30:57.07 10000 31:40.14 31:26.11 10000 30:57.07 32:23.56 31:06.99 31:19.82 31:41.42 5K 14:57 5K 15:18 5K 14:57 Event PB 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Event 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 1998 1997 1996 1995 1993 1992 Event 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 8K 24:48 8K 24:48 8K 5M 25:25 5M 25:25 5M 10K 30:39 39:53 40:14 42:11 10K 39:30 37:11 37:10 42:00 31:19 10K 30:39 30:59 31:07 32:24 12K 39:20 12K 12K 39:20 15K 47:43 15K 15K 47:43 52:29 10M 52:00 10M 56:12 52:00 52:14 10M HM 67:11 HM 85:09a 80:15a 84:53a 69:50 70:08 69:49 67:11 HM 69:15 70:59 Mar 2:26:52 4:23:31 4:24:20 3:18:32 Mar 3:10:54 2:50:38 2:26:54 2:26:52 2:27:54 2:30:32 2:29:37 2:27:38 Mar 2:27:32

Performances	Submit
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1995 1996 1997 1998 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2010 2013 2017 2019 2020 2021
Default Date (Latest first) Date (Earliest first) Event Position Age Graded Points

2021 V55 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
Mar	4:23:31	c			17784		5104	279	London	Virgin Money London Marathon	3 Oct 21
2020 V55 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
10K	39:53			39:54	16		1		Al Daayen, QAT	Doha College 10K	16 Jan 20
10K	42:59			43:00	88		8	1	Orlando FL, USA	Walt Disney World 10K	10 Jan 20
2019 V50 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
Mar	4:24:20	c			24846				New York NY, USA	TCS New York City Marathon	3 Nov 19
2017 V50 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
10K	40:14			40:16	131		16	1	Birmingham	Great Birmingham 10K	30 Apr 17
Mar	3:18:32			3:18:32	220		16	3	Stirling	Stirling Scottish Marathon	21 May 17
2013 V45 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
10K	42:11	c			168		16	1	Sheffield	Bupa Great Yorkshire Run 10K	29 Sep 13
2010 V45 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
10K	39:30						9	1	Sheffield	Bupa Great Yorkshire Run 10K	5 Sep 10
HM	85:09	ac					27		Newcastle-South Shields	Bupa Great North Run Half Marathon	19 Sep 10
Mar	3:10:54			3:10:54	1760		129	8	New York NY, USA	ING New York City Marathon	7 Nov 10
2007 V40 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
10K	37:11						1		Glasgow	Norwich Union City vs City 10K	3 Jun 07
HM	80:15	a			148		20	2	Newcastle-South Shields	Bupa Great North Run Half Marathon	30 Sep 07
HM	84:45						1		Dundee	Dundee City Half Marathon	1 Jul 07
Mar	2:50:38				400		25	1	London	Flora London Marathon	22 Apr 07
2006 V40 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
HM	84:53	a			32				Newcastle-South Shields	Great North Run	1 Oct 06
2005 V40 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
10K	37:10				1				Strabane	STRABANE 10km	23 Jul 05
2004 V35 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
3000	9:31.11	i			1				Glasgow	DM Hall Scottish Championships	15 Feb 04
10K	42:00				3				Balmoral	Great Caledonian Run	8 May 04
2003 V35 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
10M	56:12						4	1	Portsmouth	Great South Run	12 Oct 03
1998 SEN Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
5M	25:25				2				Balmoral	Compaq	11 Apr 98
HM	69:50				5				Lisbon, POR	-	15 Mar 98
Mar	2:26:54						2		London	London Marathon	26 Apr 98
1997 SEN Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
10M	52:00				1				Portsmouth	Great South Run	5 Oct 97
HM	70:08	a					3		Newcastle-South Shields	Great North Run	14 Sep 97
HM	70:16				3				Lisbon, POR	-	9 Mar 97
Mar	2:26:52						2		London	Flora London Marathon	13 Apr 97
1996 SEN Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
5K	15:18				3				Portsmouth	BUPA	13 Apr 96
Mar	2:27:54						1		London	London Marathon	21 Apr 96
Mar	2:30:50				3				Tokyo, JPN	-	17 Nov 96
Mar	2:34:30				16				Atlanta GA, USA	Olympic Games	28 Jul 96
1995 SEN Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
5000	14:59.56				3				Hechtel, BEL	NvdA	22 Jul 95
10000	31:40.14				6				Gothenburg, SWE	IAAF World Championships	9 Aug 95
10000	32:33.89				2	h2			Gothenburg, SWE	IAAF World Championships	6 Aug 95
HM	69:49				3				Lisbon, POR	-	12 Mar 95
Mar	2:30:32				7				Tokyo, JPN	-	19 Nov 95
Mar	2:31:14				109		5		London	London Marathon	2 Apr 95
1993 SEN Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
10K	31:19				1				Forfar	-	4 Apr 93
Mar	2:29:37						3		London	London Marathon	18 Apr 93
1992 SEN Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
1500	4:07.29				2				Gateshead	Vauxhall	17 Jul 92
Mile	4:32.37				11				Don Valley	Lucozade	14 Aug 92
3000	8:43.34	i			1				Birmingham	vUSA	14 Mar 92
3000	8:43.81				3				Crystal Palace	TSB	10 Jul 92
5000	15:03.17	i			1				Birmingham	TSB Invitational	22 Feb 92
10000	31:26.11				5				Barcelona, ESP	Olympic Games	7 Aug 92
10000	32:07.25				3	h1			Barcelona, ESP	Olympic Games	1 Aug 92
8K	24:48				1				Washington DC, USA	Nike	10 May 92
10M	52:14				1				Sandiacre	Erewash	6 Sep 92
HM	67:11				1				Tokyo, JPN	-	26 Jan 92
HM	68:42				1				Dundee	-	11 Oct 92
HM	68:53	a			1				Newcastle-South Shields	GNR/WC	20 Sep 92
Mar	2:27:38				1				Tokyo, JPN	-	15 Nov 92
1991 SEN Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
1500	4:09.57				1				Gateshead	Pearl Assurance	9 Aug 91
3000	8:38.23				1				Nice, FRA	Nik/GP	15 Jul 91
3000	8:49.22				3				Don Valley	McVities Challenge	15 Sep 91
10000	30:57.07				1				Hengelo, NED	APM	25 Jun 91
10000	31:14.31				1				Tokyo, JPN	IAAF World Championships	30 Aug 91
10000	31:54.67				3	h2			Tokyo, JPN	IAAF World Championships	27 Aug 91
10000	31:54.67				3	h2			Tokyo, JPN	IAAF World Championships	27 Aug 91
5K	14:57				1				Chicago IL, USA	-	27 Oct 91
5K	15:11				1				Carlsbad CA, USA	-	14 Apr 91
HM	69:15				2				Exeter	GWR	5 May 91
Mar	2:27:32				1				New York NY, USA	New York City Marathon	3 Nov 91
1990 SEN Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
3000	8:47.66				3				Auckland, NZL	Commonwealth Games	28 Jan 90
10000	32:23.56				1				Auckland, NZL	Commonwealth Games	27 Jan 90
1989 SEN Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
1500	4:10.16	i			6				Budapest, HUN	IAAF World Indoor Championships	4 Mar 89
2000	5:46.29	i+			m				Budapest, HUN	IAAF World Indoor Championships	4 Mar 89
3000	8:34.80	i			2				Budapest, HUN	IAAF World Indoor Championships	4 Mar 89
10K	30:39				1				Orlando FL, USA	RLob	11 Mar 89
1988 SEN Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
10000	31:06.99				1				Oslo, NOR	Bislett Games	2 Jul 88
10000	31:08.44				2				Seoul, KOR	Olympic Games	30 Sep 88
10000	32:11.95				1	h2			Seoul, KOR	Olympic Games	26 Sep 88
10K	30:59				1				Orlando FL, USA	RLob	6 Feb 88
15K	47:43				1				Tampa FL, USA	Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K	13 Feb 88
1987 SEN Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
1000	2:41.8	+e			m				Oslo, NOR	Bislett Games	4 Jul 87
1500	4:01.38				3				Oslo, NOR	Bislett Games	4 Jul 87
Mile	4:26.11				2				Crystal Palace	PTG/GP	10 Jul 87
2000	5:40.24				1				Crystal Palace	DCrest	22 Aug 87
5000	15:01.08				1				Oslo, NOR	NorG	5 Aug 87
10000	31:19.82				5				Rome, ITA	IAAF World Championships	4 Sep 87
10000	33:09.26				2	h1			Rome, ITA	IAAF World Championships	31 Aug 87
10K	31:07				1				Orlando FL, USA	RLob	21 Feb 87
10K	31:13				1				Davenport IA, USA	-	10 Oct 87
10K	31:27				1				Dundee	-	12 Apr 87
12K	39:20				1				Irving TX, USA	StPaul	17 Oct 87
1986 U23 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
SHORT3000	9:05.64	i			2				Oklahoma City OK, USA	NCAA	15 Mar 86
1500	4:13.13				2				Edinburgh	Sco	14 Jun 86
Mile	4:35.06	i			1				Baton Rouge LA, USA	SEC	2 Mar 86
2000	5:43.40				3				Gateshead	England v Commonwealth	5 Aug 86
3000	8:46.53				1				Birmingham	Pearl	18 Jul 86
3000	8:58.85				6	h1			Stuttgart, GER	European Championships	26 Aug 86
3000	9:02.42				12				Stuttgart, GER	European Championships	28 Aug 86
3000	9:15.91	i			1				Bloomington IN, USA	-	1 Feb 86
2Miles	9:50.85	i			1				Baton Rouge LA, USA	SEC	1 Mar 86
5000	15:41.58	+			m				Stuttgart, GER	European Championships	30 Aug 86
10000	31:41.42				1				Edinburgh	Commonwealth Games	28 Jul 86
10000	31:49.46				7				Stuttgart, GER	European Championships	30 Aug 86
10000	32:59.59				1				Cwmbran	UK Championships	26 May 86
10K	32:24				1				Mobile AL, USA	Azalea	8 Mar 86
HM	70:59				1				Dundee	-	12 Oct 86
1985 U23 Dundee Hawkhill
Event	Perf				Pos				Venue	Meeting	Date
Mile	4:33.91				7				Edinburgh	EdinG	23 Jul 85
15K	52:29				19				Tampa FL, USA	Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K	9 Feb 85

Total Performances: 101

Please see the Submit section for details of how to notify us of any missing performances.

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