On Saturday, I took on the West Highland Way Race — 96 miles of rugged trail from Milngavie to Fort William. My amazing crew consisted of Theo, Anna, and my work friend Alex.
I entered the ballot last year and, somewhat unexpectedly, secured a place. Months flew by and suddenly race week was upon me. We arrived at the start around 11:30pm Friday, enough time to register, pick up my tracker and pre-ordered merch, re-pack my race kit twice 🤪, have a snack, and chat to other runners and supporters.
Start to Balmaha (Checkpoint 1)
The race started bang on 1am to the sound of a horn. It was unusually warm — still around 20°C — and running through Mugdock in the middle of the night felt surreal, like being somewhere in the Mediterranean rather than Scotland. The night was beautiful: an owl swooped overhead, and dozens of white butterflies danced in the beam of my headtorch. Runners spaced out quickly, and before long, I was mostly on my own.By the time we reached Conic Hill, it was fully light, despite being only 4am. I took it easy on the descent into Balmaha, not wanting to risk injury so early. At the checkpoint, Anna and Theo handed me some Smidge and fresh electrolytes, and I carried on — feeling surprisingly good.
Balmaha to Beinglass (Checkpoint 2, 3 and 4)
Fatigue crept in about 2km after Balmaha. My body was fine, but my brain was confused — clearly not convinced this all-night run was a great idea. I focused on reaching the next checkpoint and put some music on to stay alert. At Rowardennan (Checkpoint 2, ~6am), I used my drop bag — salted pretzels, dried apricots, and a can of Coke. Walked a bit after eating, then pushed on toward Inversnaid (Checkpoint 3, ~8.45am)This section is usually a nightmare — technical, rocky, and slow-going — but it was dry for once, and I actually enjoyed it. I ran with a guy from the Lake District and the chat made time pass quickly. Reached Beinglass around 10am, grabbed my drop bag and refilled bottles before heading to Auchtertyre (Checkpoint 5) to meet my crew (82km in).
Shoe Problems and Reboot at Auchtertyre
My beloved La Sportiva Bushido 2s were on their last legs, and my new Mutants — not fully tested on technical ground — began to rub painfully on the top of my foot by about 75km. Lesson learned: don’t race in untested shoes. I’d brought a few spares in the car, so I messaged my crew to bring an alternative pair.Reached Auchtertyre around 12:35pm, slightly behind schedule. Changed shoes and t-shirt, had some tea and pasta salad, and after about 15 minutes, headed off toward Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy (Checkpoint 6, ~15:00)
Bridge of Orchy to Glencoe (Checkpoint 7)
This is typically a runnable section, but I was flagging and couldn’t summon the energy. My support runner was gently encouraging but I needed time. We walked, talked, and eventually I perked up. We ran into Bridge of Orchy, refilled water, washed our faces and legs, and continued on.
Glencoe was another tough stretch, but recognising the terrain gave me a boost and I ran happily into the checkpoint. I was sore and deliriously tired. My crew were incredible — they anticipated what I needed before I could say it. I was slurring my words, half-drunk with exhaustion. I sat, ate pasta salad with chicken and veg, drank coconut water and tea, changed my shirt, and after about 20 minutes, we pushed on toward Kinlochleven (Checkpoint 8 )
Devil’s Staircase and the Push to Kinlochleven
Legs were stiff after the stop, but I loosened up quickly. Devil’s Staircase was a long, steady slog, but tolerable. I chatted with a photographer and other runners to pass the time. Around here, my husband messaged to say I was currently 4th in my age group — which I had absolutely not been thinking about. I’d been focused solely on finishing within cutoff. But then… I spotted another female runner up ahead.
Something clicked. I suddenly felt strong, passed her, and then a few more women ahead. My energy returned. We ran the long downhill into Kinlochleven, talking about food. For some reason, garlic bread and watermelon were top of the list.
Amazingly, my crew had managed to source garlic bread at the checkpoint — total heroes. I didn’t want to lose the gains I’d made, so it was a quick stop: bottles refilled, headtorch packed, and a handoff to my final support runner, Alex.
The Final Stretch
About a mile in, we hit the big climb out of Kinlochleven. I suddenly felt queasy and depleted. The rocky ascent looked impossible. I sat on a boulder, ate some food, had electrolytes, and just stopped for 10 minutes. I was so close — only 26km to go — but completely overwhelmed.
Alex remained calm. No pressure. That break made all the difference. I started moving again and, although this stretch is always my least favourite, we made progress. The descent into Lundavra (Checkpoint 9) was sketchy with fading light, and Alex rolled his ankle but kept going — apparently running made it hurt less than walking.
Lundavra to the Finish at Fort William was rocky, winding, and disorienting. We hit the final road section and it felt endless. Alex encouraged me to go on ahead. I ran solo into Fort William, into the finishing hall, turned in my tracker — and that was it. Finished. Total time taken: 24 hours and 14 minutes. I was physically okay but mentally drained. Tea and toast never tasted so good. We waited for Alex and welcomed in a few more runners shortly after.
Takeaways & Lessons Learned
1. Low mileage can still get you through – I averaged 50–60km/week, which isn’t much by ultra standards, but I’d done a few longer races in the lead-up. Life with a young family means you have to adapt.
2. Never race in untested shoes – obvious, but I broke the rule. I paid for it.
3. Real food > gels – Pasta salad, pretzels, dried fruit, tea, coconut water. Eating at checkpoints gave me energy that paid off later.
4. Active Root worked great – No GI issues. Coke is still the magic ultra elixir.
5. Bring your power bank – Carrying phone and watch chargers = peace of mind.
6. A solid crew is everything – I couldn’t have done it without Theo, Anna, and Alex. They were phenomenal.
This was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done — but I’m so glad I did it. Thanks to everyone who supported me, messaged, followed my tracker, or cheered from afar ❤️
