Running News Daily

Callum Hawkins to race at Great Scottish Run

The Scottish marathon record-holder will make his half-marathon return on home turf in Glasgow

Callum Hawkins is set to make his first half-marathon appearance of the year this Sunday (October 6) at the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run in Glasgow.

The 32-year-old hasn’t competed in any half-marathons this season, but he did race in the London Marathon back in April, finishing in 16th place with a time of 2:17:34.

In 2019, the Kilbarchan athlete set the Scottish marathon record at the London Marathon with a time of 2:08:14, securing a tenth-place finish. That same year, he was fourth at the 2019 World Championships over 26.2 miles.

In 2019, the Kilbarchan athlete set the Scottish marathon record at the London Marathon with a time of 2:08:14, securing a tenth-place finish. That same year, he was fourth at the 2019 World Championships over 26.2 miles.

In the women’s race, rising star Natasha Phillips – the U20 European and British Half Marathon record-holder – will hope to make her mark on home turf. The 19-year-old also claimed the Scottish U20 cross-country title earlier this year in Falkirk.

The Great Scottish Run will also feature a 10km race, where double Olympian Chris Thompson, who recently announced his retirement, will make his final professional appearance in Scotland.

The 43-year-old, who represented Great Britain at two Olympic Games and earned a European 10,000m silver medal, previously won the Great Scottish Run half-marathon in both 2017 and 2018.

Thompson’s final meet before officially retiring will be at the Great South Run on October 20.

The Great Scottish Run is set to be the largest ever, with over 30,000 participants taking to the streets of Glasgow.

The 10km race will begin at 8.30am with the half marathon beginning at 10am.

(10/05/2024) Views: 203 ⚡AMP
by Jasmine Collett

McColgan 10km record ruled out due to Great Scottish Run short course

British and European record of 30:18 set in Glasgow will no longer stand after Great Scottish Run course is found to be 150 meters short.

Runners who tackled 10km in the Great Scottish Run on October 2 have found that their times are invalid after the course was discovered to be 150m short. These include Eilish McColgan, who set a British record of 30:18.

The apologetic organizers say runners who did the event in Glasgow this month can have a 10% discount on their entry to the event next year.

It was McColgan’s final race of a busy and successful 2022 season. She is now on holiday in Egypt and was told of the news by Great Scottish Run organizers – the Great Run Company – before their chief executive, Paul Foster, put out a statement saying: “We were recently made aware of a discrepancy with the 10km course at this year’s Great Scottish Run. Following an internal investigation, we have established it was 150m short.

“The shortfall in the distance was wholly due to human error. An area of the course was not laid out in line with the previously agreed plans.

“This error had a marginal knock on to the half-marathon but it was within tolerance and the course on the day was valid.”

At the same Great Scottish Run event in 2016 Callum Hawkins’ Scottish half-marathon record of 60:24 was also ruled out after the route was found to be 149.7m short of the full 13.1-mile distance.

On this month’s event, Foster continued: “We are extremely disappointed that this happened at the 10km on what was an incredibly positive return to the city for the Great Scottish Run following the pandemic.

“This error invalidates Eilish McColgan’s European and British 10km records that were believed to have been set that day. We have been in touch with Eilish directly and to apologize.

“We will be reviewing our internal processes to ensure we cannot make this mistake again.

“We know we’ve let out customers down on this occasion. There are no excuses for this happening and we’re very sorry. We’ll be in touch with everyone who took part in the 10km offering a 10% discount into the 2023 event.”

(10/19/2022) Views: 1,203 ⚡AMP
by Jason Henderson

Eilish McColgan and Callum Hawkins triumph at Great Scottish Run

Eilish McColgan and Callum Hawkins secured home victories at the Great Scottish Run.

Commonwealth champion McColgan set a new British record and surpassed her own European mark by finishing in 30 minutes 18 seconds.

Fellow Scot Hawkins won the men's half marathon in 1:03:35 ahead of Adam Craig and Callum's brother Derek.

Irish athlete Michelle Finn won the women's half marathon in 1:12:33 and Lewis Hannigan won the men's 10k.

The Scotsman crossed the finish line in 29:33.

There was another Scottish winner in the women's wheelchair 10k, with Sammi Kinghorn's time of 26:40 more than two minutes faster than closest rival and compatriot Mel Woods.

Luke Deighton beat Kyle Brotherton to first place in the men's wheelchair 10k.

(10/03/2022) Views: 1,279 ⚡AMP

Eilish McColgan will race Great Scottish Run 10k on October 2

British and European 10km record-holder will take on distance on the streets of Glasgow.

Eilish McColgan will be back on home turf this autumn as she takes on the Great Scottish Run on October 2.

The 31-year-old holds the British and European 10km record – a time of 30:19 which she set at the 2022 Great Manchester Run – and will be confident of another fast time in Scotland’s biggest city.

McColgan was meant to make her much anticipated marathon debut in London on October 2 but after experiencing low blood sugar levels during long training runs – a condition called ‘rebound hypoglycaemia’ – she delayed her first taste of 26.2 miles until April.

The Scottish athlete has had a quite extraordinary year that has seen her set British records over 5km, 10km and the half-marathon, while on the track McColgan also claimed four major championship medals, including a famous Commonwealth 10,000m gold medal for Scotland in Birmingham.

She became the first British distance runner to compete in six championships outdoor finals in the same season and covered an astonishing 31 miles over five weeks on the track.

At the Great North Run (September 11), McColgan was the official honorary starter, setting 60,000 runners on their way from Newcastle to South Shields in the world’s biggest half-marathon.

“It’s been a great year for me, culminating in my medals on the track, the highlight was my Commonwealth Games victory, roared on by the crowd,” McColgan said.

“After postponing my marathon debut until next year and being involved in last weekend’s Great North Run, I feel I have one more race left in me this season.

“I can think of no better place to do that than to come home and take to the streets of Glasgow over 10km on October 2 at the Great Scottish Run.”

“It was a real honour to see Eilish get the Great North Run underway last weekend,” Paul Foster, Chief Executive of the Great Run Company said. “She has been an amazing ambassador for our sport and continues to inspire people around the UK on and off the track.

“It’s an incredibly exciting prospect to have Eilish completing a stellar season with a debut performance at the Great Scottish Run. I’m sure our runners will be delighted to have the opportunity to run alongside her in person.”

“The Great Scottish Run is one of the UK’s premier running events and Scotland’s biggest 10km & half-marathon.

(09/17/2022) Views: 954 ⚡AMP
by Tim Adams

Edith Chelimo of Kenya set a new course record to win the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow

The 33-year-old finished the half marathon in one hour, seven minutes 38 seconds after a powerful display of front running.

The men's champion, Timothy Toroitich, also led for a long way, breaking clear after seven miles.

The 27-year-old from Uganda finished well ahead of closest challenger Micah Kogo in a time of 1:01:29.

Kogo just held off fellow Kenyan Stephen Kiprop as the race concluded in Glasgow Green.

England's Chris Thompson, bidding for a third successive title, struggled with the fierce pace and finished seventh.

Nancy Kiprop was runner-up to Chelimo, with Askale Merachi of Ethiopia in third.

(09/30/2019) Views: 1,828 ⚡AMP
by Edith Chelimo

Alastair Walker, is set to take on the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run 10k

A Border athletics enthusiast is set to take on the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run 10k – with speed the name of the game.

Alastair Walker, from Hawick, is no ordinary amateur runner, however – he was recently crowned the fastest man over 60 after winning the World Masters in Malaga last September.Running hasn’t always been the focus for Alistair, though, and his race to becoming the fastest man in the world aged over 60 started late.

The 62-year-old grandfather said: “Like most people from Hawick, rugby was my first passion.“However, after a few injuries on the pitch, I discovered running and was instantly hooked.

I took it quite seriously and got to a competent level, even representing Scotland on a few occasions.“You need to dedicate a lot of time to compete at a serious level and, although I enjoyed the sport, I fell out of love with the training and gave up on running just like that.

“It took my son and grandson, who both love running, to compel me to give it another go, and at the age of 58, I laced up my trainers again and haven’t looked back.

“Since then, I’ve had a bit of success, winning the World Masters in Malaga which, I guess, makes me the fastest man in the world over 60 years old – not bad for someone who hadn’t run for 28 years.

“Looking back, if I had continued running when I was younger, I would probably be racked with injuries and certainly not holding the World Masters title. It’s really given me a new lease of life.

Alastair, a member of Teviotdale Harriers, said: “It really is important to get outdoors and be fit and active, particularly the over 60s. Being fit helps to fight off so many problems that people can encounter when they get older – whether it’s mental or physical ailments.

I really do think anyone who sees what I’ve achieved, at this stage of my life, will be motivated.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to take part in this year’s race. I have seen it quite a few times on TV and it has always looked fantastic, with the crowds cheering on the runners and everyone taking part enjoying themselves.

“It also just comes hot on the heels of taking part in the World Masters in Venice this year, so I should hopefully be in good shape for Glasgow.

(09/15/2019) Views: 2,035 ⚡AMP

Great Scottish Run becomes first major race introducing category for gender neutral athletes

Great Scottish Run bosses have introduced a category for gender neutral athletes.

A non-binary option has been added to male and female boxes on entry forms for this year’s race.

Officials faced criticism in 2018 for not opening up the event to non-binary competitors.

The move comes after governing body Scottish Athletics produced guidelines on the issue with help from campaigners.

But there won’t be separate prizes in the non-binary category as the event only gives awards to ‘elite athletes’ in the male and female sections.

A spokesman for Scotland’s biggest race said: “Great Run events have always welcomed anyone who wants to take part, without prejudice, and we’re happy to provide this entry option.”

Around 30,000 people are expected at the Glasgow event on September 28 and 29, with races ranging from a toddler dash to a half-marathon.

Highland Games organizers are also considering how to include a non-binary category.

Vic Valentine of the Scottish Trans Alliance said: “This a really positive step forward.”In June, we told how Scotland would become the first country in the UK to introduce a transgender option under changes to the census.

The Scottish Government will introduce new laws allowing individuals to define their trans status and sexual orientation.

The final template has still to be approved by MSPs, tut the new questions are set to be included in the 2021 census.

And a University in the US told staff not use terms like "straight" and "male" because they may be OFFENSIVE to students.

Colorado State University has written an "Inclusive Language Guide" stating the word "straight" - to describe heterosexuals - “implies that anyone LGBT is 'crooked' or not normal”.

(08/21/2019) Views: 2,057 ⚡AMP
by Stuart MacDonald

Chris Thompson will return to Glasgow to defend his Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run half marathon title on Sunday

The 37 year-old took a memorable victory on the streets of the city last September as he rolled back the years. In a career which has been dogged by injuries, Thompson has enjoyed a purple patch over the last two years, following up his win at the Great Scottish Run with victory in the Great South Run three weeks later. This return to form saw Thompson put in strong performances over the winter including a third-place finish in both the Doha Half Marathon and NYC Half marathon and achieving the qualifying time for a call-up to the European Championships, where he represented Great Britain at a major competition for the first time since 2012. He will take on the half marathon in Glasgow this weekend as he prepares to compete in November’s New York City Marathon. (09/26/2018) Views: 1,664 ⚡AMP

83-year-old Robert Sloan first race in 40 years will be the Great Scottish Run

An 83-year-old man is preparing for the Great Scottish Run in September – his first run for 40 years. Robert Sloan, who lives in Dumfries with wife Joy, was a runner from an early age and over the years completed at least six marathons, four half-marathons and more than a dozen 10ks. He said: “I am really looking forward to the Great Scottish Run as the last run I took part in was around 40 years ago. “I lead a very active lifestyle and have still continued to run, even though I haven’t entered any races in while. “So I thought why not give the 10k at this year’s Great Scottish Run a go for a bit of fun.” The retired supermarket manager is originally from London, where he would regularly run round Harlow, where he lived for 20 years. The couple moved to Dumfries when they retired. They turned vegan last year and frequently hit the gym and go running. The iconic Glasgow run will again be supported by Bank of Scotland, who are celebrating their 10th year as partner. (08/29/2018) Views: 1,790 ⚡AMP