Eilish McColgan opened up on Thursday about the body shaming she has faced on social media and called for stricter regulations, suggesting that accounts should be linked to passports. This comes as she prepares for her debut marathon.
McColgan revealed that her goal for the upcoming London Marathon on Sunday is to surpass her mother, Liz McColgan’s personal best. Liz famously won the race in 1996 and was the runner-up in 1997.
In March, when Liz shared a video of Eilish training, it sparked what McColgan described as “demeaning and abusive” comments, including accusations of anorexia. “I’ve grown numb to it. Those kinds of comments have been around for years, so they’re nothing new,” she explained.
She pointed out that many of those leaving hurtful messages do so behind anonymous profiles, but some even post under their real names and faces. She mentioned one commenter who was a teacher with a daughter and another who was a man with three daughters. McColgan reached out to both individuals to express her disappointment.
“The only reason I call it out from time to time is that I know that I have a lot of young kids who do follow me and I don’t want them to read it and think the reason I’m that fast is because I’m starving myself to do it,” McColgan explained. “I want people to see that what’s being said is not my reality, it’s actually the complete opposite of that.”
McColgan also noted that the official London Marathon account on X has not posted since January, explaining that it is no longer seen as “a positive place to be.” McColgan believes a solution to online abuse would be to link social media accounts to verified identification, such as passports, but remains committed to maintaining her social media presence with a clear message.
“It’s trying to get across to the next generation that to get the most out of your career the utmost priority is looking after your body. It doesn’t matter what people online think,” she said.
McColgan also shared that she’s received messages from individuals who have been bullied for their appearance, and she hopes that by sharing her own experiences, she can help them build confidence. “If I’m in my 30s and still being bullied for how I look, hopefully it gives them the courage to stand up for themselves,” she said.
The reigning Commonwealth 10,000m champion, who competes for Scotland, is setting her sights on the marathon event at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. She will be making her marathon debut this Sunday, aiming to match her mother’s 1997 time of 2 hours, 26 minutes, and 52 seconds.
“I’m absolutely terrified. I’ve never been this scared! It’s all completely unknown,” she admitted. “I’ve trained up to 21 miles, but I’ve never reached 26. I keep wondering what it’s going to feel like after 20 miles because I really don’t know.”
