Great Scottish Runners Take Off in First-Ever Glasgow Airport Run

In the wee small hours of Thursday 18 September, 3am to be exact, 50 of Glasgow’s keenest runners took to the tarmac at Glasgow Airport as part of the first ever ‘Run the Runway’ event.

Organised in partnership with Glasgow 850, and Glasgow Airport, demand for places was ‘sky high’.   800 runners from next month’s AJ Bell Great Scottish Run entered a ballot to run the 5km route in a small window outside of the airport’s normally busy flight operations, creating a once-in-a-lifetime training run to celebrate the city’s 850th anniversary.

Those selected had an early alarm call ahead of their 2.30am airport arrival time, where they were then guided through full airport security before being welcomed to the start line by Glasgow Airport’s fire crews, who lit up the scene with their engines and serenaded runners with their sirens.

Local run groups Stride Athletics and Outlier Run Club led the warm-up and paced runners around the 5km course, which took participants the full length of the runway and back – the perfect combination for aviation enthusiasts. With the glow of the cat’s eyes for light and a safety car to follow, the run offered a surreal and memorable experience – from the silence of the usually bustling airfield to the headwind that had everyone digging deep on the home straight.

At the finish line, runners were buzzing and even emotional from the shared experience saying it was “bucket-list run they never knew they had,” to “it being quite weird to think that I’ve just run on the same place that all these planes take off and land on every day, it was very surreal”.

Matthew Wilson, Head of Aerodrome Operations at Glasgow Airport, said: “It was an absolute privilege to welcome runners onto our runway for this one-of-a-kind event the likes of which we have never facilitated before.

“Glasgow Airport has been part of the city’s story for over six decades, so to play a role in the Glasgow 850 celebrations & the build up to next month’s Great Scottish Run in such a unique and memorable way was incredibly special, and unlikely to be repeated.

“Staging a runway event at a live international airport is no small feat. The operation required meticulous planning and coordination across airside operations, security, and air traffic control to ensure the event could take place safely during a narrow window in the early hours. We’re proud to have worked closely with our partners to make it happen.”

Callum Matthews from Stride Athletics, said; “As a group which strives to keep athletics fresh and forward-thinking, we are delighted to partner with Great Run and support this unique event, gearing athletes up ahead of the Great Scottish Run.

“Giving runners access to Glasgow Airport will be an unforgettable experience for all involved and I’m sure everyone savoured every second on the runway.”

The event has set the stage for the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run, Scotland’s biggest running weekend, which returns on Sunday 5 October. More than 30,000 runners of all ages and abilities will take part across the 10k, Half Marathon, and Junior & Mini events.  Have you signed up yet?  There’s still time, but be quick, it’s expected to be a sell out.