Didsbury Runners Train Side-by-side With Olympic Legend Eilish Mccolgan

Members of the North-West based Didsbury Runners Club @didsburyrunnersclub were delighted to welcome long-distance running legend Eilish McColgan to one of their weekly training sessions (Monday 9^th September). 175 running enthusiasts from the friendly, inclusive and social group had the “once in a lifetime” opportunity to stride alongside running royalty, having entered and won a national competition organised by Revive Active, the ultimate super supplement experts.

The “Come Run With Me” competition was open to every running club in the country (no matter how big or small!)  with Didsbury Runners Club selected as the lucky winners chosen from thousands of entrants (who shared the competition nationwide via social media).

Members joined the four-time Olympian, British & European record holder and Commonwealth and European medal winner Eilish McColgan, for a 25-minute warm-up, before setting out from Didsbury Sports Ground to run alongside Eilish on Fletcher Moss as part of their usual Monday night run.

Off the back of her recent triumph at the Big Half earlier in the month and an appearance at the Great North Run the day before, Eilish’s presence at the local running club was met with great excitement and proved to be a real hit with members – young and old!

Post-run members enjoyed a talk from nutritionist Wendy Hill on fuelling for athletics including a sampling session of some of the award-winning super supplements taken by Eilish on a daily basis (Revive Active ProSport, Informed Sport Certified range for athletes). This includes Zest Active – winner of the Best Energy Supplement in the Women’s Fitness Nutrition Awards 2024 – free from fillers, binders, caffeine, preservatives and stimulants and designed to support muscle function, focus and immunity as well as supercharging natural energy stores.

The evening concluded with an “Audience With” session with Eilish – fresh from her incredible fourth Olympic Games in Paris last month and stellar performances at the Big Half and the Great North Run – with members having the opportunity to put questions to elite athlete Eilish.  The conversation was wide ranging with Eilish answering questions on her training routine and nutrition, her tactics for the Great North Run, how she’s dealt with injury, what inspires her and what drove her on to smash the Commonwealth Record.

Commenting on the Come Run with Me event, Revive Active Brand Ambassador Eilish McColgan comments: “You have to put the hours in when training for long distance events – and it can be a solitary experience! So, it was a real joy to run with a group of people who turn out every week to train and enjoy each other’s company. The passion and commitment that members of the Club have was clear to see and an absolute pleasure to be part of.  I grew up around a group of similar people at my club the Dundee Hawkill Harriers – so it was really special to be reminded of the importance of running within a like-minded and supportive community. I met some super keen and talented youngsters as well, so I’ll keep an eye out for their progress over the next few years!”.

Nicola Fitzmaurice, Head of UK Marketing at Revive Active comments, “Our ethos at Revive is to support individuals’ lives around the world by encouraging everyone to lead a healthier lifestyle. So, this event epitomises our commitment to that and salutes those who show up every day through nutrition and fitness to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. We’re delighted to have been able to connect Didsbury Runners with our Brand Ambassador Eilish McColgan through this Come Run With Me competition. 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. Thank you to all those who came along and to every one of the running clubs across the country who entered our competition. 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.”

Robert Skilbeck, Chair of Didsbury Runners Chair comments, “As a club we’re all thrilled and excited to host Eilish at Didsbury Runners. We are all huge fans of her and have followed her career for years, 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 just 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. Huge thanks to Revive Active for the chance to make this happen.”