Hundreds put right foot forward for charities

HUNDREDS of people in Glasgow yesterday enjoyed a walk in the park. SEE PICTURE GALLERY

HUNDREDS of people in Glasgow yesterday enjoyed a walk in the park.

Well, actually, a walk in five parks as 1400 people took part in the Great Scottish Walk.

Those stepping out ranged from babies in prams to pensions, but three out of four walkers were woman as men appear to believe it is not macho enough.

But hundreds of people did take up the challenge of the picturesque 12-mile route through the parks of Bellahouston, Pollok, Newlands, Queens and Maxwell.

And they raised thousands of pounds for various charities in the process.

Among them was Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who donned a tracksuit for the walk which began at Bellahouston Park and took participants on a route through Pollok Country Park, Queens Park, Maxwell Park and Newlands Park.

Ms Sturgeon, who was joined by Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell, said the event was a great way of introducing people to the health benefits of walking.

While agreeing that men might be more attracted to more physical pursuits, she added: "I think women are maybe more involved with charity fundraising than men.

"Clearly walking is a good exercise for women.

"It is great fun and it has been a fantastic day.

"It promotes fitness and activity which is a good thing itself but also most people on the walk will be raising money for good causes."

Some of the women taking part took the opportunity to take their babies too, pushing them round the circuit in their prams.

Walker Shirley Beatson, 35, of Uddingston, Lanarkshire, is in remission from breast cancer and was raising money for Marie Curie Cancer Care with her 13-month-old daughter Beatrice.

Shirley said: "It is amazing to see so many women here.

"I just think mums especially are happy to walk, especially those trying to get fit again after child birth and, of course, you would do it for charity too.

"Men maybe more happy if it was more strenuous, which is a shame as it is a great day out for the family and a chance to raise money.

"I took the chance to do this because I am enormously grateful for the fact I am still alive and able to have children."

Chief organiser Priscilla Turner said women saw the event as a social occasion.

She said: "For women, they go and have a laugh, get together and do it for charity and take their kids.

Men would do it competitively and would not bring their mates, go for a walk and have a good gas, while the women would.

"Absolutely, men should get more involved.

"I would say the walk was a great success and people were commenting on how nice the route was as it was so leafy going through the parks."

While not a race, the first across the line was Colin Scott, a sorting office worker from Comely Bank, Edinburgh, who has finished in the event's top three in each of the last 11 years.

The oldest walker was 89-year-old Anna Goldie, who was raising money for the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice.

The first female under the age of 18 to finish the competition was Catherine Mullan, 12 and the first under-18 male was 14-year-old Lewis Dow.