Rio Olympic marathon runner, Sonia Samuels, leads more than 1000 entries for the Babcock 10K series. The three-race series kicks off on Glasgow Green on Sunday 12 May with the Babcock Shettleston 10K and Family Fun Run, over 2km. The Babcock Dumbarton 10K follows on Thursday 23 May and concludes with the Babcock Helensburgh 10K on Thursday 30 May.

Samuels won both the Helensburgh and Shettleston races in 2022, setting a course record of 34:30 in Helensburgh. She is currently training in Monte Gordo in Portugal where she prepared for December’s Valencia Marathon which she completed in 2:28:07, only three seconds outside her lifetime best, at the age of 44.


Sonia has represented Team GB in the World Championships, European Championships and England in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and has a track best of 32:39 for 10,000 metres so will be hoping to put her own course record under pressure. She now coaches in addition to pursuing her own competitive career and prepared the Babcock series' 10 week coaching programmes for beginner, intermediate and club runners which can be accessed at the event website.

Series chairman, Kevin Johnson is also in discussion with 2021 Olympic marathon trials winner, Chris Thompson from Aldershot, Farnham and District about joining Samuels on the journey north. Thompson, a similar age to Samuels has displayed incredible longevity in his career having outkicked Mo Farah over 5,000 metres, in the European Under 23 Championships, nearly a quarter of a century ago.

In recent years he has triumphed in the Great South Run in Portsmouth, Great Bristol Run, Great Birmingham Run and the Great North 10K, where he clocked 28:59 for the distance. His best for 10,000 metres on the track is 27:27 so considerably inside the Babcock Series record of 29:32. Thompson is currently preparing for the Boston Marathon on Easter Monday and will confirm his participation after his trip to the USA.


There is more than £6,000 in cash prizes and Start Fitness vouchers for the top ten male and female finishers, age group and team winners. Every finisher in each race will receive a unique commemorative medal and different item of Start Fitness running merchandise. There will also be a generous selection of spot prizes awarded throughout the field of finishers at each race. There are also cash bonuses of £200 each for course and series records which currently stand at 29:32 for men and 32:57 for women.


If you'd like to know more, visit the Babcock Series website. Or enter online here: Shettleston 10K, Dumbarton 10K & Helensburgh 10K.

Image: Babcock 10K Series