Backstraight Boys Athletics Chat

Before Jessica Ennis-Hill in Beijing, there was Liz McColgan in Tokyo - winning global 10,000m gold less than a year after giving birth to Eilish. In just two years’ time, the McColgans will be back in Japan, and hoping to reach another international podium, for - despite her parents’ best efforts not to push her into the sport - Eilish has followed in her mother’s footsteps, and is now a formidable athlete in her own right. 4:01, 8:31, 14:48: these days, she is rubbing shoulders with Paula, Jo, Yvonne, Laura, and other British distance heavyweights towards the top of the all-time rankings; consistently reaching finals at major championships; and won a brave and brilliant silver over 5,000m in Berlin this summer. The road has not been smooth - there have been barriers both literal (Eilish is the Scottish 3,000 steeplechase record holder) and figurative (for years she battled with significant injuries) - but the last few seasons have been transformative, and it was fascinating to catch up with her at the end o