Glasgow Women's 10k scrapped after more than 25 years

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The number of people entering the Glasgow Women's 10k has dropped in recent years

One of Scotland's most popular and well-known running races has been abandoned after more than 25 years.

The Glasgow Great Women's 10k will not go ahead in 2019.

Organisers said the event, which was first held in 1993, was the first of its kind in the UK but participant numbers had dwindled in recent years.

The Great Run Company said more women were taking part in the mixed Great Scottish Run, which it also organises.

The women's 10k was set up by Glasgow City Council in 1993 as a way to get women into sport, shortly after its jogging network was created.

Over the years it was seen as a "first race" for women starting out on their running journey. It was the UK's only all-female 10k race.

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But as female participation in the Great Scottish Run 10k increased, numbers entering the Great Women's 10k dwindled.

A spokeswoman for Glasgow Life said: "The Great Women's 10k was introduced in 1993 in order to encourage more women to participate in sport and this goal has been achieved.

"Female participation in the Great Scottish Run 10k event has been higher than the Great Women's 10k for the past two years.

"Therefore, we will instead concentrate our resources into the further development of the Great Scottish Run, rather than continuing to deliver an annual 10k event which is decreasing in popularity and facing more and more marketplace competition."

PA
The route originally took in the southside of Glasgow but moved to the west end in recent years

Participation in the Great Women's 10K over the last five years:

2014 - 7,956

2015 - 6,845

2016 - 6,300

2017 - 4,364

2018 - 3,281

Women on social media expressed their shock and disappointment at the move, as well as sharing their memories of the race.

Laura Kelly Dunlop said: "It was my first 10k and an essential part in developing my ongoing love of running. I will really miss it. I'm so disappointed. It was a brilliant event for encouraging women's participation in running."

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Cordelia O'Neill said: "I always hoped I would run the Glasgow Women's 10k with my daughter.

"It was my favourite race and meant so much to see women of all abilities run through a major city as one.

"So sad to hear plug has been pulled."

Katie Dunlop added: "Absolutely shocking decision by @Great_Run to kill off the Glasgow Women's 10k.

"The death knell was moving it to the West End to an utterly awful course. Gutted and raging!"

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