AN opportunity to showcase Glasgow to the world is being missed because of the exclusion of a marathon from next year’s Commonwealth Games, according to former MP and MSP Dennis Canavan.
He said he was starting to wonder if the organisers of the sporting extravaganza were even capable of organising an egg and spoon race, due to what appeared to be a “lamentable lack of efficiency, ambition and initiative”.
Canavan’s concerns are growing after his most recent letter to the Commonwealth Games Federation has not even had the “courtesy” of an acknowledgment.
“With that level of incompetence, I fear that, in the longer term, the Commonwealth Games is facing an existential crisis,” he told the Sunday National.
Having run 15 marathons in the past, Canavan was shocked to find there were no plans for one in the Games next year.
“It beggars belief,” he said. “The marathon is one of the most prestigious and iconic events in the history of world athletics, dating back to the 5th century BC.”
He arranged meetings with some of the organisers who gave him a “polite hearing” but stood by their decision.
Canavan said he then decided “to swallow his republican loyalties” by writing to the King in his capacity as Patron of the Commonwealth Games.
Co-signatories of the letter included former first minister of Scotland, Henry McLeish; former lord provost and lord lieutenant of the City of Glasgow, Alex Mosson; former Commonwealth Games marathon runner Ross Houston; a press officer for Team Scotland in a previous Commonwealth Games and several MSPs.
“After waiting several months for a reply, I had to chase up some flunkey in Buckingham Palace before I eventually got a letter advising me to contact the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF),” said Canavan.
He then wrote to the CGF’s chief executive, Katie Sadleir, but had to contact her office several times before eventually getting a response.
In it, she said road events such as the marathon were being excluded to “reduce operational complexity, ensure significant savings in transport and security costs and minimise the disruption for the general public by avoiding road closures”.
However, Canavan wrote back suggesting the marathon could be self-financing if it were a mass participation event with the elite athletes representing their countries starting before the mass participants who would pay a fee to enter.
“Thousands of runners would be willing to pay to participate in such a prestigious event which could also attract corporate sponsorship,” he said, adding in his marathon running days he had never heard any serious complaint about disruption.
He said if the CGF were unable or unwilling to organise a marathon, they should ask the organisers of the London Marathon, the Edinburgh Marathon or the Great Scottish Run to stage the marathon for Glasgow.
“I sent that suggestion to the CGF six weeks ago and so far, I have not even had the courtesy of an acknowledgement,” said Canavan.
As the MP who formed a parliamentary group in order to cut through government red tape which was threatening to strangle the London Marathon in its early days, Canavan said he was disappointed in the lack of interest from MPs and MSPs in a Glasgow Commonwealth Games marathon.
“When I wrote about this matter to all the Glasgow MSPs and MPs and the leader of Glasgow City Council, most of them did not even bother to reply,” he said. “They do not seem to realise that they are missing a golden opportunity to showcase Glasgow and Scotland to a multi-million TV audience throughout the world.
“As for the people who are supposed to be organising the Commonwealth Games, I am beginning to wonder if they are capable of organising an egg and spoon race.”
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “The council is not part of the Games organising company and doesn’t have a role in determining the sporting programme.”
A Commonwealth Sport spokesperson said: “We are inspired and excited by the innovative approach taken by organisers to deliver Glasgow 2026 in record time. While road events won’t feature in 2026, we are confident they will return in future editions of the Games.”
