Great Scottish Run gets underway with family events
A junior 2.5k, family mile and 100m toddler dash took place on a 'Super Saturday' of events
Last updated 28th Sep 2019
Runners from across Scotland gathered in Glasgow's George Square this morning as the Great Scottish Run got underway with a number of family-orientated events.
A two day festival of running is being held in the city on the 28th and 29th September, with longer 10k and half-marathon races taking place tomorrow.
'Super Saturday' got underway at 10am with a junior 2.5k for cometitors aged 9 to 15, followed by a mile-long race for families with toddlers up to 5 years old capping off the opening day with a 100m dash.
400.metre Scottish hurdler Eilidh Doyle, who medaled at the Rio Olympics and multiple World and Commonwealth Championships including bagging a silver in Glasgow in 2014, joined the young athletes at the start line to get the races underway.
Sunday will see world class elite athletes line up for the half marathon distance alongside ordinary runners taking on the 10k or half marathon challenge.
Both courses take runners on a sight-seeing tour of the city before they they pass under McLennan Arch and head down the home straight onto Glasgow Green, motivated along the way by music, pipers, charity cheering points and enthusiastic crowds of spectators.
At the head of the half marathon field Chris Thompson will aim to become the first British athlete to win three Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run titles when he takes to the streets of Glasgow on Sunday morning.
Thompson’s winning streak started in 2017 when he saw off the challenge of Callum Hawkins and beat Commonwealth champion Mike Shelley in 2018 to seal back to back victories. Now Thompson is targeting a unique treble in Scotland on a course he knows extremely well.
“I’m looking forward to defend my title up in Glasgow. No Briton has won it three times in a row so it would be nice to get that record.
“I know the course well now so hopefully that’ll give me an edge, and what I also know is that the support on the streets will be as good as ever.
“Glaswegians really know their sport and they always turn out in force to support the athletes, which makes this race a special one to come back to.”
The Briton is going to need to lean on his experience as he faces off against strong competition, with Kenyan trio Stephen Kiprop, Micah Kogo and Timothy Torotich also announced for Scotland’s biggest running event. New Zealand’s Zane Robertson will also be in contention to remove Thompson from the throne.
In the women’s race, Edith Chelimo will be the one to watch in a race won last year by Mare Dibaba. The Kenyan raced to victory in last year’s Cardiff Half Marathon in 65.52 which placed her in the top ten all-time half marathon rankings.
Compatriot Nancy Kiprop will provide competition. The veteran athlete, 40, will arrive in Glasgow in good form having won the Vienna Marathon this year. Ethiopia’s Askale Merachi, having won the LA Marathon earlier this year will also be challenging for honours in the famous race.
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