Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Half Marathons
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Location
- Glasgow, UK
- Distance
- 13.1 mi / 21.1 km
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon: 4 October 2026. Entry, the Pollok Country Park route, charity places, a pace calculator.
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Race Timeline
24 days to go
This is where the real training happens — building your long run and getting comfortable with half-marathon race-pace.
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon 2026: quick answers
When is Great Scottish Run Half Marathon 2026?
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon 2026 takes place on Sunday, 4 October 2026, starting at 10:10am (Start A); from 11:40am (Start B).
What time does Great Scottish Run Half Marathon start?
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon starts at 10:10am (Start A); from 11:40am (Start B) from St Vincent Street, Glasgow.
Where does Great Scottish Run Half Marathon start and finish?
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon starts at St Vincent Street, Glasgow and finishes at Glasgow Green (via McLennan Arch), Glasgow.
How many miles is Great Scottish Run Half Marathon?
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon is 13.1 miles (21.1km).
How much elevation gain does Great Scottish Run Half Marathon have?
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon has approximately 367ft of total elevation gain. Gently uphill from miles 2-8, with the toughest incline around miles 7-8, then downhill to the finish. Independent course analysis puts total elevation gain at around 367ft (112m) — not an official figure, but a reasonable guide to the course's genuine, if modest, undulation.
How much does Great Scottish Run Half Marathon cost to enter?
Entry is direct via the official site — no ballot. Half Marathon entry was £45 (Saver) rising to £48 (Final) as of Aug 2026; always confirm current pricing.
How can I track a runner at Great Scottish Run Half Marathon?
Live tracking via the official Great Run app (RTRT.me platform).
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Distance
- 13.1 miles / 21.1km
- Location
- Glasgow, UK
- Start Point
- St Vincent Street, Glasgow
- Finish Point
- Glasgow Green (via McLennan Arch), Glasgow
- Start time
- 10:10am (Start A); from 11:40am (Start B)
- Elevation gain
- 367 ft (112m)
- Surface
- Closed public roads, tarmac, with parkland sections through Pollok Country Park
- Cut-off time
- No fixed cut-off time is published — a sweep vehicle travels at a 17-minute-per-mile pace under the wider Great Run Series policy.
- Age requirement
- Runners must be 17 or over on event day.
- Tracking app
- Live tracking via the official Great Run app (RTRT.me platform).
Direct Entry Summary
Entry is direct via the official site — no ballot. Half Marathon entry was £45 (Saver) rising to £48 (Final) as of Aug 2026; always confirm current pricing.
Ballot Policy
No ballot for this event — entry is first come, first served through the official site.
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Race Day Weather
A real forecast appears here once one exists for race day — usually about a week to ten days out. Nothing is shown until then, because a made-up forecast is worse than none.
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at St Vincent Street, Glasgow and finishing at Glasgow Green (via McLennan Arch), Glasgow. 367 ft of total elevation gain across 13.1 miles.
Is Great Scottish Run Half Marathon flat?
Gently uphill from miles 2-8, with the toughest incline around miles 7-8, then downhill to the finish. Independent course analysis puts total elevation gain at around 367ft (112m) — not an official figure, but a reasonable guide to the course's genuine, if modest, undulation.
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Course Profile
367 ft total elevation gain.
Tap a point on the course for details.
St Vincent Street, Glasgow
Start line.
Bellahouston Park & Pollok Country Park
+367ft (112m) — A parkland loop between roughly miles 3.5 and 8 — the course's toughest stretch, and the source of its independently-cited elevation gain.
Second Clyde crossing
The route crosses the River Clyde again here before a riverside run-in to Glasgow Green.
Where Great Scottish Run Half Marathon starts and finishes
These are the start and finish points, not the route. Verus doesn't hold course files for this race, and drawing a line between two pins would be a guess you might end up training on. The official course map is the one to use: view it on the organiser's site .
Full Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Route Breakdown
Shares its St Vincent Street start with the 10K, crossing the River Clyde before a long stretch on Paisley Road West and a loop through Bellahouston Park and Pollok Country Park around miles 3.5-8, before returning along Paisley Road West, crossing the Clyde again around mile 11, and finishing through McLennan Arch onto Glasgow Green.
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Pace Calculator & Splits
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
18:19
Average pace / km
11:23
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Pace Chart
Split markers calculated for standard checkpoints — no official pacers are confirmed for this event.
| Target | Pace /mi | Pace /km | 5K | 10K | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 13:44 | 8:32 | 42:41 | 1:25:23 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 14:53 | 9:15 | 46:15 | 1:32:30 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 16:02 | 9:58 | 49:48 | 1:39:37 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 17:11 | 10:40 | 53:22 | 1:46:43 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 18:19 | 11:23 | 56:55 | 1:53:50 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 19:28 | 12:06 | 1:00:29 | 2:00:57 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 20:37 | 12:48 | 1:04:02 | 2:08:04 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 21:45 | 13:31 | 1:07:36 | 2:15:11 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 22:54 | 14:14 | 1:11:09 | 2:22:18 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 25:11 | 15:39 | 1:18:16 | 2:36:32 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 27:29 | 17:05 | 1:25:23 | 2:50:46 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 29:46 | 18:30 | 1:32:30 | 3:04:59 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 32:04 | 19:55 | 1:39:37 | 3:19:13 | 7:00:00 |
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your Great Scottish Run Half Marathon finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated Great Scottish Run Half Marathon finish
1:54:55
An estimate only, based on Pete Riegel's race-time prediction formula. Real marathon performance depends on endurance, training specificity, pacing and race-day conditions — not just your speed over a shorter distance.
Training for a different distance? Try the full pace calculator, race time predictor or pace chart.
Got your target time? Save it to your profile.
Tag Great Scottish Run Half Marathon, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyGreat Scottish Run Half Marathon Race Day Checklist
Tap items to mark off your race-day readiness.
- Race number attached, and any timing chip fitted per your race pack instructions
- A bag for the colour-coded bag drop near the start — closes 15 minutes before your wave
- Weather-appropriate kit, plus something warm and disposable to discard before the start
- Your own gels/fuel if you'd rather not rely solely on the on-course hydration/gel partners
- Confirmation of which start area (A or B) and wave colour applies to you
- A meeting point agreed with family/friends near the Glasgow Green finish for after the race
Training Strategy for Great Scottish Run Half Marathon
10-14 weeks is a solid window for a first half marathon; 8-10 weeks is enough if you're already maintaining a baseline mileage. Build your long run up gradually rather than jumping straight to race distance.
This course has real climbs — bellahouston park & pollok country park around mile 5 — so include some hill-repeat sessions midweek rather than relying only on flat long runs.
Reduce overall mileage across the final 7-10 days while preserving short race-pace bursts. Arrive at St Vincent Street, Glasgow fresh, energized, and primed — not fit, fresh.
Lock in your target pace using the interactive splits calculator below — no official pacers are confirmed for this event, so a pace band on your watch is the more reliable option.
Test your race-day fuel and hydration plan on your long training runs, not for the first time on race day — check the Race Day Checklist below for what's actually on this course.
Half Marathon Nutrition & Fueling Plan
A modest increase in carbohydrate intake over the 2-3 days before the race — not one huge pasta dinner the night before — is the well-established approach to topping up glycogen stores for a half marathon.
Eat a carb-focused breakfast 2-3 hours before your wave start, and stick to something you've already tested in training.
Aqua Pura (hydration) and Science in Sport (energy/gels) are the official Great Run Series on-course partners — carry your own fuel if you train with something different.
Getting some carbohydrate and protein into you within an hour of finishing helps recovery start properly.
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Charity Places 2026
Charity places are available through the event's official charity, Alzheimer's Society, and other partner charities. There's no single universal minimum — each sets its own fee and fundraising target, as in the example below.
| Charity Partner | Entry Fee | Minimum Target |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer Research UK | £20 | £400 |
Lead with your personal story — explain why the charity matters to you. Personal connection generates 3x more support than a generic link broadcast.
Share key training milestones on Instagram (first 10-miler, peak week, race week) with your fundraising link in bio. Publicly thanking donors prompts secondary gifts!
Running Great Scottish Run Half Marathon for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other Great Scottish Run Half Marathon fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusWhere to Stay for Great Scottish Run Half Marathon
Glasgow city centre
Closest to the St Vincent Street start, with the most hotel choice.
A short journey to the Glasgow Green finish.
Glasgow Green / East End
Closer to the finish, with a riverside atmosphere for spectators.
Further from the start on race morning.
Travel & Logistics
The Glasgow Subway opens early on race day, with a Park & Ride at Shields Road Subway station.
Park & Ride is available at Shields Road Subway station, combining parking with free return Subway travel.
Roads across the city centre, west and south Glasgow are closed from around 4am to 5pm on race day, with the M8, M77 and Clydeside Expressway kept open for diversions.
Spectator & Cheer Guide
Specific mile-marker viewing points weren't published at the time of writing — Glasgow Green at the finish and the city-centre start on St Vincent Street are the most central spots to watch from.
The Glasgow Subway makes it realistic to reposition between viewing points during the race.
Live tracking via the official Great Run app (RTRT.me platform).
Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know for race weekend.
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Race details independently compiled and fact-checked by Tommo against the official Great Scottish Run Half Marathon site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.