My Men’s 10km- Ced Chesterman
I was running to raise money to help meet the operational costs of a drop-in café, which acts as a base for Glasgow-based addiction recovery and mental health support charity Street Connect in Greenock. (I paid for my ticket, my own expenses, and set up a GoFundMe account for a beneficiary who’d receive the money.)
I completed this year’s Glasgow Men’s 10K with a finishing time of 00:48:24, placing 868th out of 2,448 participants overall. I was 58th out of 200 in the Male 50 category. My 5K split was 23:36, demonstrating a solid performance.
I ran a consistent pace, averaging around 4:50/km, and placed within the top third overall and top 30% in my age category; which I feel was a respectable performance, especially with a 5K split of 23:36.
Weather conditions on the day were, in my opinion, perfect for running: overcast skies with light rain; blissful; standard Glasgow fare. My warmups went well, and my mindset was strong at the start. Things came together nicely, especially as I found myself gratefully chatting to another Harrier I hadn’t expected to see at the start line.
Prior to this, I had some concern over a recent shin splint and ankle issue. I hadn’t rested as much as I’d intended in the days leading up to the event; however, a few hours lying on my bed with ice packs, some remedial stretches, and a cold shower the morning of the run, along with my MBF protocols (all tied together with kinesiology tape, lol — around both ankles), allowed me to run strong and stay focused.
While I didn’t beat my personal best 10K of 00:46:37 (achieved at the Brian Goodwin, timed race around Bellahouston / Pollok Park in Glasgow’s southside), I hadn’t planned to, to be honest. With the bridge climbs, turns, and loops around Glasgow Green, it’s just not the kind of route that typically yields personal bests. It was also a slightly different course from last year’s Men’s 10K, which I completed in 00:48:02 —making any direct comparison of limited value.
The race was a great benchmark for fitness and a valuable experience. I’m pleased with my steady pacing and strong finish. There were a few moments approaching the 6K point, going down Trongate and Saltmarket, where I hit a flow state and running felt effortless.
As I often find, I started to increase my push in the final kilometres. However, as has happened on several occasions — both here, at the Great Scottish Run, and at the Scottish XC Championships — the finish line wasn’t where I thought it was. I ended up having to dig deeper across the remaining distance to reach the actual finish.
Thanks to everyone who supported and donated. I’d also like to thank my club runners, the Greenock Glenpark Harriers, and friends following from afar.