THE Babcock 10K Series is surging towards a record entry with more than 1,200 runners already signed up – and still almost two months to go until the first race.

The series begins with the Babcock Helensburgh 10K on Thursday, May 9, Dumbarton follows on May 16, and the Shettleston race on Glasgow Green on Sunday, May 26 at 10am.

There is currently a March Hare offer which gives runners £6.00 off if they enter all three races in the series, meaning that the third race is absolutely free. That reduces the series entry fees from £39/43.00 to £33/£37.00.

Series entrants will receive a special Babcock 10k Series T-shirt from sponsors More Mile and all finishers will receive a unique commemorative medal at each event, from Running Imp. Finishers at each race will receive a goody bag with a different running accessory from Start Fitness. Key items will be running socks at Helensburgh, a training diary and elastic laces at Dumbarton and a massage ball at Shettleston.

In addition Dumbarton finishers will receive a special T-shirt to mark Dumbarton AAC’s centenary.

At the sharp end there are big cash prizes, over £2,000 in total with £125 for the male and female winner in each race and bonuses for course and series records. Another £125 is on offer to the overall series winners. Prizes extend throughout the first ten men and women, leading age group runners, teams and local runners thanks to local sponsors, while there are generous spot prizes throughout each race.

Series favourite Adam Craig, from Inverclyde, represented the west of Scotland in Saturday’s English Inter Counties Cross Country Championships in Loughborough, where he finished 10th – just outside a place on Team GB for the World Championships later this month in Aarhaus in Denmark.

For more information on the race series visit Babcock10kSeries.co.uk or enter now at entrycentral.com.

Meanwhile, we’re now in week six of the special 10K Series training programme devised by Garscube Harriers’ Katie White, who won last year’s Helensburgh 10K.

From now on, the beginners’ runs on Tuesday don’t have any walking breaks but instead are made up of intervals of easier and faster paced running. The easier pace running should now be sufficient to allow you to recover enough to maintain the faster running sections.

In the second half of the intermediate and advanced schedules, the intervals on Tuesdays are a repeat of the first half of the schedule but with a slightly increased volume. Hopefully as a result of the training you have done you will be able to complete more repetitions and still maintain the pace.

Beginners, week 6: Monday - rest; Tuesday - 4 mins easy run, 1 min faster run, x6; Wednesday - rest; Thursday - 15 min run, 1 min walk x2; Friday - rest; Saturday - 20 min run, 3 min walk x3; Sunday - rest.

Intermediate, week 6: Monday - rest; Tuesday - 15 x 1 min with 1 min recovery; Wednesday - rest; Thursday - 1 hour with 20 min tempo; Friday - rest; Saturday - 4 miles easy; Sunday - 10-12 miles (up to 1.5 hrs).

Advanced, week 6: Monday - rest; Tuesday - 20 x 1 min with 1 min recovery; Wednesday - 1 hour steady; Thursday - 1 hour with hills; Friday - rest; Saturday - 1 hour with 25 min tempo; Sunday - 12 miles.