Eilish McColgan has opted to delay her marathon debut by seven months and race the 2023 TCS London Marathon, rather than this year’s event on Sunday 2 October.
McColgan’s preparations for the 2022 TCS London Marathon have been complicated by her reaction to taking on fuel during long practice runs.
The issue has been identified as rebound hypoglycemia, which leads to reduced blood sugar levels and means there is not enough glucose in the blood to meet the body’s needs.
The issue is not uncommon in endurance athletes and McColgan and her team are working with sport scientists to find a solution.
However, McColgan has acknowledged that time has run out to be ready for this year’s TCS London Marathon on Sunday 2 October and has revised her plans so she will make her debut at the 2023 TCS London Marathon on Sunday 23 April instead.
McColgan, who will be racing The Big Half in London this Sunday, said: “I am, of course, extremely disappointed not to be racing this year’s TCS London Marathon, which was very much part of my plan for 2022. But when I do race my first marathon I want to be in the very best condition.
“When we started preparing for London earlier this year, it was clear something wasn’t right on my long runs. Refuelling in a marathon is such an important part of the race to get right, so I have been practising this during my long runs and very quickly I’ve been experiencing spells of dizziness that have really affected me.
“I was relieved to learn it is not uncommon in athletes. I’m grateful to have a really supportive team around me who are working to find a fuelling solution for this issue and I’m confident that we will have done so in time for me to prepare properly for the 2023 TCS London Marathon on Sunday 23 April.”
McColgan, whose mum Liz famously won the 1996 London Marathon, was hoping this year’s TCS London Marathon would cap an incredible 2022.
The Dundee Hawkhill Harrier raced in six track finals over 5000m and 10000m at major championships this summer, winning a gold and silver medal in the 10000m and 5000m respectively at the Commonwealth Games, and a silver and bronze medal in the 10000m and 5000m at the European Championships.
She has also broken the British records for 5K (14:45) and 10K (30:19) on the roads this year.
McColgan will now return to close out her 2022 campaign, starting with The Big Half on Sunday (4 September).
She said: “I’m really excited to be returning to London on Sunday to race in The Big Half for the first time. It’s been such a wonderful year for me so I’m looking forward to finishing on a high before getting a rest and turning my attentions to 2023 and the TCS London Marathon in April.”
