A 10K trail race in Glasgow took an unexpected turn after a prankster pretending to be a race marshal misdirected participants. The unknown woman also buried directional signs, causing confusion among runners.
Acorn Trails, the event organizers, reported that about 30 of the 115 runners were led on a 2.5km (1.5-mile) detour, and the incident occurred during Sunday’s race, starting and ending at Linn Park’s old golf clubhouse.
Race organizers Alex Osborne and Michelle Sinsheimer expressed their frustration, stating the situation was no laughing matter as they highlighted that runners were diverted from medical aid, which could have led to serious consequences if an emergency had occurred.
Mr Osborne said: “It’s hard to laugh off the incident when you consider the possible implications had things not panned out as lightly as they did.
“There’s a fine line between it being a humorous prank and an incident had one of the runners, not all of whom were local, got more lost when their warm clothing, refreshments and first aid were at the finish line.
“I’d ask the saboteur, who we were told is female, to consider the above, which I’d like to think they hadn’t thought of on Sunday.”
Mr. Osborne explained, “It’s concerning to think about what could have happened if someone had needed help. The prank may seem harmless, but it put participants at risk.”
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The affected competitors have been offered a 50% discount for a future Acorn Trails event. Despite this setback, organizers reassured participants that they remain committed to hosting safe and well-organized races.
Acorn Trails has a history of successful events at Linn Park and Castlemilk Woodland. However, Mr. Osborne acknowledged that while minor incidents like signs being moved have occurred, this level of interference was unprecedented.
Despite marshals being positioned at strategic locations along the course, the prankster was able to take advantage of an unguarded section and directed runners towards Linn Park Bridge from an unmanned spot. Because organizers depend on volunteers, it is challenging to assign marshals at every location.
“It’s not practical to have someone standing by every arrow sign,” Osborne noted. “We do our best to cover high-risk spots and ensure runners receive vocal support from our amazing volunteers.”
Despite this disruption, Acorn Trails continues to host various running events throughout the year. Runners and volunteers are encouraged to stay engaged and report any suspicious activity at future races.
