Nearly 12,000 women donned their running shoes and took to the streets yesterday for the annual Resolution Asset Management 10k run.

LEANNA MacLARTY

NEARLY 12,000 women donned their running shoes and took to the streets yesterday for the annual Resolution Asset Management 10k run.

Of all ages, they assembled at Bellahouston Park to raise money for charity, beat a previous time or have a bit of fun. Many were wearing T-shirts, yellow armbands or signs pinned to their tops for missing girl Madeleine McCann.

Setting off along Nithsdale Road at 10am, they were divided into groups depending on how long they thought they would take to complete the course.

Hundreds stood in each section, marked with brightly coloured balloon arches, ready for their turn to set off. Running times were recorded by a ChampionChip strapped to the ankle of each runner.

Frank Clement, race director, said: "We used to start everyone at the one time but now because of the chips we can manage the start better. It allows us to space each group more effectively."

A huge range of charities were visible on the runners' T-shirts. "I'm running for the Yorkhill Foundation," said 35-year-old sports worker Caroline McCaig. "I've got children and have used it. It's an important hospital."

Though she ran in a T-shirt emblazoned with Yorkhill's logo, Ms McCaig also wore a yellow armband in support of the search for Madeleine.

Diane McCann, the aunt of missing Madeleine, walked the course with friends and said she had been overwhelmed with the amount of support the family had received.

She said: "It's been very emotional. I hope somebody somewhere will get in touch because of this. I think it's Maddy's race today."

The family had 400 T-shirts made with pictures of Maddy and details of her abduction. Ms McCann had also spotted T-shirts people had made themselves among the runners.

A few groups stood out from the crowd. The Bishopton Belles ran for Marie Curie with colourful grass skirts and Hawaiian garlands around their necks. A couple sported Timmy Mallet-style sunglasses.

The women, all friends from Bishopton, were running for their seventh year. They pick a different charity to support each time they run.

Large numbers of helpers stood at the finish line, waiting to hand over medals, goodie bags and bottles of water to exhausted runners.

Hugh Hall, 67, and his wife Ruby, 66, gave out medals. "This is Glasgow people at their best, giving it their all," said Mrs Hall.

Organisation of the run had gone smoothly and there were no hold-ups getting people through.

The number of women finishing the run fell slightly from last year's 12,795 to 11,881. Mr Clement said it could be because of the increasing number of similar races for people to enter, particularly around Glasgow.

Two secondary school teachers, Allison McAllister, 35, and Louise Birnie, 26, raised money for cancer research, in memory of a friend who died of breast cancer.

Many runners praised the support from the crowd in encouraging them to reach the finish line.

Emma Rore, 24, a physiology student, managed to finish the course in under an hour. "There was such a buzz and people chanting spurred me on. I didn't know if I could carry on but you don't stop because everybody is running," she said.