I Beat Jeremy Clarkson’s Car in Race. . .
THIS year ‘s Great Scottish Run is shaping up to be a record breaker.
More than 11,000 people have already signed up – and many more are expected with six weeks still to go to the big day. Last year 14,000 people joined the race so this year ‘s field in the Half Marathon, 10K and Junior Run is well on target to pass that.
Among the runners will be Glasgow University lecturer AC Muir, who last week took on Top Gear ‘s Jeremy Clarkson in a race against a car – and won.
He tells JOHN McCANN about his TV triumph and his hopes for the Great Scottish Run.
A MARATHON runner who beat television’s Jeremy Clarkson in an astonishing 26-mile race against a car has set his sights on the Great Scottish Run in September.
AC Muir, an economist at Glasgow University, will be one of thousands from all over Scotland who will join the starting line at George Square.
AC – as he is known to family and friends – went head to head with the Top Gear presenter in a rush-hour race along the London Marathon route – and amazingly ran the route quicker than Clarkson could drive it.
Now he’s determined to take first place in the race through the streets of Glasgow.
AC said: "The last time I ran the Glasgow half-marathon I came in at 68 minutes – but I was running a full marathon pace.
"This time I’m aiming for 65 minutes to get the top rating in Scotland for the distance."
The 32-year-old from East Kilbride got involved with Top Gear after producers contacted Tim Hutchings, the former British Olympian who organises elite athletes for the London Marathon, and he in turn called AC’s trainer, Ian Ladbrooke.
Clarkson has won a series of races against his fellow presenters, pitting high-powered sports cars against public transport, including a race against France’s high-speed TGV train.
But he met his match in the experienced marathon runner who was not fazed by Clarkson’s car or the rushhour traffic.
Clarkson admitted he couldn’t believe he lost the race and said: "I was in a car – and he was fuelled by toast!
"I expected him to be exhausted at the end.
"Instead of that, when I arrived, he asked me if I fancied a pint."
AC is a familiar sight in the city as he squeezes in a punishing 120-mile-aweek schedule into his academic duties.
He said: "Top Gear is the one thing I watch religiously and along with the BBC website it’s the only thing that justifies the licence fee. When they asked me if I fancied racing there was no way I was going to turn it down."
But even he was amazed when he finished 11 minutes ahead of the Fiat Panda.
AC said: "It’s a shame the race wasn’t a bit closer. I don’t think Jeremy could believe it either.
"I knew I had a chance with the London traffic but on the day the Embankment was really clear and he got a better run there. It was pretty hairy at a few points.
"At one roundabout on a dual carriageway, I tried dodging left and right but there was no way through. I just went for it."
The Glasgow race on September 4, of which the Evening Times is media partner, also includes a 10K run that passes many of the most famous landmarks in the city, including a repeat of the section that crosses the Kingston Bridge for both the 10K route and the half marathon.
Also proving more popular than ever this year, the Junior Run is open to ages nine to 17 and has had a big increase in the number of entries.
AC said: "Glasgow is a good, fast race and they look after you well. I’m very confident at this stage in my training.
"I’d put money on my being the fastest Scot in my home race."
HOW TO ENTER
Entry costs are:
HALF MARATHON:
Non-affiliated/Fun runner – pounds-25;
SAL-affiliated club runner – pounds-23;
Overseas/Non-UK athletic – pounds-29.50.
10K: Non-affiliated/ Fun runner – pounds-20; SAL-affiliated club runner – pounds-18 ;
Overseas/Non-UK athletic – pounds-26.50.
3K JUNIOR RUN: pounds-9.
Full details on how to enter are available from www. runglasgow. org or the Race Hotline on 0845 2700 166.
How to get fit for the big day and avoid injury
TOP TIPS BY RACE DIRECTOR FRANK CLEMENT
WITH so many runners gearing up for the run, race director Frank Clement says it’s vital to look after your body and train sensibly.
When building up your fitness, strength and stamina for the Great Scottish Run, it can be helpful to try other forms of exercise, such as aerobics, swimming, cycling or dance, particularly if you are a firsttime runner.
Frank said: "Unless you’re a serious runner and you’re training hard four or five times a week and are trying to conserve your energy, it’s good to have other activities and exercises to do.
"This will improve your allround fitness and you’ll strengthen other muscle groups.
"It’s good to have all your joints and muscles working, rather than concentrating entirely on the specific ones you use for running."
By doing other activities you can improve your aerobic capacity and you will have more support from other muscle groups to back-up the ones you use when running.
"If you deviate from your normal running pattern, for example going running in the park, and you slip, it will help if all the muscles around your ankle have strength to support it, " said Frank.
If the worst happens and you do injure yourself – which Frank said will happen almost inevitably to everyone at least once during training – there are no set rules on how long you should rest.
But it’s important not to panic about falling behind in the training schedule – and don’t try to run on an injured ankle too quickly.
"Anybody who goes out training two or three times a week will get an injury some time, so be prepared for that, " said Frank.
"You then need to decide whether it’s an injury that’s going to stop you running – and that’s a hard call to make."
Frank, an Olympic and Commonwealth 1500m finalist in the 1970s, admitted: "It took me a couple of years when I was running to judge whether it was a normal injury, which would go away in a week, or something more serious.
"Either way, you have to stop running for a short while.
If you try again and it gets sorer, stop immediately. If it stays the same or wears off, then you can keep going. The majority of injuries you will be able to run through."
He said runners shouldn’t panic if they found they needed a week off to recover and took a few days to get back up to speed.
RUNNERS’ DIARY
WITH only seven weeks to go until the starter ‘s pistol is fired, two Evening Times employees are gearing up for the big day. Experienced runner John Davidson – a member of Bellahouston Road Runners – has his sights set on a respectable time in the half- marathon, while Barry McDonald – a beginner – is aiming to complete his first 10K race. We’ll be charting their training progress every week. . .
BARRY
I COULD get used to this. I’ve managed three visits to the gym treadmill in the past week, and each time I found I could run a little further.
The first time I managed a steady run for 2km, which I managed in just over 15 minutes. By the third visit, I pushed it as far as 3km.
I know it’s not even a third of the way to being able to complete a 10k, but it’s a start.
And a 10-mile round cycle trip to work at least three days a week helps increase my fitness.
The big test comes over the next week, as I head to the south of France for a holiday.
How will fine French food and wine interfere with my training?
JOHN
I COVERED a staggering 152-and-ahalf miles last weekend.
Thankfully, 110 of those were in the car, and 34 on the bike. So that left just eight-anda-half miles of running.
But after a fresh start on Monday with an hour-long run through Pollok Park, and a few more miles yesterday, I’m starting to feel up to pace.
Having said that, the heat didn’t help last week, with sweltering temperatures definitely slowing me down.
I much prefer a nice cool race temperature, but you can’t complain when the sun comes out like it did this week.
As long as it’s not so hot on September 4!
SEVEN WEEKS TO GO. . .
NEXT WEEK’S TRAINING SCHEDULE
HALF MARATHON FIRST TIMERS
3 HOURS OR 22 MILES
DAY 1 – Warm up then 10mins threshold pace, 5mins jog, 5mins threshold pace then warm down
DAY 2 – 35mins easy
DAY 3 – Warm up then 10 x 200m (or 45secs) including 200m recovery jogs then warm down
DAY4- 2 miles warm up then 10K race, then 1 mile jog
10K IN UNDER AN HOUR
MONDAY – 4 miles steady
TUESDAY – Rest
WEDNESDAY – 2 miles easy then 5 x 1 min brisk with 1 min slow in between, 2 mins slow, then 1 mile easy
THURSDAY – Rest
FRIDAY – 3 miles brisk
SATURDAY – Rest