Shettleston Harriers will play host to the first round of the 2025 Babcock 10k road race series at Glasgow Green this weekend on Sunday May 11. The Shettleston 10k is the first in the three race Babcock series that will see races run over 10km in Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh in the next three weeks. The race will count towards World Athletics ranking points, the first 10k road race in Scotland to hold that accolade. The club have also teamed up with the elite running Top Flight Series to host the first Scottish event in this UK wide series and the race will be live streamed on the Top Flight YouTube channel. Anyone wishing to follow the action can do so by following the link below.
The Glasgow race has attracted an outstanding field with 10 men with times faster than 30 minutes and 15 women faster than 36 minutes. The men’s field is headed by Scotland’s leading two distance runners, Scott Stirling of Falkirk Victoria Harriers and Logan Rees from Fife Athletics Club who were first and second respectively in the recent Scottish 10,000 metres track Championships held at Crownpoint Sports Arena in Glasgow. The pair were also first and second, with Scott taking the victory, in the Pulford 10K in Cheshire where both clocked hugely impressive sub 29 minute performances. The Scots pair are likely to be challenged by Omar Ahmed from Birchfield Harriers in Birmingham, who won the recent Top Flight 5km in London’s Battersea Park in a time of 14:05, and the home club’s Weynay Ghebresilase, who finished 15th overall in this year’s London Marathon, which placed him third in the British Marathon Championships held as part the London event.
The women’s race includes the Series record holder, Natasha Phillips from Dundee, who has a best time for the 10k distance of 32:57, and past winner Sonia Samuels, the Rio Olympic Marathon runner from Sale Harriers in Manchester. Nicola Sheridan, the Irish International who recently won the Dublin Half Marathon, will, however, be hoping to upset the form book.
The Shettleston race and the Babcock series are not just for elite runners though. They are both popular with club and amateur runners of all levels. This weekend’s event has attracted more than 700 entries from across the UK and the Babcock series now has almost 2000 entries across the three races. With entries still open for the races in Dumbarton and Helensburgh this number is likely to grow.
Every finisher will receive a unique commemorative medal and an item of Start Fitness running merchandise, which in Glasgow will be a drawstring shoe bag. There is more than £6,000 in cash prizes and Start Fitness vouchers on offer, with prizes for the first ten men and women, first three teams of three, first runners over 40, 50 and 60 and the first under 20 finisher.
Shettleston Harriers have also teamed up with WEST Brewery whose premises are in the former Templeton’s carpet factory on the north side of Glasgow Green. The runners will pass the brewery and restaurant twice as the compete on the course. WEST have provided a number of spot prizes for the race and are looking forward to hosting runners and race goers before and after the event.
Further information can be found here: