Scotland's Liz McColgan has retired from athletics after being warned she risked being crippled if she continued to run.

The Dundee-born runner is widely considered as Britain's greatest-ever distance runner.

She took 10,000m gold at the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991 to add to her Commonwealth gold from 1986 and her Olympic silver from Seoul 1988.

But her career, which she put on hold to have children, was blighted by injury in the latter part of the 1990s.

She returned to competition again in July for the Great North Run, but another foot injury has persuaded the 37-year-old to call it a day.

McColgan has suffered five stress fractures this year alone.

"My foot had been a bit sore but that was normal. Rather than back off I kept going. Then there was a pain and I couldn't even warm down. I was struggling to walk," said McColgan.

"I have to think 10 years into the future. I've had a good career.

"I'm happy with what I achieved but I've been warned I could be a cripple by 50 if I continue. I have to think of the quality of life afterwards."

Royal recognition

McColgan came to the public's attention as 22-year-old Liz Lynch when she took gold at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

She married Northern Irish steeplechaser Peter McColgan the following year before claiming Olympic silver in 1988.

The Dundonian took a year off to have her first child before returning to win in Tokyo. She also won the New York marathon in 1991 on her debut over the distance.

She was awarded the MBE for services to sport in 1992.

Brendan Foster, the BBC commentator who described McColgan's victory in Tokyo as "the greatest ever by any British distance runner", paid tribute to her contribution to the sport.

"I never saw Liz give anything less than 100% in any race she competed in," said Foster, a former Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist.

"She wasn't afraid to step down in distance, which inevitably meant at times she was on a hiding to nothing.

"Yet she would still go out there and give her opponents as tough a race as possible.

"Losing wasn't a word she liked. Whether on the track, road or running cross-country she proved herself in all these disciplines world class. She's had a marvellous career."