It is with deep regret that we have to report the passing of Karen Nicolson formerly Macleod.
A member of the City of Edinburgh AC 1986 – 2009
Karen competed in these major games:
1990 Commonwealth Games Auckland, New Zealand(10,000m)
1993 IAAF World Championships Stuttgart (Marathon)
1994 Common Games Victoria Canada 4th (Marathon)
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta (Marathon)
as well as numerous victories across the UK and Europe.
Although Karen never ran as a veteran or in any veterans events, she is listed in the Scottish Athletics Yearbook as having run 16:59 for 5K on the road (she would have been 39 then) , 36:08 for a 10K and 17:17.2 for 5000m on the track.
Born on April 24,
1958 in Tanzania and growing up in Skye, she has been described as one of the
best athletes to ever emerge from the north of Scotland. However her career was
brought to an end in 1998 when she fell ill at the Boston Marathon.
She was diagnosed as having Berger’s disease – a rare kidney problem – and she
later had a kidney transplant from her sister Deborah, Karen and her sister were keen advocates for organ donation
and feel that more people should be aware of the programmes.
A final note – on 14th July 2008, a Karen MacLeod ran in the Isle of Skye Half Marathon as a FV 50+ where she finished 250th in 2:49:50. Was it the same Karen MacLeod? Yes, it certainly was – and it was only four weeks following her kidney transplant operation! A quite remarkable feat and possibly as good as any run she had ever done.
Everyone at Edinburgh AC send their condolences to all the family. R.I.P
Leave a Reply