This year’s Babcock 10K Series which kicks off in just over five weeks on Sunday May 10 th at 10.00am on Glasgow Green with the Babcock Shettleston 10K and includes the Lindsay’s Scottish 10K Championships has already attracted nearly 1500 entries. The Babcock Dumbarton 10K which includes the Dunbartonshire Championships follows on Thursday 21st May at 7.30pm and the series concludes on Thursday 28th May with the Babcock Helensburgh 10K on the traffic free town centre course at 7.30pm.
The Shettleston race was already shaping up to be probably the greatest strength and depth race in Scotland since the Kodak Glasgow 10K in 1988 when 5 men went under 29 minutes, led home by Shettleston’s Nat Muir. On that occasion the first fifteen runners broke 30 minutes. This year’s Babcock race now has 18 men with sub 30 minute personal bests with the recent edition of Cambuslang’s Kevin Campbell. Campbell was an impressive winner in Newcastle’s Quayside 10K in January in 29:19, ahead of North-East Cross-Country Champion Chris Coulson of Morpeth who was 16 seconds behind.
Campbell recently stepped up in distance in representing Great Britain in the World 50Km Championships in New Delhi in India where he finished a creditable sixth place in 2hours;48 minutes and 52 seconds which equates to running five 10K’s one after the other with no rest in an average of 33minutes and 10 seconds. Certainly, great endurance assuming Kevin has recovered from his Indian ultra feat?
Meanwhile, Dundee’s Natasha Phillips who won in a Babcock Series record last year of 32:48 has since Improved her best to 32:33 and last Sunday preserved her top spot as fastest UK Under 23 year old in the Berlin Half Marathon with a 72:11 clocking.
Use the link below to enter the series. Every finisher will receive a unique commemorative medal at each race whilst series entrants will receive a specially designed Babcock 10K Series t-shirt and an item of Start Fitness merchandise. Finishers at Shettleston will receive a reflective branded snap band to wear after dark, runners in Dumbarton a branded snood for those chilly morning runs or it will be More Mile running socks in Helensburgh. Each race will also have 24 spot prizes to award throughout the field. In addition, there are more than £6,000 in cash and Start Fitness prizes on offer for the first ten men and women, first three teams of three and first under 20, over 40, 50 and 60. The Community Advertiser Series of magazines sponsors the First Local Male and Female in each event. Entries must close a week before each event.
Can’t make the series? Enter individual races below: