Great Scottish Run half-marathon course found to be short

The Great Scottish Run half-marathon course in 2016 has been found to be about 150m short after remeasurement.

Organisers measured the Glasgow route on Sunday after some competitors raised concerns about the distance.

The course, beginning in George Square and ending at Glasgow Green, was 149.7m short of the full 13.1 miles.

This invalidates the record set by winner Callum Hawkins and the personal best times recorded by a number of runners on the day.

About 9,500 competitors took part in the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run half-marathon on Sunday 2 October last year. A 10k event also took place.

Officials remeasured the route on Sunday

The Newcastle-based Great Run Company has apologised to all runners and winner Callum Hawkins.

Race director Andy Mitchelmore said: "Great Run take responsibility for the miscalculation and we apologise unreservedly to the runners and to the City of Glasgow.

"This was an isolated incident. In the 30 years since the company was formed, more than four million people have participated in hundreds of our running events and the distances, which are measured by qualified independent parties, have been correct."

Organisers said the miscalculation of the distance was down to human error, with two problems identified.

They said a small section of the prescribed route was not followed correctly in Bellahouston Park which accounted for about 50m of the shortfall.

Extra checks

The remainder of the shortfall was as a result of the difference between measuring on closed roads compared to a measure on unclosed roads.

When the Great Scottish Run half-marathon route was measured in August the roads were unclosed due to essential utilities works affecting the course.

It is easier for measurers to take the exact line athletes will take when the roads are closed, but when working on unclosed roads they have to be mindful of safety and follow the legal rules of the road.

The Glasgow course uses a number of major roads in the city, including the M8 Kingston Bridge, where the course runs against the normal traffic flow.

Organisers said they had introduced several extra check steps to ensure the situation would not be repeated.