The Great Scottish Run in Glasgow has been going since the 1980's, first as a marathon, then a 25k race in 1989 and 1990 and since as a half marathon. I have run it in all its guises but not for over twenty years. Today it was Gregor's turn and he managed an impressive 70:34, finishing 22nd male out of over 10,000 starters and just behind Mare Dibaba, the women's world marathon champion of 2015. He also finished just ahead of Jack, his main challenger to be club champion, it has been nip and tuck between them all season and they were stride for stride for the whole race.
We took the opportunity to follow the race on St. Vincent Street, and then to watch the runners ascend the ramp to the Kingston Bridge. Whilst the race went on a 10-mile loop round Pollockshields, Pollok and Bellahouston parks and back through Govan, we dawdled along the Clyde waterfront to the finish in Glasgow Green. It was a stroll down memory lane. Past my old offices, now demolished, underneath the Kingston Bridge, which had been my route to work for seven years and along the Broomielaw where I had organised a Strathclyde one-mile street race with colleagues from the Police. Our daughter had worked in one of the impressive new office buildings that now provide the backcloth to the Broomielaw. Then to Glasgow Green for the finish and a chance to watch the glorious feeling of achievement by the runners as they crossed the finish line.
Gregor's time was four minutes better than my pb for the half marathon and I felt proud of him, his training had paid off. The camaraderie of his running club was infectious as they gathered at the finish but the patter was just as brutal as it used to be thirty years ago.
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| Leaders crossing the Motorway on St Vincent Street |
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| A good use of the Kingston Bridge for once |
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| Barbaric Engineering |
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| Commonwealth Games Mural under Kingston Bridge |
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| Broomielaw skyline |
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| Kingston Bridge |
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| Big Yin behind St Enoch's Square |
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| Central Station rail bridge |
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| Pedestrian Bridge to Carlton Place |
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| Jack and Gregor neck and neck |
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