Dundee distance running star Eilish McColgan has pulled out of the London Marathon.
McColgan (31) has been forced to withdraw from next month’s 26.2-mile race after enduring difficulties taking on fuel during long practice runs.
The issue has been diagnosed as rebound hypoglycemia, which is relatively common amongst endurance athletes and causes low blood sugar levels.
⏬ Race Update ⏬
Sadly, I won't be taking part in the TCS London Marathon this October.@LondonMarathon
I've had some unexpected issues with my blood sugars when taking fuel on long runs & sadly there isn't enough time to get it right for race day. 😤⛽️
📸 James Rhodes. pic.twitter.com/LLu4sD3UIU
— Eilish McColgan (@EilishMccolgan) September 2, 2022
Next month’s race was set to be McColgan’s marathon debut.
Instead, she is now targeting next year’s London event – scheduled for April 2023 – as her maiden run at the distance.
She said: “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.
‘Spells of dizziness’
“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 London Marathon.”
McColgan, fresh from bagging medals at 10,000m and 5,000m at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships, is still set to compete in “The Big Half” in London on Sunday.
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