McColgan to miss London Marathon with knee injury

Eilish McColgan has been forced to withdraw from Sunday's London Marathon because of a knee injury.

However, the Briton, who has stepped up after a successful season over 5,000m and 10,000m, has had to admit defeat in her attempt to make the start line.

"Frustratingly, over the past few days, I've picked up a niggle in my knee," she said in a statement on Thursday.

The Scot delayed travelling to London in the hope treatment might address the issue but her chances of running were realistically slender given how late in her preparations she picked up the injury.

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In March, the Commonwealth 10,000m champion set a new British record over that distance in California - beating Paula Radcliffe's time - while on 2 April she broke her own British half-marathon record while winning in Berlin.

Having to withdraw will be particularly tough to take for McColgan given her history with the event.

She sat in a hospitality tent at the finish line as a five-year-old, eating pizza and watching her mum win the iconic race in 1996 and then represented Scotland in the Mini Marathon a few years later.

While emerging at the front of a stellar women's field was always unlikely, McColgan finally felt both physically and mental able to tackle the 26.2-mile distance for the first time.

A Scottish record, an Olympic qualifying time and improving on her mum's personal best were all within her grasp. But that will have to wait, just like her promise to avenge her uncle, who was beaten by a man dressed as a rhino in 1999.

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