by Stuart Weir
McColgan wins the London Big Half.
More than 16,000 runners were on the course for the seventh edition of the Big Half (a London Marathon event), a running festival celebrating London’s diverse communities (September 1, 2024).
Jack Rowe was the first to finish in the Men’s Elite Race at The Big Half, for the second successive year, with a dominant run that saw him break clear around the three-mile mark and then run solo to victory in a time of 62:35.
Jack Rowe won the #BigHalf for the second year in a row. This is his interview (September 1), courtesy of #TheBigHalfMarathon, #newbalance, #jackrowe pic.twitter.com/z6VnAS7dqb
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) September 7, 2024
First place finisher in the women’s race was Eilish McColgan, with Calli Hauger-Thackery (GBR) second and Lucy Reid third. McColgan has been frustrated by injury over the past two years and has not raced in the capital since winning the 2022 edition of The Big Half. But she showed she was on her way back to her best by producing a storming final 5K to catch and then pass fellow Olympian and long-time leader Calli Hauger-Thackery in the closing stages to win in 69 minutes and 14 seconds.
McColgan commented: “The main goal was to win. There was a mental block for me, coming off the back of an injury and knee surgery; I’ve had to run with pain, so to get around the distance and know the knee is OK now, I can stop panicking and move on. Today was a big mental block, and to win was a huge goal. It’s challenging mentally coming to a race when you know you are not in PB form, but I’m proud to show up when I’m not 100%. The last thing I want to do is go into training for another five or six months and wait for that one fantastic day. It’s about showing up when things have been tough, too.
“It’s a different season for me because of the injury. I am just starting my season. I am doing the Great North Run and Vitality London 10,000. Then, I will assess and see if I can do a couple more road races or take a break and get ready for 2025! I was proud to make my fourth Olympics. The Olympics came two to three months too soon for me, but that is sport. You can’t ask the Olympics to move to when it suits you. I was proud to make the team. Today, hearing people cheer my name today from mile one to mile 13 was a big boost. You had support all the way. When you start to feel tired, it gives you a mental boost.”
Eilish McColgan speaks at #BigHalf, after her victory in 69:14. Interview courtesy of #BigHalfmarathon, @EilishMccolgan, @ASICSUK pic.twitter.com/NmCNyX8snO
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) September 7, 2024
In the elite wheelchair races, John Boy Smith triumphed in the men’s race, coming home in 50:00, while Claudia Burrough won the women’s race in 65:02.
