THIS year’s Babcock 10K Series is set to attract a record entry of more than 2,000ers by the time the gun goes at Hermitage Academy at 7.30pm on Thursday for the opening race in Helensburgh.

Entries for the Helensburgh and Dumbarton races have surged past 700 runners for each race and Shettleston, which is still over two weeks away on Sunday, May 26, is already well beyond 500 runners.

Inverclyde’s Adam Craig, the reigning Scottish cross-country champion and winner of last year’s Great Scottish Run 10k is hoping to add the course record to his increasingly impressive list of running achievements. His training has gone well and his target is a time inside Olympian Derek Hawkins’ 30 minutes and 28 seconds from 2015.

Paul Sorrie from Shettleston, twice a winner in Helensburgh, will be wearing number one as he attempts to make it three, but that looks to be a tall order against the in-form Inverclyde man.

Defending ladies’ champion and winner of all three races from last year, Katie White of Garscube Harriers, has been struggling with a niggling knee injury for several weeks and will make a late decision on her participation, which may leave the way open for Kilbarchan’s in-form Elspeth Curran to go one better than her runner-up spot of last year.

The women will be competing for the splendid new Taylor Wimpey West of Scotland Trophy for the first time.

The Dumbarton race follows Helensburgh on Thursday, May 16 and as a fitting tribute to the club’s centenary celebrations will host the Scottish Athletics West District 10k Championships. Finishers will also receive a specially designed centenary T-shirt in the famous black and red club colours.

There is still time to enter at entrycentral.com and take advantage of the offer giving £5 off each race, saving a total of £15 if you enter all three races. More information on the £6,000 in age group, team and category prizes is available at babcock10kseries.co.uk.

Every finisher in each race will receive a unique commemorative medal, Start Fitness goody bag containing a different running accessory at each race and copious supplies of Strathmore Water to remain refreshed and rehydrated. Series entrants will receive a specially designed More Mile technical T-shirt.

Results and photographic coverage in next week’s Advertiser.