In short: An excellent race for runners of all abilities.
In full: As my first 10k race, and one that I had barely prepared for, I was apprehensive. But it was a brilliant. Everyone was very supportive and the route was spectacular. Before the 10k, I ran purely to improve my fitness and found it a chore, but after the Balfron 10k I found I really enjoyed running something I really didnt expect! What I found surprising was the range of abilities within the runners and I think the race is accessible for everyone, and I would recommend everyone runs this race AT LEAST! once.

Adam Fleming 2

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In short: Really enjoyable. Great location and superbly well organised.

Scott Callan

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In short: Excellant race-very well organised-beautiful scenery-couldn’t fault it

jacquie thomson

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In full: Good Fairy
As a local(almost, only lived in Buchlyvie for 20 years!), this race is a must,no training neccessary just grab a reluctant friend (bad fairy), dress up and distract the crowd. And who needs energy gels to get you over the 42 undulations! when there is the lure of an excellent selection of cakes at the finish! Fab local support,great orginisation, definately one for the calendar.

SHAZIYA ASIF

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In short: Fab – a great run
In full: Well organised, really friendly, great goodie bag. Would definitely recommend it – a must for 2010.

Jenny Marra

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In short: Another great race from the Balfron team.
In full: This is the third time I have ran this race and I will be running it again next year. always very well organised. Thanks to all the volunteers – we couldn’t do it without you. Only thing is its quite a funnel at the start. No room to really split into your expected finishing times.

Kirsty G

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My first 10k and has to be said a very difficult circuit. However, very enjoyable and brilliantly marshalled. A supberb experience in spectacular scenery.

Jim O’Neill
Coatbridge

In short: An excellent run with outstanding surroundings! 10K of fun.

Buzby

www.runnersworld.co.uk/

In short: Hilly, out and back, nice views – open to the elements!
In full: Compared to the Edinburgh 10k which I did the following week this was a charming small town well organised run. Reasonably challenging, one water stop to 5k and one back. Benefit of out and back is you know what’s coming. Or sorry is that a downside?! Worth the trip up to do it and find a nice pub for lunch after.

Nicola Hogg 2

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In short: Great friendly atmosphere

Elizabeth Steel

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In full: the date the 26th April 2009 will stay fixed in my mind forever. Its the day good won over evil, the good fairy ran the legs off the bad fairy, the day i got wing chaff- thats fairy wings not bingo wings!
I was Shaz’s victim/partner as this years fancy dress entry. Which meant it wasn’t her best time but we laughed & i moaned……a lot! We were even a bit “non pc” having our picture taken with a very willing but unsuspecting PC!!! A few pictures taken for the local papers added to the celebrity of the moment & hopefully captured the enthusiasim & anticipation of runners & spectators alike….note to self contact Max Clifford!!!!!!
All in all one of the best 10ks i’ve entered for atmosphere & on organisation. although the word ‘undulating’ is a slight understatement especially on the return- out & back route my only gripe- yuk! But the support of very enthusiastic marshalls & spectators help to take the sting out of those ‘undulations’! Fab goody bag at the end with t-shirt, medal AND chocolate, what more could a fairy ask for. The sliced orange just hit the spot.
Well done to the organisors, definately one for the calender for 2010. Wonder what the dressing up box will hold for next year! Eeeek!

Bad Fairy

www.runnersworld.co.uk/

Hills – what hills!!!!
What a super day out for runners and spectators alike, thanks to superb organisation and marvellous local support. Well done everyone. Looking forward to next year.

Mairi Hiseman

Balfron

In short: This is a very well organised race over a scenic but challenging course on closed roads. This is the second year in a row I have entered and I will be back next year.

MichaelM

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In short: Challenging(bloody hilly) race in spectacular surroundings. Excellent organisation and extremely welcoming. A must do race for 2010.

Jack Gerrard 2

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In short: Despite the tough course, an enjoyable race.

Alan Forsyth 3

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In short: Surprising
In full: A real gem of a 10k, definately well worth doing, extremely well organised and just had a good feel to it!

Denise McKenzie 2

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In short: Really enjoyed the race and atmosphere looking forward to next year

Helen Turkington 2

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Rather than do our normal long Sunday run, three of us decided to head to Balfron on Sunday 26th April to do the 10k.

An easy 45 minute drive from Falkirk (depending on who is driving), with views of the Campsies and Ben Lomond makes it a very appealing for those wanting a handy, scenic run.

It was a great race as long as you don’t mind a hill or two. The route is described as undulating and although it is an out and back course it definitely felt like it was mainly uphill. A really good testing run, needless to say no PBs today!

It was very well organised. No queuing for numbers, even for entry on the day. Plenty of support and two water stations on the route, fruit at the finish, plus a goodie bag with medal, a sweatshop discount voucher and the usual edible goodies.

Plus our own little baker had brought us cakes for after the race, result! Thanks Christine.

And the heated seats on the way home just finished our trip to Balfron off nicely! Nice one Alastair.

We all enjoyed the run and will be back next year.

Elaine Thomson

www.falkirkvics.com/

In full: Very well organised race over a scenic, challenging course on rural roads.

Ticketyboo

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In short: First time for this race and can’t wait until next year. Made me feel like a real runner!

Tricia Stevenson 2

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In short: Good hard hilly race – chosen specificly for hard run

David Hay 16

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In short: A very beginner friendly race, with runners of all abilites taking part. An out and back race made harder as it is pretty much downhill all the way out and uphill all the way back. Local support was great.

CJE

www.runnersworld.co.uk/

In short: very well organised,very friendly,challenging and the kind you want to go back and do again !!!

Donald Gemmell

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In short: Undulating out and back country race – down then oop

JulesR

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In short: Hard hills, beautiful hills, great training for Glasgow Womens 10K

Helen Smith 23

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In short: Hilly but very enjoyable day as extremely well organised.

Kirsty Watson

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In short: Undulating!
In full: Undulating means hilly! Pretty challenging but a nice, friendly race.

Aileen Ross 2

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In short: Tough but exhilarating !
In full: Pretty hilly with a slog at the end but makes all the training worthwhile. If you can run this race, you can run any ! Now looking forward to the Glasgow Ladies’ 10k which should be a piece of cake after Balfron ! Great atmosphere and organization.

My 2nd go at this beautiful but tough run, managed to pace myself better and got a PB !! Delighted with that. Lovely community atmosphere and well organized. If the popularity increases you will have to stagger the start !!!

Sian Brook Gillies

Glasgow  – www.runnersworld.co.uk/

In short: Slightly hilly course, with long uphill on the return leg, but good scenery and well organised

luigi

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In short: Just over two weeks after the event and I am still on a high. Very well organised ,superb scenery with a local support that generates a magical atmosphere. Could teach the bigger events a thing or two. Well done Balfron !

Stephen Reekie

www.runnersworld.co.uk/

In short: One of the best 10K’s around.
In full: Great location near the Loch Lomond National Park. Wonderful scenery, and very friendly. Well organised and generous goody bag. We’ll be back next year.Thanks Balfron

Jacx Mct

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In short: The organisation was admirable, beautiful scenery and a wonderfully, vibrant community atmosphere

Lynn Buchanan

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In short: Excellent event, very welcoming and friendly with great support.

shona everden

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In short: Great event, great support on the streets at start and finish and at water stations.

D Eckersley

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In short: Great organisation, great views, great hills!
In full: Another splendid year by the Balfron organisers. Thanks to all for a fun race in spectacular setting and great facilities. And even the rain held off!

Colin Cameron

www.runnersworld.co.uk/

In short: Fantastic
In full: The Wednesday night training sessions got me in shape and made the run special.

I was recommended to look at my feet and pretend it was flat up that hill between 7 and 8 km. This meant that I did not see anyone running past me up the hills.

Altogether great fun and well organised – they even made the sun shine at one point. Much more interesting that these flat courses. Great atmosphere at the end with the fruit and other goodies.

Gavin Hunter

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In short: Well done Balfron
In full: Amazing scenery, very well organised, a credit to the people of Balfron. There are some horrible hills to overcome, but worth every minute. Looking forward already to next year. This is one of the best 10K’s around!

Elaine Timpany

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In short: Best 10K ever. FAB!
In full: So well organised, so friendly and welcoming. A great buzz amongst runners and spectators alike. The race ran like a dream. Challenging hills, stunning scenery and location. First class website, generous goody bags, fantastic helpers along the route, warm welcome at the finish line, amazing oranges and grapes, attention to detail and a great coffee and cakes stall for the spectators to enjoy while the runners were doing their stuff. Thank you Balfron. Will be back next year.

Lou Lou 4

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In short: One of the best races around.
In full: I’ve done all three years and plan to be back next year. the organisation here is super smooth, the race is obviously a real community event resulting in an infectious, warm and encouraging atmosphere and the extras like the oranges and grapes at the end, the tea and cake stall and the post-race massage add to the enjoyment.

The course is a challenge, especially on the way back, as you negotiate the various hills, though the view across the countryside compensate.

once again well done Balfron on a superb event and I hope you made lots of money for the schools.

Ico

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…Over the finish line to be met with trays of orange quarters – really welcome.  The goody bag was exceptional;  nice medal, t-shirt (right size), pen, key ring, sample of Biofreeze, Fairtrade choccy bar and a money off voucher from Sweatshop!  Put that together with a fruit stall, a homemade cake stall, tea, coffee and even hot waffles with strawberries and cream if you could face it – what more could you ask for?

This race is so well organised for a small village event that some of the bigger events could take a leaf out of their book (Edinburgh Half Marathon take note!).  I would recommend it to anyone – yes it is challenging but a terrific sense of achievement once you have finished it.  It is open to all comers too – even walkers.  The last person finished in over 2 hours and I bet there were still people there cheering them in!…

Tina

www.realbuzz.com/

In full: I would definitely do this race again!
The scenery was great. Organisation excellent too. This was my first 10k and would recommend to everyone. Thank you to all the cake makers too! This was needed after the a fair few hills!

Lucy Marshall 2

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In short: I love those hills!!!!
In full: even though i wont get a PB at this race. i can beat myself on last years times. my challenge is to get through the race without walking at all. still not managed that yet!

volunteers are great, esp the kids shouting out your race number as you approach the finish, gave me a boost. oranges at the end were brilliant, exactly what you need. thanks Balfron will definately be back

scoobs

www.runnersworld.co.uk/

I really enjoyed the Balfron 10k and there was a really good atmosphere. This is the third year the event has taken place, and it is obviously growing in popularity, with more than 500 participants this year. The course is quite hilly, so it was certainly a challenge, but I loved it nonetheless and finished in 48 minutes 55 seconds. Congratulations to the event organisers who did a terrific job again this year.

Jo Swinson
MP for East Dunbartonshire

www.joswinson.org.uk/

In short: Challenging but worth it
In full: This is the first time I have ran this race but I am so impressed by the organisation. A small scottish community raising money for local schools but hats off to them! They could teach some of the larger races a thing or two. Excellent communication before hand. Chip timed and a welcoming atmosphere at the school when picking up race numbers etc. Plenty of loos and space to change and shower if required. The race itself is challenging – more up than down especially on the way back. Felt sorry for the front runners as us plodders still ran across the full width of the road even though we were told to keep left! 7 to 9K is all uphill and very tough but what a sense of achievement when you finish. Lots of support near the start and finish. Orange quarters, home made cake, waffles and fresh strawberries and cream, excellent goodie bag – what more could you ask for!

Tina Miller

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In short: Scenic, hilly and well organised 10k
In full: Being a small town, I decided to head off early to ensure getting a parking space. So I got to Balfron about 9.15 well ahead of the 11am start. Parking was not a problem at this time but after 10 the car parks were all full across the town and people were parking on any street they could find. The race starts at Balfron high school, so there was no lack of changing facilities or toilets.

So I headed over early to get my race number and chip. The organisation was second to none as there was not even a queue even though there were over 600 runners plus a junior race. Then I headed back to the car to chill out with some tunes until 10.30 where I did a light jog back to Balfron high school to warm up. As I was entering Balfron High school there was a guy telling me ‘Go in that lane’, thinking that I was in the 4k junior race and I was last! So we had a good laugh about it when he realised I was just warming up.

The race itself was really enjoyable. The start went really smoothly as everyone seemed to be at the right point in the pack so I got up to my pace straight away. The course is an out and back course which is pretty much continuously undulating. It is one of those races where it was really a necessity to train on hills as you could tell in the second half of the race many were caught out by going off too quickly.

There were small pockets of support throughout the race that were extremely encouraging. On top of that the marshalling was second to none and the finish had a good crowd. The free orange and grapes stall was a nice touch at the finish. The goody bag included a bar of chocolate, a bottle of water and a very nice medal.

Although not a PB course, this is an incredibly scenic and well organised race now in its 3rd year. Being only half an hour out of Glasgow it is handy too.

Recommended.

Sturun

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In short: Hilly, but every street corner felt like a finish line- Thanks Balfron
In full: Third year doing this and each time the organisation has been smooth. The community atmosphere, local support and scenery make this one not-to-miss. I ache all over, but somehow it doesn’t matter. See you next year…

Stuart Currie

www.runnersworld.co.uk/

In short: A very special event
In full: Tough hills but great support make this an unforgetable run, and this year’s was the best yet. The infectious enthusiasm of the young water stop helpers just the thing to help you up the serious “undulations”, and the Outspan oranges at the finish just perfect!

Derek Townsend

www.runnersworld.co.uk/

In short: Challenging!
In full: I entered this race and then read the reviews! I hadn’t realised it was so hilly! I even thought about giving it a miss, but am really glad i took part. It was a great run, not your average 10k and the hills certainly are a challenge especially on the way back! Still some how managed to get a personal best (so it is possible!) Thinking i can surely beat it again if i enter a flat one soon!
Fruit at the end is always a nice touch at races too.
Worth a try if you enjoy a challenging race.

Fiona Caldwell

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In short: Those hills!
In full: 2nd year of doing this race, & last year I said “never again”. How short my memory is! The hills were as hard as I remember them but it’s a great wee race, extremely scenic and well organised.

D Runner

www.runnersworld.co.uk/

In short: Exceptional. Fully captures what makes rural village atmospheres so special.
In full: The organisers have managed to create an event which exceeds expectations. The running side is brilliant in all aspects. It’s the non running side which make this day most memorable. A credit to the organisational team and their support. Many thanks.

Nigel Johnson 3

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In short: Top Marks for Balfron Village
In full: Excellent organisation and a friendly welcome makes this a great event, with a good strong community involvement. Add to that a nice medal engraved with the event date, and a decent t-shirt and for £14 entry you’ve got yourself a good morning out.

Nice scenic hilly course, on a mostly single-track road, closed to traffic. Bit of a killer up hill for the last 1.5miles, after an already ‘undulating’ course. Plenty of water available and enthusiastic marshalling / support throughout.

Highly recommended race in a nice part of the country. Well Done Balfron schools!

Tigerspaw

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Mairi Clark

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In short: Really tough course- but worth it!
In full: 2nd year at Balfron and it was every bit as tough as I remember! Glorious scenery took the mind off the killer hills, and the orange at the end was most welcome. Wonderful organisation and a nice medal too. Well done Balfron!

shesnail

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