This year, the Fling has switched from its traditional Spring date to late summer.
LIVE TRACKING LINK HERE.
On Saturday, 20th September 2025, the 17th edition of the Highland Fling will have just under 700 runners on the entry list. Here we preview the leading runners, list the all time Fling performances plus some entry stats. The race has established itself as one of the leading 50-mile trail race,s in the UK, attracting runners of all standards from throughout the country.
On a spring Saturday in 2007, 18 runners started the first Highland Fling Race.
The idea of Murdo McDonald and Ellen McVey to have a training run for the full 96-mile West Highland Way race in June, along the first 53 miles of the route from Milngavie to Tyndrum, was born. 17 runners reached Tyndrum with Orkney’s Norman McKennan recording 8:37:20 and Glasgow’s Debbie Cox with 10:31:51 becoming the nominal first winners.
Leading contenders for this year’s race are
Women
Fanni Gyurko. (Ochil Hill Runners) Two-time winner of the 50km Dava Way and a fourth-place finish at last year’s Highland Fling. The former Hungarian marathon International will certainly be one of the favourites.
Also challenging for the podium could be Kari Robertson (Dundee Hawkhill). 2nd at the Devil o’ the Highlands in 2024 and two-time winner of Yorkshire’s Wharfedale Skyline.
Chloe Sangster ( Metro Aberdeen) has Previous Podiums at Speyside Way and The Benachie Ultra. She seems to be relishing he challenge of balancing becoming a Mum and continuing to run ultras. She had a good showing on the roads at this year’s Anglo Celtic Plate British 100km championships, in May,
Others to watch are Roberta Fletcher, who has two podiums at the West Highland Way, 3rd in 2024 and 2nd in 2025, along with a second place at the 2024, 65km, Tweed Valley Ultra, and Annie Walters, 4th at the Devil in 2023 and winner of the 50-mile Ultra Scotland the same year. Annie also completed the gruelling Marathon de Mont Blanc in June of this year.
Men
Rowan Boswood, two-time Fling winner in 2022 and 2024, will certainly be one of the favourites.
He is also a two-time champion at the West Highland Way Race. Rowan had to withdraw at Glencoe in this year’s West Highland Way , but is hoping to bounce back at The Fling.
Gus Irvine is a runner in a rich vein of form, having won both the Devil o the Highlands race in April and the West Highland Way race in June. Can he emulate Rob Sinclair’s 2017 season and also win the Fling in the same year?
Charles Houston has previous podiums at the Ochil Ultra and the St. Cuthberts Way, and is a previous winner of the Tiree Ultra. Charles also has a top 6 finish at the Madeira Island Ultra (MIUT) to his credit. Houston, like Boswood, was a DNF at June’s West Highland Way.
Michael Deason, Scottish 100km international, and a former winner of the Devil, could also be challenging the Podium.
Adam Grey. Like Deason, a member of the Scottish 100km team for the ACP this year, Adam also has much experience on the trails with victories at the Jedburgh 3 peaks and the Tweed valley ultra on his CV, along with podium places at the Race across Scotland on the Southern upland way and the Moray coastal 50 miles.
Others to watch could be a visitor from Belgium, Jan Van den Bossche.
The eagerly awaited transition to the trails of the Scottish and GB 100km international, Dougie Selman, will have to wait as Dougie has had to withdraw from the race due to recent illness.
Entry Statistics.
- There are a total of 682 entries. 477 men, 200 women and 5 non-binary athletes
- The oldest entrant is Rob Reid at 80 years young, there are also three athletes over 70, Paddy McDonald, David Roy and Doug Walker.
- There are 10 female athletes entered over 60 years old.
- The Youngest female entrant is Maggie Barlow at 23, and the youngest Male entrant is George Boyd at 21.
- To ensure the event runs smoothly, there will be over 120 volunteers, all giving up their time voluntarily. The race could literally not take place without them.
- As in other recent years there will be two start waves. One at 5am and one at 6 am. John and Noanie, the event organisers say “The earlier 5am start time is added with the aim of encouraging slower runners to feel welcome, and allowing as many people as possible the chance to participate and hopefully run down the red carpet.”
All time Highland Fling performances
Highland Fling Race Masters Records
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Adrian Tarit Stott.
The author is a former GB 24-hour ultra international with over 100 ultra race completions. He has also been involved in organising ultra-distance races for over 30 years. Still an active recreational runner, he is currently a member of UKA’s Ultra Running Advisory Group (URAG) and the Mountain and Trail Advisory Group. He also contributes as part of the selection and team management for both Scottish and GB ultra teams. A freelance writer in his spare time, he contributes articles and reports to several websites and magazines including Athletics Weekly and Irunfar.
