Eilish McColgan Reclaims European 10K Record in Valencia

The Scottish runner took back the mark just one week after it was broken

Published: Jan 11, 2026 2:20 pm

Jessy Carveth

Jessy Carveth

Jessy is our Senior News Editor, pro cyclist and former track and field athlete with a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology.

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Eilish McColgan Reclaims European 10K Record in Valencia 1

Eilish McColgan reclaimed the European women’s 10K record on Sunday morning in Valencia, running 30:08 at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja to move the mark on just one week after it had been broken.

The 35-year-old Scottish runner finished eighth overall in a mixed field, improving on the 30:10 run by Belgium’s Jana Van Lent in Nice last weekend. McColgan’s time trims two seconds from the record and is another big step in her return to top form after a tough and lengthy spell of injury.

The race was won by Kenya’s Brenda Jepchirchir in 29:25, with Likina Amebaw of Ethiopia second in 29:30. McColgan ran evenly throughout, passing halfway in 15:04 and matching that split in the second half, a controlled effort that proved enough to bring the European record back into her hands.

“This was my first time in Valencia and I’ve heard incredible things about the race,” McColgan said afterward. “It was also the first time I’ve raced with this many men around me, so I was never running alone. That made a big difference.”

McColgan first took the European 10K record in 2022 when she ran 30:19 in Manchester, ending Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing mark. She later lowered it further, before injuries stalled her momentum over the next three seasons, including knee surgery and a disrupted build-up to her marathon debut at the London Marathon last year.

“The last three years have been tough,” she said. “I rushed into London last year, so this winter we focused on getting my speed back first before thinking about another marathon.”

Sunday’s performance suggests that approach is paying off. McColgan now holds the European 10K record in both mixed and women’s-only races, the latter set in Manchester four years ago.

Behind her, Alex Bell continued her move up in distance, finishing 11th in a personal best 30:57, while Portugal’s Mariana Machado set a national record of 30:58. Further down the field, Czech runner Tereza Hrochova also broke her national record with a 31:05.

McColgan indicated she is keen to return to Valencia in the future, potentially over longer distances.

“This is one of those bucket-list races,” she said. “I don’t know how I’ve got to this age and never done it before. I’d love to come back for the half marathon, and maybe even the marathon one day.”