There were so many emotions swirling around as Eilish McColgan surged to golden glory in the 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Unfairly written off in some quarters and troubled by injury and illness in the build-up to the competition, could the 31-year-old Dundonian possibly emulate the exploits of her mother, Liz, and seize a gold medal when it mattered in front of her home crowd?
And then, as she battled against quality Kenyan opponent, Irine Cheptai, even while the crowd whipped up a storm of support for the Scot, there was a dramatic denouement when the duo entered the last lap.
Eilish trailed with 250m to go, but there was a steely determination on her face and gradually she reeled Cheptai in, surged towards the tape, and raised her arms to celebrate the biggest win of her career.
In the next few moments, when she embraced Liz and we strove to make sense of what had just happened, her mother gazed at her with the same admiration and respect which she used to command from crowds throughout her illustrious time on the track.
And it was a reminder of why these women deserve their place in Scottish sporting lore.
Going back to the future with Liz McColgan
Soon enough, as the merry pair began talking about the past and the present, there was a lovely tribute to Eilish from Liz, who has seen at first hand just how difficult it is to reach the pinnacle of your sport when you have to do it on your own terms.
“I always knew that she could do this and, tonight, she has run the race I knew she was capable of,” was the verdict from the woman who tasted Commonwealth Games glory in 1986 in Edinburgh and 1990 in Auckland, but was constantly pushing herself through the wringer in the quest for faster times and better performances: a combination which eventually made her the world champion in Tokyo in 1991.
There’s a striking family resemblance to these McColgans, and their success is all the more heartwarming when you realise the sacrifices and struggles both Liz and Eilish have faced.
Liz, for instance, who pounded the streets of Whitfield in her home city of Dundee, come rain, snow or frost, was dumped by her sponsor in the midst of her success for the heinous crime of being pregnant – with Eilish in 1991.
However, that didn’t prevent her from getting back on the treadmill within a month of giving birth.
In fact, she began training again less than a fortnight after her daughter had entered the world – while she still had her stitches in. No wonder the hunger to succeed is in their DNA.
Eilish was a born runner
It’s often difficult being the offspring of a famous parent. There’s usually early expectation placed on your shoulders and, sometimes, it can be overpowering.
Yet, from the outset, it was clear that Eilish possessed many of the same qualities as her mum.
The ability to focus single-mindedly on her own tactics and training programmes, the refusal to accept second best and the knowledge that, once you are out on the track, there is nobody else to blame if you don’t fulfil your goals. Buck-passing isn’t an option.
At past championships, she has frequently demonstrated her versatility and bounce-backability in a range of different events, from the steeplechase to the 1,500m, 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m.
And there have been prizes on her journey: a bronze medal in the 3,000m at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade in 2017 and a silver in the 5,000m at the European Championships in Berlin the following year.
But the elusive gold remained out of reach as she passed 30.
Then she caught Covid and endured a fitful build-up to the Commonwealth Games. Few had her as the favourite.
But her mother had been in the same position in 1986.
‘Well Liz, you’re our last hope’
As she told me: “It was probably one of my greatest-ever moments to be in front of a full stadium where everyone was shouting your name.
“There was a lot of pressure on me as it was the last opportunity of a gold medal for Scotland in track and field. I remember being in the residences and Tom McKean ran and didn’t win, then Yvonne Murray didn’t win and both had been favourites.
“As I left to go to the track, the team manager turned and said to me: ‘Liz, you are our last hope’, which was the last thing that I needed to hear.
“But it was amazing being Scottish and running in these Edinburgh Games. The support was electrifying and they were all willing me on.
“I knew from 1,000m out I had won, so I had two and a half laps of soaking up the atmosphere. It never felt the same in any other championship in which I competed – that feeling of everyone in the stadium wanting you to win.”
And now, here we are in 2022 and the same raucous noise has enveloped a Commonwealth stadium and the crowds have celebrated another McColgan victory.
No wonder there were a few folk with grit in their eyes at the climax of the event. And, when Eilish and Liz McColgan stood together, it was beautiful to salute these toughs of the track.
Making mum proud by beating her time
Eilish ran faster than her mum had done for either of her Commonwealth golds and her time of 30 minutes 48.60 seconds is a new Games record.
But nobody was bothering with comparisons as we soaked up the latest chapter in this extraordinary story.
“This is the most incredible moment of my career,” said Eilish. “I couldn’t hear myself think or breathe, in that last 100m when the crowd carried me.”
It was a gorgeous sight. The stuff of which dreams are made.
But, McColgans being McColgans, one suspects it won’t be too long before Liz and Eilish’s running shoes are back on.
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