Collette happy to be back on the run again

Jun 25 2008 by Colin Paterson, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

LOCAL runner Collette Fagan ended her two-year injury nightmare by competing in the East Kilbride half-marathon at the weekend.

The 26-year-old was third woman home in Sunday’s event which attracted around 2000 entrants.

Collette hasn’t had her troubles to seek since she infamously collapsed at the end of a race at the Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2006 and was stretchered off the track by stewards.

More problems followed with the long-distance runner suffering a stress fracture in her left foot while training in New York.

Collette’s woes deepened when training in Portugal after breaking her right foot – an injury that was aggravated as it wasn’t diagnosed until she returned to Scotland.

She told the Advertiser: “At that point you are not thinking about being competitive. It was a case of could I run again?”

But now she is looking to the future and hoping to compete later this year in the Great Scottish Run and Great North Run half-marathons.

Collette said: “It is very much baby steps at the moment and on Sunday I knew I wasn’t competing to race.

“I just wanted to see if I could run around the course, run well and feel okay.

“I felt great at the end and I was pleased that my body has been able to hold out. I am probably going to do some of the bigger half marathons in the autumn.”