Tens of thousands at Great Scottish Run as new record is set
TENS of thousands of people pounded the streets of Glasgow and a new course record was set during yesterday’s Great Scottish Run.
More than 23,000 people took part in the half-marathon and 10k races yesterday, with elite-level athletes sharing the course with amateur runners, charity fundraisers, pensioners and teenagers.
Double Olympic gold medallist Haile Gebrselassie was first across the halfmarathon finish line in 61 minutes six seconds, shaving four seconds off the current record, while Susan Partridge of Oban came first in the women’s race.
A new route designed to showcase Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games venues took the runners around the city from the south side to the Riverside Museum and new Hydro concert venue, finishing at Glasgow Green.
However, some runners were held up at the start as a problem on the railways caused some journeys to be delayed.
Network Rail said signalling works on the main Edinburgh-to-Glasgow line had been going on overnight and had been due to finish at 7.45am, but had overrun to 9.30am.
Among the famous faces taking part in the race was two-time winner Joseph Birech, of Kenya, Scottish Finance Minister John Swinney, world champion swimmer Keri-Anne Payne, Celtic manager Neil Lennon and Emmerdale stars Chris Chittell and Eden Taylor-Draper.
Fundraiser Karen Hands, 23, who is from Shotts, completed the 10k event to raise cash for both the Yorkhill Children’s Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support.
She said: “The atmosphere this morning was amazing and that really helped with my nerves. I’m not really a runner and I’ve never done anything like this before but I’ve trained hard and I was determined not to walk any of it.
“I’m proud of my achievement and I’ve managed to raise money for two charities close to my heart.”
Runners were waved off by Glasgow’s Olympic gold medallist, the rower Katherine Grainger.
Simon Lawson won the men’s wheelchair race, while Sammy Kinghorn from Kelso took the women’s wheelchair title. Picture: Mark Gibson