Eilish Mccolgan eyes a calmer London Marathon after brutal debut
eilish mccolgan returns to London this weekend with one clear expectation: her second marathon will be easier than her first. The 35-year-old is set to line up as one of the headline runners at the 2026 TCS London Marathon, where she is aiming for a personal best after a debut she described as punishing.
A year ago, McColgan made her marathon debut in London after twice having her entry disrupted by injury. This time, she says the pressure around simply reaching the start line is gone, and that experience has made her feel far more prepared for the race-day attention and excitement.
Last year’s event tested her immediately. On a sweltering day, she lost touch with the leading pack early and spent much of the race alone, yet still finished inside the top ten with a Scottish marathon record of 2 hours 24 minutes 25 seconds. Now, with that first marathon behind her, McColgan believes the challenge will feel different when she takes on 26. 2 miles again in London.
eilish mccolgan targets a personal best
McColgan is aiming for a PB at this weekend’s London Marathon and says the experience of last year’s build-up has changed how she approaches the occasion. She said the nerves before her debut were intense because the race had been delayed twice by injury, adding that much of her energy had already been drained before the gun went off.
She also said outside comments about whether she could finish a marathon stayed with her, even if she did not believe them. That background made last year feel like a test of resolve as much as fitness. This weekend, eilish mccolgan arrives with the memory of that effort behind her and a much clearer sense of what to expect.
Why the second London Marathon feels different
McColgan’s own assessment is blunt. After crossing the line in London last year, she recalled her father telling her she was unlikely to face a tougher race again, and she agreed that the remark rings true. With the build-up already familiar, she says the noise around London is easier to manage now than it was during her first marathon campaign.
That matters because the event remains a major moment in her journey. The London Marathon is not just another race on her calendar; it is a checkpoint in a season where she is looking for signs that the step up to marathon running is settling into place. For McColgan, the goal is to turn a difficult debut into a stronger second effort.
What comes next in London
McColgan has been in excellent form so far in 2026, which adds to the sense that a stronger marathon performance could be possible. The key question now is how that form transfers to race day against one of the strongest women’s fields assembled in the event’s recent history.
If the first London Marathon was about surviving the unknown, this one is about proving progress. And for eilish mccolgan, a cleaner build-up and a better-managed race could be enough to turn a brutal debut into a far more satisfying second chapter.
