There are two 10K races that have the same theme but take place in different places and at different times. The theme is to celebrate Scotland, but the races take place on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The Scotland Run 10K is in New York in March, and The Great Scottish Run 10K in Glasgow in September.

The Scotland Run 10K takes place in Central Park in New York City every March and takes its name from the fact that it starts off a week of celebrations about Scotland. The Scotland Run 10K is an awesome event for the family, especially for the kids, as there are loads of booths serving great food, as well as music, dancers and face painters. Runners of all levels participate in The Scotland Run 10K, which is a loop run around Central Park. While you're running, you'll hear the beat of the drums and the wail of the bagpipes, so even if you're not Scottish, you'll feel like you are. Around 6,000 runners run in The Scotland Run 10K every year, making it best to register for the race beforehand, as registering on the day of the race gets incredibly hectic, and you don't want to miss the start time. The Scotland Run 10K also usually hands out some very nice gift bags, so make sure you get yours.

The Scotland Run 10K is one of the races that are pre-qualifiers for the ING New York Marathon, so there are always a lot of serious runners in it. But, don't worry, if you just want to have fun here, you can do that too.

Crossing the Atlantic and onto Scotland, The Great Scottish Run 10K takes place in September in Glasgow. Almost 20,000 runners run in this event, so it's huge and is actually the "biggest participation event" in Scotland. The race itself is relatively challenging, with some hills but a lot of flat ground. Proceeds from the Great Scottish Run 10K go to cancer research in the UK, but just for participating you'll get a nice T-shirt, a medal, certificate and a gift bag. You'll also get the satisfaction of knowing you did your part for cancer research.

If you want to enjoy the true Scottish experience, run in The Great Scottish Run 10K (there's also a half marathon if you want it a bit more of a challenge). But if crossing the Atlantic seems a bit too much, stay closer to home and run The Scotland Run 10K in New York. You'll still enjoy all the fun of Scotland without the long plane ride.