This is Great Scottish Run: Anna Clerkin-Lennon

Glasgow had a vision 850 years ago to make a difference to the world — and this October, our AJ Bell Great Scottish Runners will do the same.

When Anna lines up for the AJ Bell Great Scottish 10km Run on the 5 October, she’ll be running with a very special motivation – her niece Ava.

Ava, now seven, was diagnosed with leukaemia shortly after her fifth birthday. After two years of treatment at the Royal Marsden, St Thomas’s and St George’s hospitals in London, Ava is currently in remission, with her final course of treatment scheduled to finish this October. If all goes well, her family hope she will be completely finished with treatment by January 2026.

Throughout this journey, the charity Young Lives vs Cancer has been a constant source of support to Ava’s family providing a lifeline during the most difficult of times.

To date Anna and her siblings have, including Ava’s Mum, have raised over £10,000 to thank Young Lives vs Cancer for everything they had done. Sadly, illness meant Anna couldn’t take part in last year’s Great Scottish Run – but this year she is determined to cross the finish line.

“This run means a lot to me,” she explained. “Last year I had raised so much and was ready to run in the 10km, but a chest infection kept me away. I felt I’d let people down, even though everyone told me not to worry. This year, I’m going to run in the 10km – not just for Ava, but for everyone who donated and supported us.”

For Anna, the run is about more than fundraising. After having two children of her own, she admits fitness has sometimes taken a backseat. Training for the event has given her a reason to carve out time for her health, while also showing gratitude to the charity that helped her family so much.

She’s most looking forward to the emotional moment of running across the Kingston Bridge – a highlight for many participants. “Whenever we drive over it, my kids wave to the River Clyde. To run over it during the race, thinking of them and of Ava, will be really special.”

Anna has already raised more than £600 this year, adding to her family’s long-term target of £20,000 for Young Lives vs Cancer. She hopes to make the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run an annual tradition – a celebration of Ava’s strength, her family’s resilience, and the power of running for a cause that truly matters.

There still a chance to be a part of the biggest Great Scottish Run yet. Sign up here.