Karen Macleod

Karen Macleod was born in the highlands of Tanzania, where her father was working as an architect for the Government, but raised on the Isle of Skye, one of the Western Isles of Scotland. She was a latecomer to athletics, running her first serious race at the age of 24 to raise money for cancer research in honour of her late father. MacLeod quickly rose through the ranks of distance running and became Scottish Cross-Country champion for three successive years 1985, 1986 and 1987.

Chosen by Scotland to race the 10000m at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, she placed 12th despite having a rib broken when hit by a competitor’s flying elbow. A win at the 1993 Seville Marathon earned her a place in the British team for the World Championships in Stuttgart where she finished 16th behind winner Junko Asari.

Returning to Scottish colours for the 1994 Commonwealth Games, she ran her best ever marathon time but narrowly missed a medal when finishing 4th, just a minute behind the bronze medallist. Around this time, she became sponsored by Scottish rock band Runrig, which included her brother-in-law, and was famously reported as listening to the band during her training runs. A good showing at the 1996 Houston Marathon ensured qualification for the British team for the 1996 Summer Olympics. In Atlanta she finished 45th from 88 starters, sixteen minutes behind the gold medallist.

Two years after her Olympic experience her running form declined dramatically and she was eventually diagnosed with Berger’s Disease, also known as IgA nephropathy, a variant of renal failure. She worked for the National Health Service and stayed in athletics as a coach but eventually her condition deteriorated to the point where she needed a kidney transplant. A month after receiving a new kidney in 2008 she ran the Isle of Skye Half Marathon. She died suddenly in 2021.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-33:16 (1994).