Scottish running greats Liz McColgan and Ian Stewart have taken matters into their own hands in a bid revitalise endurance running in Britain.

The pair will team up with other experts to form a think-tank created by British Athletics Head Coach, Charles van Commenee.  They will be joined by the like of Steve Cram and Seb Coe as they work together to save a stagnating event in the UK.

Stewart, a 5,000m gold medallist at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, has just been named Head of Endurance Running for UK Athletics in the run-up to Delhi 2010, London 2012 and, of course, Glasgow 2014.

The legend has long been scathing of the contemporary crop of long-distance runners in Britain, and now has his chance to do something about it.

“I've been a world-class distance runner and come from a generation that was used to Britain being amongst the world's leading endurance nations,” he told The Herald.

“The situation as it stands is far from perfect, but I think there are things we can do that will certainly improve our standing between now and 2012. Rome wasn't built in a day - this is a huge challenge. But I have strong views, I am very passionate and I am optimistic British athletes can return to prominence in middle and long distance running."

The announcement comes in the same weekend that McColgan teamed up with Britain’s current endurance running darling Paula Radcliffe, also invited to join the think-tank, to issue a rallying cry for the discipline in front of the Bank of Scotland endurance squad, coached by the Carnoustie-based former world champion.

"Endurance running in Scotland and the UK right now is a mess," the Olympic silver medallist told the Sunday Herald. "They haven't got a year to sort it out, it's as simple as that. We need to be doing it right now, this minute.

“There are lots of talented kids, but if they don't get the right input they will never reach their potential. What everybody is starting to realise is that in 2012 and 2014 we need to have athletes and winners. If we don't get it right now it's never going to materialise.

“We have to get the top crop of 17 to 20-year-olds together to achieve the outcome we're looking for. As a nation we're very good at dragging our heels, but if somebody doesn't step up to the plate these athletes aren't going to develop. There's a natural progression - you don't go on in one year to becoming an Olympic athlete, especially in endurance running.”