Highland Fling Race Preview 2024

This Saturday, 27th April 2024, will see the 16th edition of the Highland Fling. Over 700 runners are on the entry list. The race has established itself as one of the leading 50-mile trail races in the UK attracting runners of all standards from throughout the country. The race starts at 6am from Milngavie Station at the start of the West Highland Way. It finishes 53 miles later in the village of  Tyndrum. Runners have 15 hours to cover the beautiful iconic route. Here we offer a short Highland Fling Race Preview for 2024.

LIVE TRACKING LINK.  IS HERE This will display runners progress as soon as the race gets underway on Saturday morning.

The event, once again incorporates the Scottish Athletics Ultra Trail Championships and has a strong field.

On a spring Saturday in 2007, 18 runners started the first Highland Fling Race. Murdo McDonald and Ellen McVey had the idea to hold  a training run for runners entered in the full 96-mile West Highland Way race in June, along the first 53 miles of the route, from Milngavie to Tyndrum. The Fling Race was born and 17 runners reached Tyndrum, with Orkney’s Norman McLennan recording 8:37:20 and Glasgow’s Debbie Cox with 10:31:51, becoming the nominal first winners.

Leading Women’s contenders form2024.

A clear favourite in the women’s race will be GB trail international Elsey Davis.

Elsey has represented GB at the last two editions of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand and Austria. 

She will be using the race as a build-up to her first 100-mile event when she takes on the classic Western States 100 in California in June. Although looking for a solid runnable 50-mile effort above anything else, a sub-8-hour clocking, only achieved by Beth Pascall in her record run of 2016 is certainly possible.

Leading Scottish Championship contenders are the Fife AC duo of Sophie Mullins and Ally McGill.

Mullins, currently living in Spain, is a former UK and Scottish 100km Champion, which she won at Perth in 2019. She has been running well in shorter trail races in Spain and is looking forward to returning to renew her acquaintance with the West Highland Way.she is a previous competitor in the fling and a 3rd place finisher in the Full West Highland Way race in 2018

McGill is a fellow Scottish 100km international. She recently finished second at the Sri Chinmoy 50km race at Perth, which incorporated the 2024 UK and SAL championships and is using the Fling as a springboard to defending her West Highland Way title that she won in 2023.

Hungarian Marathon International Fanni Gyurko, Ochil Hill Runners, will be another contender. She is running her first 50-mile race after a few successful shorter 50km trail ultras in recent years.

Highland Fling Women’s Podium 2022

A list of the current  fastest Women’s times at the Highland Fling race is below 

Leading Mens Contenders

Rowan Boswood,(Carnethy) champion in 2022, the last time the race was held, is on the start list and will certainly be in the mix for championship medals. Robbie Dunlop (Dundee Road Runners), third behind Boswood in the 2022 Fling, will also figure, as will Kyle Wilson from Greenock Glenpark. 

Wilson had a good 2023, with a win at the Dee 33 ultra and 2nd place at the 42-mile Devil O’ The Highlands and 50-mile Moray Coastal Trail.

Polish native Jacob Snowchoski, now living on Speyside, who narrowly beat Wilson in the Moray Coastal 50, will renew that rivalry too.

 Former GB 100km international Marcus Scotney could also be in contention. A former winner of the Dragons back Ultra along the spine of Wales, he has recently moved to Perthshire and linked up with Strathearn Harriers. The experienced Ry Webb, running for one of the race sponsors La Sportiva, 4th in the 2022 race, is also running and international mountain and trail runner Tom Owens, Shettleston, is also on the start list.

Ochil Hill Runners duo Stuart Paterson and Jonathon Pybus, 1st and 2nd in last Autumn’s Ochil 50 Ultra could renew their rivalry. Paterson though, raced In the Scotland team at the recent Anglo Celtic Plate 100km at Perth and it remains to be seen how he has recovered.

A list of the fastest Men’s times at the Highland Fling race is below.

There are also Scottish Athletic Club teams and Scottish Athletics Masters medals up for grabs.

The current Masters records are below.

  In a huge field, Time and space doesn’t allow me to mention everyone. There is always someone who has had a stellar winter training block who comes out from under the radar too. If you are running this weekend whatever your goals, have a good one. If, like me you are one of John and Noanies huge family of volunteers, lets go make this work well 

Full details of the Fling race 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 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 part of the selection and team management for both Scottish and GB ultra teams.He is also a freelance writer in his spare time, contributing articles and reports to several websites and magazines including Athletics Weekly and Irunfar.