By Aney Mathew

Liz McColgan-Nuttall, a Scottish former middle-distance and long-distance track and road-running athlete, is one of Britain’s best-known distance runners. The former 10,000m world champion has currently made Doha her home. She works with the Qatar Athletic Federation in helping them identify and develop endurance athletes ahead of the 2019 World Championship.
Liz who inspired a generation with her brilliant record in the Eighties and Nineties, has some phenomenal achievements to her credit:

• World Champion — 10,000m: Gold
• Olympics —10,000m: Silver
• Commonwealth —10,000m: Two-time Gold medallist
• Commonwealth — 3,000m: Bronze
• World Cross-Country: Silver and Bronze (1987 & 90)
• World Indoor — 3,000m: Silver
• World Half Marathon: Champion
• London, New York and Tokyo Marathons: Winner
• World Record Holder — 5k,8k,10k and half marathon (held for 1–12 years)
• World Record Holder — 5,000m indoors (held for 12 years)

Community caught up with Liz to hear about her achievements, dreams, hopes and disappointments.

Tell us something about yourself.
As part of what I do, I founded the Doha Athletic Club (DAC). This is the first club in Qatar where boys and girls – both local and expatriate — get an opportunity to train in athletics. I also have satellite clubs in Dukhan, Al Khor and some schools in Doha that look for talent and feed into our main DAC. These athletes then compete abroad. The children in our club have developed so well that some are now ranked nationally in their own countries.
The club is not just about elite performance, but offering coaching to all abilities; I teach children athletic skills to help lead a healthier and happier life.
I’ve also founded RunDohaRun — an adult running group; the aim is to assist people of all abilities learn athletic skills to help with their fitness levels and to achieve economy in their running action.

You have such an incredible track record…what got you interested in running?
As a child I was very energetic and always on the run; growing up, I was good at all sports but never stuck to anything in particular. I got interested in athletics at the age of 12, when my PE teacher noticed I could run and advised me to join the local club. Although I was from a poor background, I could join the programme as it was free; all I needed was a pair of shoes. Actually, I was not the best at running but I’ve had a ‘never-give-up’ attitude which made me become the best.

What has been your most glorious moment?
I’ve had several glorious moments, but my world title for the 10,000m is right on top. To be able to say that you are the best in the world — at one moment in time — is special. It’s the same with all my records, it’s special to be the fastest women on the planet.

You adapted your track technique to the roads quite successfully. What motivated this switch?
I had always run many miles on the roads as part of the training in Scotland. I found road running was natural for me, while track running was much harder work and more intense. I always knew I would move on to longer road races and used the track to gain speed over shorter distances — with the intention of eventually moving to the roads.

What was your greatest disappointment as a runner?
That would be the Atlanta Olympics, when I had prepared the best I ever had. But two nights before the race I was bitten on the foot and the poison went into my bloodstream and affected my entire system. There was nothing I could do, the medics gave so much antibiotics that you could smell them from my body, but nothing helped.
I was at a complete loss wondering why it happened; I questioned myself on what I had done to deserve this, but there was no explanation. I never really got over this and it changed me as an athlete and a person. I took several months off from running to recover both mentally and physically, and almost quit the sport. However, I missed running and the thrill I got from training; I then took stock of my life and changed my goals. It was tough, but I then went on to win races like the London Marathon.  I realised you cannot take things for granted just because you work harder than others — that’s no guarantee; you just keep doing your best till your dreams become a reality. Looking back today, I feel satisfied. Although I never won my Olympic gold — I’ve achieved so many other successful dreams.

Within months of you delivering your first baby, you were back on the winning track. Tell us about this incredible achievement.
Although I always wanted to start a family, my running career remained priority. When I got pregnant I was very happy, but I had no intentions of stopping my training. So I ran and trained right up to the day before the birth of my first child — Eilish. I had no guidance from medics as to what I should do as no women had trained through pregnancy; so there were no guidelines to follow.  I listened to what my body could do and trained accordingly. Because I exercised the entire time, my comeback to sports after the birth was not just quick, I was also very strong. My first race was six weeks after the delivery — a 5k in USA, which I won. Then, 12 weeks later, I won a bronze medal in the World Cross-Country championship; nine months later I was world champion in the 10000m. So I was able to show the world, that you can return to sport successfully and have a family as well.
By the way, Eilish is a talented athlete, who’s been to the Commonwealth Games and London Olympics. I am coaching her now for the Rio Olympics.

What motivates you?
I want to get as many people into running as possible and see them enjoy the great benefits that exercise brings. I love running as much today as I did when I started out. I love being able to develop talent and help people attain their goals — whether it is losing a few pounds in weight or becoming an Olympic champion.
Running is the basis of all sports and I firmly believe that all young children need to be taught the skills of athletics before they go on to their chosen sport.

What gives you the greatest happiness?
My greatest happiness is seeing my children happy and coaching. I love the joy that exercise brings.

What’s your favourite hobby?
I really do not have time for hobbies as I coach most of the time. But I love visiting different restaurants and trying various cuisines, I also love the cinema as it is the only time where I actually sit down and properly relax.

Tell us about your dream
My dream is to set up several running clubs in Qatar and the UAE to create competitive opportunities for children where some can hopefully develop to the level of becoming international competitors. Through the clubs, I want to inculcate the values of being active and healthy while having fun at the same time.

What’s your attitude to life?
We never lose in life just because we don’t all win the ‘Gold’; life is for learning — so create positivity from negativity to reach your goals. Never let go of your dreams!