Eilish McColgan sliced 43 seconds off her personal UK half-marathon report of 66:26 as she gained the Generali Berlin Half Marathon in 65:43 on Sunday (April 2).
The efficiency comes only one month after she broke Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing British 10,000m report with 30:00.86 and in Berlin she narrowly missed the fastest-ever half-marathon by a British girl of 65:40 which was set by Radcliffe on the Nice North Run – a course that’s ineligible for data – in 2003.
That very same yr Radcliffe ran 2:15:25 to win the London Marathon, so there are pure comparisons with McColgan as she heads towards her marathon debut on April 23 within the British capital.
“I’m actually joyful,” she informed organisers on the end. “It was a bit breezy and chilly however I’m Scottish so I’m used to that climate.
“The tempo was tremendous fast at the beginning so I panicked going by 10km. I acquired a little bit of cramp close to the top however I’m glad to get to the end and run a nationwide report.”
Tsigie Gebreselama had led by 10km in 30:44 with McColgan chasing 12 seconds behind. The Ethiopian, who gained silver behind Beatrice Chebet on the World Cross Nation Championships in Australia final month, continued to steer by 16 seconds by 15km in 46:24, however quickly afterwards McColgan caught and handed her.
Into the closing levels the 32-year-old Scot was away and clear however battling just a little cramp in her leg. Barely worryingly, she was nonetheless sporting the identical black knee help that she wore throughout her 10,000m run in California final month. Powering house, she flung her arms up crossing the road as she smashed her better of 66:26 which was set on the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon 14 months in the past.
McColgan had by no means run the Berlin Half earlier than however her first European medal had come within the metropolis in 2018 when she took 5000m silver behind Sifan Hassan. The Dutch runner coincidentally holds the European half-marathon report with 65:15 with McColgan now fourth within the European all-time rankings.
🇬🇧 Eilish McColgan smashes her British half-marathon report of 66:26 to win the Berlin Half in 65:43. pic.twitter.com/lBdYJASyjr
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 2, 2023
Behind McColgan on Sunday, Gebreselama held on for second place in 66:13 as Yalemget Yaregal of Ethiopia was third in 66:27.
Samantha Harrison clocked a 67:19 PB to maneuver into equal fourth place with Jess Warner-Judd on the UK all-time rankings as one other Bri, Calli Thackery, shaved a second off her PB with 69:01.
The streets of Berlin nearly all the time see quick occasions and the boys’s race was fast too as Sabastian Sawe broke away from fellow Kenyan Alex Kibet within the closing levels to win in 59:01.
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