Background
She is a member of Dundee"s Hawkhill Harriers Club and is coached by her mother, former 10,000 metres World Champion and Olympic silver medallist Liz McColgan.
She is a member of Dundee"s Hawkhill Harriers Club and is coached by her mother, former 10,000 metres World Champion and Olympic silver medallist Liz McColgan.
Born in Dundee, Scotland to Liz and Peter McColgan, both athletes, McColgan is 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) tall and weighs 53 kilograms (117 lb). In 2007 she came fifth in the Scottish Senior Championships 1500 metres. McColgan was selected for the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in India but suffered a major knee injury from which took her a year-and-a-half to recover.
She also missed the 2011 World Championships, held in Daegu, South of Korea, after breaking her foot at a Diamond League event in London.
Her senior debut for Great Britain came at the 2011 European Team Championships in Stockholm, Sweden. Initially selected as a travelling reserve to cover a range of events, she was called upon to compete in the 3000 metres steeplechase, an event which she had only competed in twice before, and ran a personal best while finishing ninth.
In June 2012 at a meeting in Oslo, Norway she ran a time of nine minutes 38.45 seconds to beat the Olympic "A" qualification standard in the 3000 metres steeplechase. McColgan confirmed her qualification for the steeplechase at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London by winning the British trials in a time of nine minutes 56.90 seconds.
She competed for Great Britain team for the 2012 Summer Olympics in the women"s 3000 metres steeplechase alongside compatriot Barbara Parker.
Her time of 9:54.36 was not sufficient for her to reach the final. She is a student of mathematics and accountancy at the University of Dundee.