Took part in this race for this first time this year. The start line was pretty manic and I arrived a littler later than planned so ended up stuck at the back of a long que of people waiting to start. Once the start gun went though and I made my way through the slower runners I really enjoyed the race. It’s not the most senic races your going to enter nor is it the best organised but overall I would say it’s good value for money and pretty flat so perfect to chase down that PB, will probably do again next year!

Having travelled home to Glasgow for the weekend to attend a friend's wedding, I thought I'd combine the trip with a chance to complete another race, so signed up for the Paisley 10k. This was probably more of a challenge than it had to be, as there is no dedicated race site, and indeed there isn't even an active page for the race on the website of Sports Systems, who I believe are the organisers. Instead, registration was done directly through Renfrewshire Leisure, again once the appropriate page on their site was found as there was no direct link! However, the race number & timing chip arrived in plenty of time, and pre-race communication via email was good.

Despite the apparent hassle in signing up, the 2017 running of the Paisley 10k saw a record number of participants. I can understand why, as the route is mostly flat and offers great PB potential - I missed my PB by 10 seconds despite running on 5 hours sleep & a slight hangover! However, organisation was again lacking at the start.

The starting point is just outside Paisley Gilmore St Station, so handy for travelling in by train, although parking in Paisley is free at weekends so issues at all with driving either. However, the start was incredibly congested, and there was an utter melee to get to the start line. There was no concept of start pens or even a guide as to where slower or faster runners should position themselves; and I didn't see a single steward directing people. People ended up moving safety barriers aside to get to the start line, and it would have been easy for there to be a real crush. I also believe some people missed the start due to the poor organisation, so this is something that really needs looked at.

There were no issues at all once we set off, with the route being primarily flat with a few gentle inclines, particularly at 6k and just after 9k. Local support was good, especially in the town centre itself; and there were 3 water stations. These provided cups of water, and I must say I prefer bottles, but this is only a slight niggle. The route takes you through Paisley centre then out past St Mirren's football ground, through a residential area, before looping back to town along a canal path. The blurb for the race says it takes in all of Paisley's best sites, which is true - but there aren't that many of them!

At the finish I was presented with my medal, which was of reasonable quality despite not being a bespoke design. I was also handed a bottle of water, and bananas were on offer too. There was no actual goody bag, which is disappointing; and no race t-shirt - this is a particular bug-bear of mine as I'm a big fan of the race shirt! My personal opinion is that this is something the organisers should look at in future and could improve.

The finish was also a bit of a scrum, but nowhere near as bad as the start. I was able to get out and away from Paisley quickly after grabbing a coffee, with no traffic issues at all.

All in all, this was an enjoyable race with a good route, let down by poor organisation. If that could be improved on, this would be a very good event indeed. 

The organisers really need to look at their setup for before and after the race. There wasn't any information sent out regarding bag drop or water stations. The goodie bag at the was non-existent: I was handed my medal, a banana, a bottle of water and an empty sports bottle. I had hoped for a little more. 

However, the route is very good, as it should be. 

Mostly flat and speedy, leading you through surrounding the Paisley area. I would run this race again, simply because of the course.