West of Scotland (North)

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Glasgow and the areas north of the city - East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire and Argyll are full of great opportunities to take part in events locally, join clubs or groups and to access good running routes through the parks, and on the river and canal walkways. Beyond the city boundaries things thin out a bit but there are still enthusiastic clubs, some great events (the Mull of Kintyre Half Marathon was voted No 1 in the UK in Runners World's 2010 Ultimate Race Guide) and, obviously brilliant trail routes are abundant.

The mega events are the Ignis Management Womens 10K in May, the Mens Health Forum Scotland 10K in June and the double header Great Scottish Run (10k and half marathon) in September. Lots of famous club names - Maryhill Harriers, Springburn Harriers and Shettleston Harriers. Newer groups like the Kirkintilloch Olympians and Bellahouston Road Runners have led the way in creating inclusive clubs with excellent social dimensions.

A big part of the running scene all over Scotland is the network of groups that offer beginners the opportunity to take their first running steps. Jogscotland provides the backbone of this structure but in the city the well-established Glasgow Running Network offers different standards of programme at a large number of leisure centres. The Mens Health Forum groups are another significant part of the group picture.

Check out our lists of clubs, groups and events to get a feel for the running scene in Glasgow and areas north of the city and enjoy our club and group profiles which illustrate what's available if you're thinking about taking up running or getting involved more seriously.

And, of course, we can't forget parkrun - the weekly free time trial came to Glasgow in December 2008 when 44 people turned up for the first Saturday morning 5k, today it's ten times that number.

Have a look through the sections below to find out more about the running community in the area!