West Highland Way race report 2026

Gus Irvine  retains his title, and Robeta Fletcher takes the women’s crown.

For the Scottish and wider ultra-running community, this is a special race.

The 2026 race was the 40th edition, making it one of the longest-running ultra races  in Britain.

It has developed a special community, typified by over 150 volunteers giving up their time to help the event run smoothly, plus the runners’ support crews, which are an essential part of the race.

Past winners of the race, like Rebecca Hormann and Rowan Boswood, were part of the volunteer crew this year, along with many people who have earned those special finishers’ goblets over the years, those who have an eye on getting one in the future. There were also others who just love the buzz of the West Highland Way race weekend and being taken on a journey way out of their normal comfort zones.

There was a brief moment of reflection to remember past friends of the race, Andy Beattie and Eddie Welch, along with David Parrish, who had entered this year’s race before his tragic passing in April while attempting  a solo  Cape Wrath Trail. 

233 runners set off at 1pm on Saturday, 20th June. 

Race for the men’s podium  

After the initial settling down period up to Drymen, the field was starting to take shape. By Balmaha, defending Champion Gus Irvine was in the lead. with Sage Pearce-Higgins. The experienced Dave Ward, Billy Gibson and Nicholas Barnett were all  in touch along with debutant Gregor Malcolm.

By Rowardennan,  Irvine  had etched out a 3-minute lead over Sage-Higgins, Gibson was third a couple of minutes further back, with Ward and Malcolm still in touching distance/

On the long, undulating stretch up the lochside to Beinglass at 40 miles, things started to shake out .

Irvine reached the top of the loch in the lead in just over 6 hours (6:07:00)

He now had a lead of 13 minutes over Pearce Higgins, 6:20:33, with Malcolm and Gibson a further 5 minutes back at 6:25

Irvine was moving well and reached  the “nominal halfway“ checkpoint at Tyndrum in just under 8 hours. ( 7:57:09) Pearce-Higgins was now over 25 minutes adrift at 8:23:32 with Malcolm at 8:30:40 and Gibson 8:3423. Ward had fallen back a few minutes at 8:41:46

The fast stretch down to Bridge of Orchy (62 miles ), Irvine covered in just under an hour, stretching his lead over Pearce-Higgins to over 36 minutes  8:53:32, to 9:29:38. Malcolm was just 5 minutes back in 9:34:56.

This was maintained to Glencoe, reached in 10:40:10 to 11:17:40.

Over the Devils Staircase  and the long descent down to sea level at Kinlochleven, Irvine was finding things hard.  Pearce-Higgins had the fastest time on this section, 1:45:20, to cut 13 minutes off Irvine’s lead, although the lead was still 25 minutes, 

Malcolm, too, was faster than Irvine in this stretch, 

A tired-looking Irvine reached the final Check Point at Lundavra ( 88 Miles ) in 14:12:15 

Again, Pearce Higgins was gaining, running 12 minutes faster than Irvine over the remote Lharig Mor, to arrive at Lundavra in 14:25:12 , cutting the lead to just 13 minutes.

That effort may have taken its toll on Pearce-Higgins, or Irvine may have been rejuvenated as he held on for the win in 15:23:59 with Pearce Higgins 12 minutes adrift on 15:35:49. They had similar times from Lundavra of 1:11:44(Irvine ) to 1:10 31(Higgins)

WHWay Women’s 1st 2 l-r Sophie Mullins 2nd, Roberta Fletcher 1st.   Jasmin Paris on presenting duties!3rd place Fanni Gyurko Had to leave before the Prize giving. Pic Stuart McFarlane.

WHWay 2026 Mens Podium l-r Sage Pearce-Higgins 2nd, Gus Irvine 1st, Gregor Malcolm 3rd Pic Stuart McFarlane.

In a perfect illustration of how everybody’s race can vary from year to year,

Irvine was slower than his 15:09:09 from 2025, whereas Pearce-Higgins improved by 42 minutes  from his 16:18:32 Time in 2024.

It was the young debutant, Malcolm, who clocked the fastest leg from Lundavra to the finish. The former Scottish Junior Hill running international, covering it in just over an hour in 1:04:41, storming down the fire road to Braveheart Car Park and into town to take a superb 3rd place in 15:55:28

Serial finisher  Dave Ward, running his 5th West Highland Way, had a strong last two sections, to take 4th in 16:52:43 from 5th placed Billy Gibson, 17:10:10. The race has never awarded age group prizes. It’s all about the goblet, but kudos to Billy for being the leading over-50 runner this year.

Race for the women’s podium 

Former GB and Scottish 100km champion Sophie Mullins was the early leader to Balmaha in 3:08:21, three minutes ahead of Fanni Gyurko (3:10:57).

There was then a gap to Elspeth luke in 3rd 3:14:05. Carol Newman  3:21:18 in 4th and Riza Pekkonnen in 5th, 3:21:23

Roberta Fletcher, trusting her pace judgement, was lying in 7th at this stage in 3:26:19

On the lochside, Fletcher seemed to kick into gear. Although Mullins led Gyurko all the way to Inversnaid and was first into Beinglass Check-point, at the top of Loch Lomond, a race was developing with Fletcher recording  the fastest times all the way up the loch.

A fascinating ladies’ race had developed, with just over 10 minutes separating the top 5 women.\

Mullins was timed at 7:56:36 at Beinglass. Fletcher had moved into second just 3 minutes behind (7:56:36). Gyurko was a mere 20 seconds back (7:56:56).

Elspeth Luke was 4th  at 8:04:57 and Carol Newman 5th with 8:06:27 

Somewhere on the winding stretch through Glen Falloch and the Crianlarich Roller coaster, Flethcher took the lead to arrive at Tyndrum (53 miles) in 10:14:34, over 4 minutes ahead of Mullins, 10:18:55.

These two now had almost a 20-minute gap on Gyurko (10:36:45).  Luke was just 2 minutes back in 4th 10:38:23,with Newman a further 6 minutes behind( 10:44:51)

Bridge of Orchy saw the gap between the top two widen to almost 7 minutes , 11:28:44 to 11:35:22. 

Behind them, Luke had moved up to third, 12:05:01, with Newman and Gyorko just a few seconds apart, 12:12:40 to 12:12:45.

Over the vast expanse of Rannoch Moor to Glencoe Ski Centre, the gap between the first two had created daylight. Fletcher  arriving in in 13:37:01, now with a lead of over 25 minutes on Mullins ,14:03:38. 

Gyorko and Newman arrived almost 40 minutes later, with just over a minute.

separating them 14:39:01 to 14:40:17.

Over two and a half hours faster than her 2-25 time for 2nd place,

By 80 miles at Kinlochleven, Fletcher had extended her lead,  looked in control and was still going well. At 15:41:24, she had a lead of around 30 minutes. Mullins arrived with the clock at 16:28:56

Gyurko seemed to have got away from Newman ,arriving in 17:06:49 to 17:18:31 with Luke holding 5th in 17:40:35

 

For Fletcher, it must have seemed like a victory lap to the finish as her lead over Mullins had stretched to over an hour at Lundavra. She was indeed having a storming run and powered on to finish inside 19 hours on 18:46:58.

A time that puts her ?? On the women’s all-time list.

It was over an hour until Mullins finished, just missing the 20-hour barrier in 20:05:49. Gyurko in her first race longer than the 53-mile Highland Fling, came in third in 20:48:12. Newman was 4th in 21:09:47. Luke was 5th in 22:29:30. and the fast finishing Caroline McKay, 6th, less than a minute behind in 22:30:28.

For a delighted looking Fletcher , it was a real breakthrough run as she improved on her two previous minor podium places to take the top spot.

 

Her run was over two and a half hours faster than her 2025 time for 2nd place, 

In other honourable mentions 

Andy Cole finished in 33:35:32, and, at 77, he is now the oldest finisher of the race, claiming his 12th goblet.

Our two other septagenarians, Paddy MacDonald, in  32:22:12, and David Roy, in  32:33:39, also finished well.

Kirsty Sarah-Williams collected her special decanter to mark her 10th finish in 24:32:37.

Of our known Family connections, Husband and Wife duo Catherine and Robert McMurray ran the whole race together, finishing in 27:49:55.

Issy Dooner won her own family duel with her husband Ben.

Issy recording 29:21:40. To Ben’s 33:34:

In the mother and  daughter contest, Riza Pekkonen ran 25:48:03, and her mother, Nora Pekkonen, ran 31:18:56.

Kirsten Walker, the great niece of Tom and Margaret Hunter,finished in 27:43:45. Tom and Margaret were instrumental in lobbying for the creation of a Scottish National Trail, which became the West Highland Way.  As I mentioned in my preview, everyone involved with the race owes them a huge THANK YOU.

ABSOLUTE BIGGEST SPECIAL MENTIONS

Absolute pride of place in the special mentions must go to Fiona Rennie and Neil MacRitchie, both completing their 20th West Highland Way races.

Fiona ran her first West Highland Way in 2003, and apart from the Covid years of 2020 and 2021, has only missed 2005 and  2013 due to quite serious health issues, bouncing back on both occasions. Her best time was 26:14:48, achieved in 2007. This year, she finished in 33:05:17

Neil ran his first race in 2004, skipped 2005 and, excepting the Covid years, has run every year since.

His slowest time was his first race  when he sneaked inside the 35-hour cut-off by less than 15 minutes, taking the lantern rouge, when clocking 34:45:49.

Prior to this year’s race, his fastest time was  23:11:34 in 2008. However, as if to prove age is no barrier, he lowered his PB at his 20th attempt, recording 22:41:36 this year.

Time will tell if we see them back  running for a 21st time.

They both received a standing ovation at the prizegiving in a special presentation of cut-glass vases with a map of the route on to mark their 20 completions.

Following one of the other race traditions, Gus Irvine, the race winner in 15:23:59, presented the final finisher from the 2026 race, Melissa McLarnon, with her finisher’s goblet. 

When Gus finished at around 4 30 pm on Saturday afternoon, she had just passed through the Tyndrum checkpoint at 53 miles.

Those who have finished in over 30 hours in this race know and realise that you are adding considerable sleep deprivation to an already difficult challenge. Melissah’s finishing time in numbers of 34:03:03 typifies the determination, resolve  and resiliance, whatever their standard, sometimes built over many years to earn one of those cherished West Highland Way Goblets.

Minor stat attack for the stat geeks.

233 Starters, 68 women and 165 Men, with 195 runners reaching Fort William

55 women completed the race with 13 DNF’s.

140 men completed the race with 25 DNFs 

Under 20 Hours 18      17Men   1 Wom

Under 24 Hours 64.       55 Men 9 Wom

Under 30 Hours  160   121 Men  39 Wom

Under 35 hours   195   140 Men  55  Wom

If you missed it The preview for this years West Highland Way Race is HERE

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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.