The Course

The course is 5000m (5K) long. This has been accurately measured by us with a professional measuring wheel. The course is in Pollok Country Park, and run entirely on tarmac footpath. Some sections of the course may accumulate mud, leaves and puddles after rain. Dependent on availability, marshals will be at key sections of the course, or signs will be in place.

Please remember that the parkrun uses shared paths. For the continued success of the event, please give way to other park users. This won't hurt your time, it won't stop you from getting a PB and it will make sure everyone continues to enjoy the event.

Please, wherever possible walk, jog, cycle or use public transport when attending the event. If you do have to drive, please consider car-sharing to reduce our impact on both the environment and other park users. Please also watch out for other park users when arriving and leaving. Parking may be limited so try to arrive early.

Course Safety

The Glasgow parkrun is a fun, free event organised by volunteers for the benefit of everyone. We wish to make the run as safe as possible, so runners, spectators and helpers are asked to take care about the following:

  • Please be considerate to the park and other park users at all times.
  • Please arrive by foot, by pedal-power or by public transport if you can - your efforts help to reduce our impact on the park and the planet.
  • Please consider volunteering to help occasionally - this event survives only because of your generosity - please visit the volunteer page for more information.
  • Take care near roads and car parks - some vehicles drive very quickly. Please congregate away from the cars and be careful in particular if you have children. If you’re driving to the run, please drive carefully even if you’re late!
  • When running, take care on uneven surfaces - whether on grass or on tarmac. Watch out for cyclists, other runners, pedestrians, children, dogs, wildlife, park animals, vehicles, park maintenance work, falling branches, bollards, posts and other obstacles around the course.
  • Please make sure you’re fit enough to run 5k (3.1 miles). Health advice about running can be found at the excellent Runners' Medical Resource website.
  • Remember to warm up before the run.
  • If you see a runner with a serious problem, please stop to help them out and get help as soon as possible.
  • If you’re watching, keep clear of runners on the course, and look after any children and dogs you may have with you.
  • Runners wishing to run with a dog are welcome, but please keep the dog on a short lead or harness and under control throughout the event. Please also review the parkrun support page article about running with a dog at parkrun events.
  • Runners pushing buggies are also welcome, but please take extreme care of other runners around you. If possible start from the back of the field and try to keep to one side of the main body of runners.
  • While rare, Lyme Disease is present in areas where deer live, and occasionally passed to human’s through infected ticks. See NHS Choices website for more about Lyme Disease, and how to deal with ticks.
  • This is a free training event, so all run and attend at their own risk.

We hope these tips help to ensure that Glasgow parkrun is fun and safe for everyone.

Age Grading

All parkrun events use Age Grading to help athletes compare results.

Age Grading takes your time and uses the world record time for your sex and age group to produce a score (a percentage). This score allows you to compare your personal performance against other people's performances even though they might be a different age and a different sex to you - the higher the score the better the performance. The scores can also be compared across different race distances - to allow you to, for example, compare a 5km time against a marathon.

For more information, please see the Running For Fitness website.

Course Map

Course Description

The route consists of two laps of the North Wood. It is scenic, sheltered, and undulating, with generally wide paths. It is designed to be enjoyable, rather than for pure PB speed. It is all tarmac, although there are areas where water, mud and leaves can accumulate after rain, so please exercise caution. Regular running shoes are suitable.

From the start at the top of the Burrell carpark, follow the access road east, turning slightly left then right. Follow the road along below the Hay field. After 150m, just after the carved woodpecker, bear left into the North Wood. Follow the path around, and take the first right, joining the main path (across and bear left) through the North Wood, up past the pond. Follow the path down the hill, and turn sharp left at the bottom just before the Glade, and head up the path along the left/north side of the Glade.

At the top of the Glade, keep going left, following the winding path up the hill. Keeping left at the top of the field behind the shelter, follow the path around and down to the left, then bear sharp right at the base of the hill. Continue on, with the bridge to your right, take the left up to the main path, and turn hard left to start the second loop.

On the second loop at the top of the hill behind the shelter, take the first right and head down the hill, keeping to the path, bearing slightly right. The finish is at the bottom, on the right fork.

If you decide to run only 1 lap, please either avoid the finish funnel, or simply return your token to the Unwanted Tokens tub without registering - otherwise you may end up with a PB youll have no chance of matching/beating

Facilities

  • Prior to the run, toilets can be found in The Old Stable Courtyard behind Pollok House; as they are approximately 1K from the Start line, we advise runners to arrive in plenty of time and incorporate the trip in your warmup run.
  • The Burrell Collection opens at 10am and has toilets which may be used after your run.
Please note that runners must not relieve themselves elsewhere in the park, as this will lead to Glasgow parkrun''s use of the park being jeopardised.
  • The event director will have access to a basic first aid kit.
  • Please familiarise yourself with the Course Safety notes, and listen at the pre-run briefing for any special notes.
  • Please bring water for yourself after you finish. Run directors will only have access to emergency supplies.

    • Getting There

    Location Of Start

    We start at the top of the Burrell carpark

    Getting There by Public Transport

    Pollokshaws West railway station is nearest, and is a short warmup jog away. Shawlands and Maxwell Park (on the Cathcart Circle) are also very close - an easy 1km jog to the start. Dumbreck/Corkerhill Road stations are also within 2-3km. From Corkerhill Road station note that there is a more convenient entrance to the park further down Corkerhill Road.

    Bus services operate close to Pollok Park. First Bus services 45, 47, 48 and 57 all stop on Pollokshaws road, opposite the main entrance to the park.

    Ibrox underground station is just over 2 miles away (click for route), and makes a great warmup jog. Exit the underground and head for Paisley Road West, turning right when you reach it, then left after the BP station, heading along Dumbreck road and the M8. Follow the road over the M77, and head into Pollok Park at Haggs Castle Golf Club. Once in the park, take the left hand path off the road through the north wood for a more direct route, or follow the road along past Pollok House to the Burrell. Note the underground does become extremely busy when Rangers have home matches (check here for fixtures).

    Getting There on Foot

    There are a number of entrances to the park which may be accessed on foot.

    • The main entrance is on Pollokshaws Road - follow path towards Burrell Collection.
    • Entering from Haggs Road at Shawmoss Road, head down the hill and follow the road round to the left.
    • From Dumbreck Road at St Andrews Drive, pass the gates and you will find yourself at the bottom of Rhododendron Walk, near the 3K marker on the map above. Follow the left path onto the initial part of the course & follow in reverse round to the start.
    • From Dumbreck Road at Haggs Castle Golf Course (by M77 junction 1), follow the road round past Pollok House & head up hill towards Burrell Collection.
    • From south end of Corkerhill Road, follow riverside path to Pollok House, then follow signs for Burrell Collection

    Getting There by Road

    Pollok Park and The Burrell Collection are well sign-posted as attractions on the south side of Glasgow. From the East/Centre of Glasgow, take the M8 then M77 and exit from the M77 at junction 1. From the west, take the M8 and exit at junction 24, and follow the road around past Ibrox, and over. If entering at Dumbreck Road (from the M77/M8) follow the road through the park. Entering at Pollokshaws road, follow the road through and bear right at the second junction (The first you may turn).

    A full set of parking tips have been published here.

    Parking

    On-site parking by the Burrell is pay and display (£1/car from 10am). There is limited space (it is typically full by 9.15am). Funds raised through tickets go directly to park maintenance. Please do not park in other areas of the park (passing spaces, or by Pollok House): We have been asked by the park managers to leave these for other park users.

    Please consider coming by alternative means of transport, or parking outside Pollok park. Wherever you park, please only park in allocated spaces, and not on verges.

    You may want to consider parking on surrounding roads and jog in to the park. Shawmoss Road is particularly suitable (see this map), and is a very short (5 minute) walk/jog to the start, and allows for a quicker getaway. Please always park considerately.

    Post Run Coffee

    Each week we enjoy a post-parkrun coffee in the Burrell museum cafe - please feel free to come and join us.