Commonwealth Games: Women's 10,000m and 3000m steeplechase
The 10,000m debuted in 1986 to beat the Europeans, Olympics and World Championships in hosting the 25-lap event.
Liz Lynch wasn’t that well known prior to the event, having largely been based in college in the USA, but the Scottish crowd were delighted as she followed the 1982 3000m champion Anne Audain for most of the race and then burst away in the final kilometre to win by 12 seconds and take 35 seconds off the Commonwealth record with a fast 31:41.42. Wales’ Angela Tooby took bronze, while her twin sister Susan finished sixth.
Four years later, Lynch returned as Liz McColgan and the first Olympic silver medallist, and though not in the same form as 1986, she was too strong for the opposition and she broke clear over the final laps, having run the second half a minute faster than the first. Jill Hunter gave England a silver medal.
McColgan was injured in 1994, but the title remained in Scotland. Yvonne Murray (pictured) missed the 3000m in which she had won medals in the past two championships for an event she had last run nine years earlier. She followed Olympic silver medallist Elana Meyer until the last lap when she sprinted to victory to take 10 seconds off the South African over the last 400 metres.
Kenya’s first Commonwealth Games title came in a forgettable race in 1998. Japanese-based Esther Wanjiru won in a slow 33:40.13 from Australians Kylie Risk and Clare Fearnley. Scotland went without gold for the first time but did have Vikki McPherson as leading Briton in fourth.
Kenya did even better in Manchester in 2002 as they won gold and silver as Selina Kosgei won in a championship record 31:27.83. Marathoner Susan Chepkemei took silver just ahead of Susie Power of Australia. Liz Yelling was leading Brit in fourth ahead of sister-in-law Hayley Yelling.
There was another Kenyan one-two in 2006 and another championship record as Lucy Kabuu edged out Evelyne Wambui. Mara Yamauchi won bronze for England ahead of world cross country champion Benita Johnson.
In 2010 in Delhi, there was no record but another Kenyan one-two. Grace Momanyi won it from Doris Chepkwemo. In third, India won their fi rst medal through Kavita Raut with England’s Charlotte Purdue in fourth.
In 2006 Dorcas Inzikuru became the first women’s steeplechase champion in a quick 9:19.51. The previous year the Ugandan had become the first world champion. Australia took the next three places with the leading Kenyan only sixth and the leading Briton, Jo Ankier, was seventh.
In 2010, there was a Kenyan clean sweep led by Milcah Chemos, who won world championships medals in 2009 and 2011 and finally gold in 2013. Mercy Wanjiru was half a second back with Gladys Jerotich holding off Helen Clitheroe for the bronze.
1986 Liz Lynch (SCO) 31:31.42
1990 Liz McColgan (SCO) 32:23.56
1994 Yvonne Murray (SCO) 31:56.97
1998 Esther Wanjiru (KEN) 33:40.13
2002 Salina Kosgei (KEN) 31:27.83
2006 Lucy Wangui (KEN) 31:29.66
2010 Grace Momanyi (KEN) 32:34.11
2006 Dorcus Inzikuru (UGA) 9:19.51
2010 Milcah Chemos (KEN) 9:40.96
Gold: Lynch McColgan (Sco: 1986, 1990), Murray (Sco: 1994)
Silver: Jill Hunter (Eng: 1990)
Bronze: Angela Tooby (Wal: 1986), Mara Yamauchi (Eng: 2006)
Most successful athlete and Briton: At 10,000m, Liz McColgan née Lynch won two golds. Only two steeplechases have been contested, there are no double medallists and Britain has not medalled with Helen Clitheroe’s fourth being the highest placing.
» Find other event-by-event histories here and an overall history of the Commonwealth Games here
