By HOLLY LENNON

EVERY Saturday morning, runners across Glasgow get their trainers on to visit one of the city's 90 parks.

Launched in 2008, Glasgow parkrun has become so popular, it has now taken over six different locations.

The original run at the city’s only country park in Pollok welcomes around 500 avid runners a week, ranging from children to pensioners, and is almost at capacity.

Supported by a group of enthusiastic volunteers, runners take on a five-kilometre track around the park’s North Wood.

Designed more for enjoyment than competitive running, the route takes participants on a scenic, sheltered and undulating run.

Liz Corbett, Lead Ambassador (Scotland), said: “In 2008 there was one parkrun in Glasgow with 44 runners - there are now six with more than 1000 runners at the weekend in addition to very many volunteers.

“The appetite for community running and volunteering in Glasgow seems to be insatiable and we will continue to help communities set up new ones as long as the demand is there. It is all contributing to our aim to make people healthier and happier.

Among those who regularly brave the Scottish weather is 74-year-old Eddie Murphy who is now on his 110th parkrun.

Eddie said: “I started a good number of years ago, I was in a running club. I hurt my knee so i was getting to the stage where I couldn't even do the parkrun.

“So, I went to the doctors and it was either a new knee or a jag, so he gave me a jag.

“This is a particularly good run, it's one of the more difficult ones because it's hilly but it’s beautiful.

“I’ve been coming to Pollok park and have stayed in this area my whole life basically. I used to run the cadets in Pollok. It’s a wonderful park and that’s why think its the most popular.”

The pensioner, from Paisley, has a personal best of 24 minutes.

“I’m struggling to do 31 or 32 right now”, he explains.

“Two or three months ago I was up at 36/38 minutes but no matter what time you’re on you meet different people from different age groups and it’s amazing.

“A few weeks later you’re get a wee bit quicker and end up meeting someone else.”

Taking on the terrain together was father and daughter Liam McGregor, 40, Eilish McGregor, 8, from Clarkston.

Liam said: “We come here because we like to run. We were supposed to be going to a swimming competition, but I got the timings wrong and I saw the opportunity to go for a run.

“Eilish is quicker than me.

“We try to do it every week, my other two kids are competitive swimmers, so we don’t always get the chance.”

For the event to run smoothly, it needs 20 volunteers. Those helping out include Duke of Edinburgh award participants and seasoned runners who want to give back.

Paula Quinn, 38, is one of the run directors who has been volunteering since 2015.

She explained: "We need 20 volunteers a week for park run to run successfully.

"We’ve had a few issues the past few weeks to get volunteers, it’s been very last minute. We have some boys here doing Duke of Edinburgh but it’s really over 18s. Its volunteers we need rather than runners.

"It’s a good park to run in because it’s such a great location. The fact that there’s the hills can help to improve your stamina and things as well.

"I started volunteering in 2015 but I've been here every Saturday since then. I’m a regular runner and I’m actually training for my first marathon in April.

"The reason why I started volunteering was because I done the Commonwealth Games - I was a Clyde-sider.

"Whenever I do a run, I’m lucky if I can even grunt and the marshals never mind thank them so it’s my way of giving something back.

"It's great to be involved, it's a great team, everybody is very friendly."

Lauren Gray, 27, from Shawlands uses the run the motive herself.

She explains: "I like it because it motivates me to run faster and it's got a really nice community feel to it.

"There's people of all ages come together. I try to do it a couple of times a month.

"When you run beside people you’re motivated with your speed and it’s in lovely surroundings."