Great Winter Run 2015: Edinburgh Route, Start Time, Date and More

More than 2,500 competitors will descend upon the Scottish capital this Saturday as Edinburgh plays host to the Great Winter Run.

The first running event of the year sees will see participants wind their way around a course which starts and finishes at Holyrood Palace, passing by some of the city's grand landmarks along the way.

Those taking part are hoping to get 2015 underway in the right fashion in what should serve as the ideal warm-up for the Great Edinburgh Cross Country taking place later on Saturday.

Date: Saturday, January 10

Start Time: 10:35 a.m. GMT/5:35 a.m. ET

Course and Route Details

As aforementioned, runners will set off from Holyrood Palace, which serves as the official residence for the British monarch in Scotland, although no royals are expected be among those taking part this weekend.

Amanda Hall/Robert Harding/Associated Press

Before even hitting the one-kilometre mark, runners will look upon sights such as Margaret's Loch and St. Anthony's Chapel, some of the cultural sites that give Edinburgh its reputation as such a beautiful city.

Two kilometres into the course, as they continue to ebb their way down Queen's Drive, participants will run along Powersong Mile, which promises to be the most difficult portion of the route.

Twitter user IK attests as much, with the incline up this part of the Great Winter Run promising to test the resolve of those climbing their way toward the halfway mark:

"

Last run before Saturday completed, I really don't fancy the hill... #greatwinterrun http://t.co/sPHbPGKLFl

— I K (@Runningtaxi) January 7, 2015"

Mike Faulkner is maintaining a more positive attitude about the test to come, however:

It will all be worth it, however, as not long after ascending the steep hill, runners will get to take in some of Edinburgh's finest surroundings.

This will include a gaze from Arthur's Seat, rounding the Edinburgh landmark that sits in the centre of the capital, offering some rare views from upon high.

Cara Anna/Associated Press

After passing that monument, the descent begins back toward Holyrood Palace as Queen's Drive winds to its end.

Although the Great Winter Run is a race by definition, those involved will merely take pleasure in the sights at hand in Edinburgh, along with the notion of knowing their 2015 has begun with the right step.

For a more in-depth look at the course, be sure to visit the official Great Run website.