Great Scottish Run: Anger over repeat of 150m course error

The Great Run Company said there was 'human error' in laying out the 10km course in Glasgow

Runners have told BBC Scotland they are "gutted" after seeing their personal bests invalidated because the Great Scottish Run was 150m short – for the second time in six years.

Organisers admitted there had been a major error in this year's 10km course at the event in Glasgow.

The error comes after the half marathon course in 2016 was also found to be about 150m short.

The Great Run Company told competitors it was "very sorry" for the mistake.

Commonwealth Games champion Eilish McColgan, who set a new 10km record at the race earlier this month, was among those who had their time invalidated.

And less heralded competitors - paying a race fee of up to £39 - were also left disappointed, with some calling for a full refund.

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Mark Gallacher, a 51-year-old member of Cambuslang Harriers, finished first in the over-50s category.

His time of just under 35 minutes was a personal best, but he thought it was too good to be true.

"I suspected myself that it was short," he said. "But I just couldn't believe that it had happened again."

Mark Gallacher, right, finished as the fastest runner in the over-50s category

The accountant, from Motherwell, said he and other runners were "gutted".

"They felt like all the training they had done that year had been for nothing," he said.

More than 20,000 people participated in this year's Great Scottish Run, which was the first in three years after the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.

The Great Run Company said the course mistake "was wholly due to human error", with part of the route not laid out as planned.

While it also affected the half marathon, the course was still deemed to be valid as it was "within tolerance".

'What's the point?'

Mr Gallacher accused the organisers of adding "insult to injury" by offering everyone who participated in the 10km race 10% off their entry fee for 2023.

"That's derisory," he said. "I think they should certainly consider a full refund because they've not given what's been advertised.

"I'd got in the best shape I could and it's just so frustrating."

Mr Gallacher said the Great Scottish Run has a "great atmosphere", but said the error would put people off competing next year.

He added: "I can't believe that wasn't done properly for what's basically the biggest racing event in the Scottish calendar.

"If you don't have the faith that they can get the basics right while they're charging so much money for it, what's the point?"

Shona Shirley was among those who ran the 10km route at the Great Scottish Run

Shona Shirley, a 34-year-old health visitor from Dumfries and Galloway, completed the 10km just four months after giving birth to her second child.

She is an experienced runner and member of the Run CD Run group in Castle Douglas.

"I was just incredibly happy," she told BBC Scotland. "It was just a sense of achievement to actually get round in a not too disrespectful time.

"But thinking it was good to have done that four months after having a wee one, then to find it was just a bit short, it just takes away from that sense of achievement."

She added: "For lot of people it tends to be quite a big run in Scotland - I can imagine there's a lot of disappointed people around the country."

Ms Shirley also had doubts over the Great Run Company's apology offer for next year's event.

"It's all very well and good offering people 10% off next year's entry, but I don't know if it can really make up for it."

Paul Foster, chief executive of The Great Run Company, said: "We will be reviewing our internal processes to ensure we cannot make this mistake again.

"We know we've let our customers down on this occasion. There are no excuses for this happening and we're very sorry. "