Great North Run: Eilish McColgan targets victory after twice going close to emulating mum Liz

Eilish McColgan hopes this year’s Great North Run will prove third time lucky after twice going close to emulating her mum with victory.

The 34-year-old Scot beat three-time winner Liz McColgan’s best time on the course from Newcastle to South Shields last year.

But the 2021 runner-up crossed the line five seconds behind winner Mary Ngugi-Cooper in a dramatic six-athlete sprint finish on that occasion.

“Obviously, everyone would love to win. It’s such an iconic race. I’ve watched it from a young age, my mum’s won there, legends of the sport have all won this race,” McColgan told BBC Sport.

“I’ve been so close on both occasions. Ultimately, I’d love to go there and take the win and it would be amazing. But I am very aware that the field is always really strong.”

McColgan will be joined by Kenya’s New York marathon winner Sheila Chepkirui and two-time Great North Run winner Vivian Cheruiyot on Sunday’s start line, alongside 60,000 other runners.

Britain’s 2021 winner Marc Scott faces Kenya’s defending champion Abel Kipchumba, 2024 London Marathon winner Alex Mutiso Munyao and Belgium’s European marathon record holder Bashir Abdi in the elite men’s race.

The elite wheelchair races feature Scotland’s 2024 runner-up Sean Frame, Commonwealth medallist Simon Lawson and Paralympian Mel Nicholls.