The true staple of our diet, road running forms the majority of both the training and racing schedules of most club members. In all seasons, you’ll find us out pounding the pavements whether it’s snow-swept Winter reps around Maxwell Park, or putting in the miles on warm Summer evenings in Pollok Country Park, there’s sure to be plenty of Road Runners to keep you company! We regularly run on a great local track too, utilising a variety of interval training sessions that focus on pace, consistency and team work.
The Club actively encourages participation in road races throughout the year (although the Scottish race calendar is particularly busy in May-June and August-September). At some events, the Road Runners’ presence can be huge, with upwards of 50 purple and white vests on show! Particular favourites of the Club include the Babcock 10k Series (Shettleston, Dumbarton & Helensburgh – May) and the Great Scottish Run (Glasgow – October) – indeed, our Spring and Summer training schedules always incorporate these races.
We also compete in the many road relay and team events that form part of the road racing calendar. At county, regional and national level we regularly secure medals. In recent years, our ladies have repeatedly won the Scottish Half Marathon gold medal! Our masters teams are always competitive and we are regularly challenging for medals over different distances.
A large number of Road Runners compete further afield, with many global marathons among the races our members proudly run in. In 2024, we proudly saw one of our para athletes secure his 6th World Marathon Series star! The London Marathon is an obvious target for many members and our training groups organise informal training runs throughout the Winter with a view to preparing for this (and other) Spring marathons.
On the roads, our members have competed in events ranging from 1 or 2 miles to ‘ultra’ distance events, so rest assured there’s someone in our number with common road running interests and abilities to yourself. Our club championships encourage participation over a variety of distances, so there’s always a chance to try something new or run a new event in a different part of the country with fellow club members.
Road running really does provide something for everyone!