The day an Olympian came to Didsbury

Members of a south Manchester running club had a brush with greatness last week when they got the chance to run side by side with an Olympian.

Four-time European Championship medallist Eilish McColgan paid a visit to Didsbury Runners Club at their Monday night session at Didsbury Sports Ground, on the edge of Fletcher Moss park.

The long-distance runner, who holds several British and European records including the 10km road race and half marathon, was fresh from her fourth Olympic Games in Paris last month, having since completed the Great North Run in Newcastle where she was the 5th fastest woman.

READ MORE: In pictures: Team GB celebrate Paris Olympics success at huge homecoming event at Manchester's AO Arena

She was also the fastest woman at the Big Half Marathon in London on September 1, coming first with a time of 69 minutes and 14 seconds. The 34-year-old Scot has run on the biggest stages, from Rio to Tokyo to Berlin – but it was chance that brought her to south Manchester.

Didsbury Runners had entered a national competition giving clubs from all over the country the chance to host Eilish for a run at their club. They were just one of thousands of entrants, according to Revive Active, the supplement brand who organised the contest, for whom Eilish is an ambadssador. Robert Skilbeck, the club chair, said they were thrilled to have won.

“We’re all huge fans of her and have followed her career for years,” he said. “She’s inspirational to so many of us and the way she shows on social media just how much graft she puts in to achieve the success she’s had is incredible.

“We hope that she enjoyed the evening as much as we did and she’s welcome back to our club as an honorary lifetime member anytime she likes.”

Eilish joined the nearly 200 members for a warm up session at the sports ground, before heading out with them on a run around Fletcher Moss. Afterwards they were joined by Revive Active ambassador and nutritionist Wendy Hill for a talk on supplements.

This was then followed by a talk from Eilish herself. Before the run began, she told the Manchester Evening News that she was looking forward to the event.

“I think one of the best things about our sport is that it doesn't matter if you're a first time runner or you're an elite athlete – we’re all doing something we love, which is to run,” she said.

“If you're like a Sunday league footballer for example, you probably won’t get the chance to chat to a professional footballer, but our sport is different – it’s a lot more accessible. So I really enjoy getting to come to grassroots sport and meet people that are doing exactly the same as me every single day and have that same passion.”

She has set up her own not-for-profit Giving Back to Track, which runs free after school athletics clubs for children. “I just want more people to enjoy athletics and see the benefits – it’s not about becoming an elite athlete,” she said.

“The best thing about our sport is that it doesn't matter if you come first or last, because everyone has their own personal best. You just focus on improving yourself. And it isn't really skill based either – it's effort. All you need is a pair of trainers and to get yourself outdoors – you can very quickly start to see improvements."

She started out running with her local club, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, aged just 12, and remains a big proponent of running clubs over 20 years later. “This club [Didsbury Runners] is exactly like the club I first joined, and there are so many across the UK.”

“I really think a lot of elite athletes wouldn’t be where they are today if it wasn’t for a club system like this. You're with like-minded individuals, who have the same passion, so it’s easier to get out the door when you know that there’s other people joining you. It’s a friendly atmosphere too and that's why we see clubs like this continue to thrive."

Nicola Fitzmaurice, Head of UK Marketing of Revive Marketing, said of the event: The member turnout was incredible and it was a joy to see everyone embracing the experience to run alongside, meet and put questions to a four-time Olympian."

"We’ve been inspired by the support and camaraderie shared within the UK’s running clubs – and are more committed than ever to supporting grassroots sports through our work."