And 25-year-old Michael McChord has become the first person picked to give up his time to help the city run the Commonwealth Games.

The newlywed, from Lenzie, is the first of 400 frontrunners, the pre-games volunteers, who will help out in the lead-up to Scotland's biggest sporting event.

He was so keen to fill the post of Lead 2014 Assistant that he rushed back from his honeymoon with Jennifer, 26, to be interviewed.

He said: "We were at Loch Lomondside for our honeymoon so I didn't have far to travel, but I did rush back.

"It's a great opportunity for me, but there is a lot of responsibility. I was keen to get involved and accept the challenge."

Michael will help to organise the partnership programme, which invites every secondary school in Scotland to take part in one of six free conferences in universities across the country. These will teach young people to develop leadership schools and eventually hold their own Commowealth festival.

He is well placed for the role after taking part in the scheme himself as a student at Stirling University.

Michael's mentor and Glasgow 2014's volunteer coordinator Rhona Mackintosh, 28, said: "Michael has been involved from day one of the programme.

"He was then taken on as a student mentor as soon as we formed the partnership for Lead 2014. He is now going to be assisting me with the coordination by sitting in on meetings and going to conferences."

Sport participation officer Michael added: "It's a step up in the volunteering stakes – more difficult and more challenging but more rewarding.

"I have gone out to Zambia to teach young people HIV and Aids messages through sport. Once you start volunteering it is infectious.

"For me, Glasgow 2014 is the pinnacle of volunteering in Scotland at the moment."

Ms Mackintosh admitted the Games could not go ahead without the army of volunteers needed to cover every bit of the spectacle, from emptying the boxing athletes' spit buckets to making sure the Queen's Baton Relay goes to plan.

Next January the applications will be open for the 15,000 Games volunteers.

Ms Mackintosh said: "Volunteers are integral for the success of the Games. They are at the heart of it. There is no way we could do it without them."

For more information and how to apply as a frontrunner, see the website: www.glasgow2014.com/

rachel.loxton@ heraldandtimes.co.uk