PUTTING THE FUN INTO RUNNING
WE FIRE THE STARTING PISTOL ON A GREAT NEW SERIES FOLLOWING THE ADVENTURES OF THE CITY’S PARKRUNNERS
EVERY Saturday morning, hundreds of runners across Glasgow get their trainers on to visit one of the city’s 90 parks.
Launched in 2008, Glasgow parkrun has become so popular, it has now taken over five different locations.
Over the next five weeks, the Evening Times will be stepping into the shoes of Glasgow’s fitness fanatics to get an insight into what makes parkrun events so popular.
Kicking off with the Pollok, the most popular of the runs, before heading off to Drumchapel, Springburn, Tollcross and Victoria Park, we will be snapping pictures of the pavement pounders while taking in some of the city’s most scenic parks.
The original run at the city’s only country park in Pollok, welcomes around 400 runners a week, ranging from children to pensioners, and is almost at capacity.
On a standard Saturday in February, 400 participants packed into the park, 36 of whom were first timers.
Supported by a group of enthusiastic volunteers, runners take on a five kilometre track around the park’s North Wood.
The route is designed more for enjoyment than competitive running and takes participants on a scenic, sheltered and undulating run.
Liz Corbett, Lead Ambassador (Scotland), said: “In 2008 there was one parkrun in Glasgow with 44 runners – there are now six with more than 1000 runners at the weekend in addition to very many volunteers.
“The appetite for community running and volunteering in Glasgow seems to be insatiable and we will continue to help communities set up new ones as long as the demand is there.
“It is all contributing to our aim to make people healthier and happier.”
Among those who regularly brave the Scottish weather to take part is 74-year-old Eddie Murphy who is now on his 110th parkrun.
Eddie said: “I started a good number of years ago, I was in a running club. I hurt my knee so I was getting to the stage where I couldn’t even do the parkrun.
“So I went to the doctors and it was either a new knee or a jag, so he gave me a jag.
“This is a particularly good run – it’s one of the more difficult ones because it’s hilly but it’s beautiful.
“I’ve been coming to Pollok park and have stayed in this area my whole life, basically.
“I used to run the cadets in Pollok and we barely knew Pollok park existed.
“It’s a wonderful place and that’s probably why it’s most popular.”
The pensioner, from Paisley, has a personal best of 24 minutes.
“I’m struggling to do 31 or 32 right now”, he explains.
“Two or three months ago I was up at 36/38 minutes but no matter what time you’re on you meet different people from different age groups which is amazing.
“A few weeks later you’ll get a wee bit quicker and end up meeting someone new.”
Taking on the terrain together is father and daughter Liam McGregor, 40, Eilish McGregor, 8, from Clarkston.
Liam said: “We come here because we like to run. We were supposed to be going to a swimming competition but I got the timings wrong and I saw the opportunity to go for a run. “Eilish is quicker than me. “We try to do it every week but my other two kids are competitive swimmers so we don’t always get the chance.”
For the event to run smoothly, it needs 20 volunteers.
Those who regularly help out include Duke of Edinburgh award participants and seasoned runners who want to give something back to their running community.
Paula Quinn, 38, is one of the run directors who has been volunteering since 2015.
She explained: “We need 20 volunteers a week for park run to run successfully.
“We’ve had a few issues the past few weeks to get volunteers – it’s been very last minute.
“We have some boys here doing Duke of Edinburgh but it’s really over 18s we need.
“It’s volunteers we need rather than runners for Pollok because its so popular, probably because its such a great location.
“The fact that there’s the hills can help to
improve here every “I started your Saturday volunteeringstamina since and in then. things 2015 as and well. I’ve been “I’m a regular runner and I’m actually training for my first marathon in April. “The reason why I started volunteering was because I done the Commonwealth Games – I was a Clyde-sider and it was a great experience. “Whenever I do a run, I’m lucky if I can even grunt and the marshals nevermind thank them so its my way of giving something back.
“It’s great to be involved, it’s a great team, everybody is very friendly.”
Lauren Gray, 27, from Shawlands, uses the run to motivate herself.
She explains: “I like it because it motivates me to run faster and it’s got a really nice community feel to it.
“There’s people of all ages come together so I try to do it a couple of times a month.
“When you run beside people you’re motivated with your speed and its in lovely surroundings.”
Glasgow parkrun’s take place every Saturday from 9am.
For more information visit https://www.parkrun.org.uk/glasgow/