01 / KNOW THE ROUTE
What the course asks of you
City streets and across the Clyde
The half starts on St Vincent Street and heads along Finnieston Street, across the River Clyde and on via West Street and Scotland Street to a long stretch of Paisley Road West. The organiser describes the first half as urban. From about mile 2 the road starts to rise gently.
The climb to Pollok Country Park
The route skirts Bellahouston Park and then enters Pollok Country Park for about three and a half miles. The organiser says miles 2 to 8 are slightly uphill, with the toughest incline between miles 7 and 8. Treat this as the part of the race to manage, not to win.
Downhill to Glasgow Green
After the mile 8 marker, the organiser says it is pretty much all downhill to the finish. You return along Paisley Road West, pass Festival Park, cross the Clyde again around mile 11, then follow the river through the McLennan Arch onto Glasgow Green.
02 / BUILD THE BLOCK
How to prepare
Train for a long, gradual climb
The organiser recommends building hill and strength work into your preparation. Include long, gentle climbs in some steady runs, not just short reps, so you can hold effort uphill for several miles.
Practise finishing on a descent
Finish some long runs with a gradual downhill or flat section at a slightly stronger effort. That rehearses using the second half of the course without your stride falling apart.
Mix surfaces
The half includes several miles of parkland running. The organiser suggests half-marathon runners try some running on softer surfaces too, so include the occasional easy run on grass or park paths.
Keep the running and strength work in one place. Explore MaxMile for your Great Scottish Run preparation, or compare the levels of personal coaching.
03 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Pace the race you have trained for
Start in your allocated wave; you can move to a slower wave but not a faster one. Run the first two miles relaxed, then let your pace slow slightly on the gradual climb from mile 2 while keeping effort steady. Do not chase your flat-road pace through Pollok Country Park.
Get over the incline between miles 7 and 8 with something in reserve. From mile 8 the course mostly descends or stays flat, so build your effort through the return along Paisley Road West and push from the Clyde crossing around mile 11.
04 / MAKE ROOM FOR TRAINING
When should your block start?
The 2027 Great Scottish Run is on Sunday 3 October. A 12-week half-marathon block would begin around Sunday 11 July 2027, or a 16-week block around Sunday 13 June. Most long runs and hill sessions then fall in July and August, so run them in the cooler parts of the day and practise drinking in warm weather.
If you are also running the Great North Run on 12 September 2027, treat it as a hard training run and allow easy days after it before your final sessions. Taper over the last week or two of September.
05 / SORT THE PRACTICAL BITS
Kit and race-weekend planning
Your race number, with its timing chip, should arrive about four weeks before the run. Late and overseas entrants collect theirs from the information point on the Saturday or the morning of the event; the organiser recommends Saturday because Sunday is very busy. Fill in your baggage label before you leave home.
Baggage facilities near the start are colour-coded by wave. They close 15 minutes before each wave starts and move to the finish at Glasgow Green. In 2026 the half marathon started after the 10K, with assembly from 09:30 and later waves from a second start area. Check the 2027 event guide for times.
