Thousands of men will gather on the banks of the Clyde this June to take part in the tenth annual Glasgow Men’s 10K.
Taking place on Sunday 21 June, the annual event attracts in the region of 4,000 runners – 40% of which have never taken part in a 10K before.
For almost a decade, the event has been a focal point for raising awareness around men’s health issues, touching the lives of over 30,000 men. The continuation of the event had been in doubt until GSi Events, organisers of the Edinburgh Marathon Festival, took over in December last year.
One competitor taking part this year is Chris Quinn, a 50 year old NHS worker from Hillington, who has ran in the last four races. Chris currently volunteers for the Beatson Cancer Charity and will run to raise funds for a friend’s seven year old daughter, who has a rare genetic condition called Bohring-Opitz.
Explaining his passion for the race, Chris said: “The Glasgow Men’s 10K is such a huge part of the running year for many guys in Glasgow and beyond. I have done the race four times and I can’t praise it highly enough.
“It was the first 10K I ever did and I still use it as a benchmark for my personal best times. The first time, I ran one hour and two minutes, the following year was one hour and one second. In my third though, I smashed the time, coming in at just over 58 minutes.
“When I learned it wasn’t going ahead this year, I lost my motivation. I see myself being the kind of runner that benefits from this event – slightly overweight, occasional runner and not part of a club. Now it is back, I am going to start training and aim for 55 minutes to try and beat my personal best time.”
As is traditional, the event will take place on Father’s Day, with the fantastic city centre route starting at Riverside Museum and finishing at Glasgow Green.
Neil Kilgour of GSi Event said: "The Men’s 10K is back for its 10th year and is going to be bigger and better than ever before. Running a 10K is a great challenge for anyone whether they are just
starting out or already take part in regular sport. The benefits of exercise are universally accepted, but in the UK, we quite simply don’t do enough of it.
“Everyone saw how Scotland got behind last year’s Commonwealth Games, but watching sport is not enough. Every runner taking part in the Men’s Health 10k can expect a taste of that brilliant, supportive atmosphere. So we say to Scotland’s men stop saying “I could” “maybe” and “I might”: take control of your life and create some positive change”.
Entries for the Men’s 10K are now open at www.mens10k.com. Entries are also open for the new Edinburgh Men’s 10K, which will take place in the capital on Sunday 1 November.