Eilish gives a great insight into her record-breaking performance at the Berlin Half Marathon and shares her preparations for the London Marathon.
Despite the chilly and windy conditions, it was great to be back in the German Capital of Berlin. I have good memories of this place- it is the historic Olympic Stadium that brought me my first ever European Outdoor medal back in 2018. This time around, I took to the streets of the city to compete in the popular Berlin Half Marathon.
A few weeks earlier, I was disappointed to be carrying an injury that prevented me from racing the New York City Half Marathon. It’s another popular half marathon event and one that I had been looking forward to. However, the race came around too soon, and I had been battling bursitis in my knee. My knee was incredibly swollen and took a little longer to settle than we initially thought so we looked around for an alternative race.
I knew I was ready to smash my personal best, but it was about finding the right event!
I posed the question online and received hundreds of people suggesting possible half marathon events. We were swaying between both Prague and Berlin, as they were both hosted on the same weekend. Ultimately, we decided on Berlin due to the depth of runners competing. Every year there are thousands of runners competing in Berlin. It follows a similar route to the full marathon course. I thought I’d have a better chance of running a fast time, knowing that there would be plenty of men to race against on the nice, flat roads. I just didn’t expect it to be as cold and windy as it was. Being Scottish a bit of cold weather wasn’t ever going to stop me!
A few days before the race, I felt a little tired. I wasn’t sure if I was coming down with something or if it was just my period being a little out of sync with the long travel from the USA. Contending with jetlag is always a challenge for me. Even more so when our flights end up consisting of a five-hour layover, with a further three-hour delay stuck on the tarmac inside the plane. It really wasn’t the smoothest of journeys and my legs felt very flat for a few days ahead of the event.
I tried to keep my tiredness in the back of my mind and focus on how well training had been going over the last few months. My knee bursitis had improved massively and with that being my main concern - I was feeling confident that I could put in a strong performance. I enjoy the atmosphere of road races. There is a different buzz compared to the track. It feels much more intimate with people lining the streets to cheer on their loved ones. I try to use that energy to keep focused over the longer distances.
Despite the cold wind, the pace was hot from the start. I tried to hold back a little and not get too carried away, but I still went through the 5K much faster than planned. Gebreselama (my main competitor from Ethiopia) was around 15s ahead of me at halfway however still within my eye line. I didn’t want her to get too far ahead at any point, as I felt confident, I could close it down over the last 5 kilometres. Throughout the entire race I was battling alongside some men which was really good fun. It’s probably one of the first road races I’ve done where I’ve had people to race the entire way. Some of the men helped pace me through different sections of the race, which was really kind of them. They were constantly encouraging me to stick with them and to keep pushing - especially on the windiest sections of the course.
I felt strong - which is how I hoped I would feel. In training, I’m stronger than ever before. “Strong as an ox.” as my mum would say. As the race progressed, I grew in confidence with around 5km to go, I reeled in the leading woman. Michael popped up on the bike next to us and was shouting for me to go straight past. “Don’t hesitate!” he shouted. I responded and made a real effort to push on. She held onto me for a mile or so, but I could hear her breathing was laboured which helped my confidence grow even more. I felt strong and ready to really push over the final 2 miles.
Heading into the final kilometre, I felt my hamstring tighten out of nowhere. It caught me by surprise and was incredibly sore. There had been quite a few turns in the course, so I’m not sure if the cold weather combined with those twists caused my hamstring to spasm. I was extremely concerned that I wouldn’t finish the race. Instead of pushing on, I halted right back and tried to keep my hamstring intact! Every time I took a step or extended my leg, it felt like my whole leg was going to tear. I couldn’t run properly and had to completely change my running style to make it to the finish line. I genuinely don’t know how I got there in the end! The last few minutes of the event feel like such a blur due to the pain. Crossing the line, I didn’t feel excited. I had just run a huge personal best and new national record, yet all I could think about was my leg. I was panicking about what it would mean for the rest of the season, instead of really taking in the moment.
Having had a few days to reflect, I feel much happier about my race now. I became the first British woman, ever to win the Berlin Half which is something I’m really proud of. And I take even more confidence in knowing how much faster I can run with warmer conditions, less wind and with a fully functioning hamstring for the latter stage of the race!
We still don’t know the reason behind why the hamstring reacted the way it did, so I’ve flown back to the UK for some scans. We know it’s going to be a tight turnaround before London Marathon, but I’ve not had a smooth build into any of my races this year. Nothing has gone smoothly in 2023. The increase in training has been challenging and I’ve been constantly managing one niggle after another.
However, with a 10,000m PB, a Half Marathon PB and National Record bagged so far - I know we can keep turning it around. My training is banked, and my fitness is at an all-time high. I can’t panic when a setback happens. I need to stay calm, continue to adjust our plans and have faith in my training. The London Marathon will remain my next big goal. Anything under 2hr 26 would achieve three goals in one. To break my mum’s one and only remaining family PB, the Scottish Record, and achieve a qualifying time for next year’s Olympic Games.
I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got.