West Highland Way Preview 2024
The Iconic West Highland Way Race, takes place this Saturday, 22nd June 2024.
The 95-mile /153km race is one of the longest-established ultra races in the UK. It runs over Scotland’s most popular hiking trail, which runs from Milngavie, just north of Glasgow to Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain. Runners also climb approximately 4,400 metres/14,400 feet of ascent as they follow the trail.
While most mortals are happy to walk “The Way” in a leisurely few days with overnight stops, the race allows experienced ultra runners to run the trail in one go with a 35-hour time limit.
In the early hours of Saturday at 1 am, 220 runners will set off from Milngavie.
This year will be the 38th running of the event since the first edition in 1985 and is traditionally held on one of the weekends closest to midsummer.In this West Highland Way preview for 2024 we highlight some of the contenders.
You can read a History of the event HERE
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Who are this year’s contenders
The men’s race promises to be very competitive with several very experienced runners in the field.
Robbie Dunlop of Dundee Road Runners took second place in 2022 and will be one of the favourites. He was second in April’s Highland Fling Race, the 53-mile event that covers the lower half of the full West Highland Way to Tyndrum.
He is also a previous winner of the “Ochil 50”, and a two-time previous winner of the 55-mile Cateran Trail Ultra in Perthshire.
Jarlath McKenna, a native of Northern Ireland, currently living in Newcastle, will be one to watch.
In 2022, Jarlath won the Anglo Celtic Plate 100km championship held in N.Ireland and followed that up with second place in the Lakeland 100 after leading for most of the race.
He is also a previous winner and course record holder of the Lakes in a day race. Hampered earlier this year by an injury that prevented him from defending his ACP title, he seems to be back on song and looking forward to taking on “The Way.”
Sasha Chepelin of Carnethy Hill Runners has run for Great Britain in the last two World Mountain and Trail Championships, in both the classic up-and-down race and the short trail event.
He is also a previous holder of the 24-hour Munro record, having completed a circuit of the Cairngorms covering 23 Munros in 23 hrs 10 mins in 2022 (since bettered by Kim Collison)
Although not as hilly as some of his previous adventures, Sasha is looking forward to “a different challenge.”
Also running their first West Highland Ways but bringing plenty of experience are
Paul Peciura of Westerlands CC, in Glasgow, was third in this April’s Highland Fling and winner of the 2023 Glenmore 24-hour race.
Sage Pierce-Higgins, (Edinburgh AC) winner of the 2023, 50-mile Ultra trail Scotland also dipped under 7 hours when placing 8th at the Sri Chinmoy 100km, ACP race at Perth in March.
Kyle Wilson, Greenock Glenpark, 2nd at last year’s Devil O’ the Highlands and Moray coastal 50 races, and 6th in this year’s Highland Fling.
An American visitor to watch is Cody Jones, who comes with an impressive CV of many races in the States, including victories already this year at the Prairie Spirit 100 mile and the wonderfully named “Run Toto, Run Physco Wyco” 50km
Women’s race
Alison McGill of Fife AC, the 2023 champion, returns to defend her title. 2nd place in the Sri Chinmoy 50km at Perth in March and 2nd at the Highland Fling in April behind Elsey Davis’s record run, indicate she is in good form.
Alloa’s Iona MacKay returns for her 4th West Highland Way. She has previously finished 5th and 4th.
Alice Mezincescu, coached and supported by previous winner Paul Giblin, is a previous winner of the Great Glen Ultra. She placed 8th in her last West Highland Way race in 2022.
Although we have highlighted contenders at the sharp end, the West Highland Way is about everyones individual battle on the day with themselves and, “The Way”, The cherished goblets await them in Fort Wiliam.
As always, impossible to highlight too many people. If you have a favourite I have missed , tell us in the comments thread below. Maybe as in 2019, we will have someone like Siobhan Killingbeck, who although from a sporting background, had not run anything similar before. Almost under the radar, she ran what was the third fastest women’s time ever to take the win.
Oldest and Youngest
The oldest female entrant this year is multiple finisher Sally Nichol. Sally is an ex-pat now living in New Zealand who is 65 and has completed the event five times previously. Dunoon’s Jean MacDonald is attempting her first West Highland Way aged 64.
The oldest female finisher to date is Norma Bone, who ran the race in 2019, aged 67. This year, Norma will be part of the race medical team.
The oldest male entrant in the field is Rob Reid from Tarbert, in Argyll. Rob completed the race aged 73, in 2019, and is returning for another run now aged 78. One other septuagenarian is East Lothian’s Paddy McDonald, 72. The oldest male finisher, to date, is Andy Cole who completed last year’s event aged 75.
The youngest female entrants are Emma Padner and Emily Wymer, both aged 24, and the youngest male entrant is Andrew San from Perth, aged 21.
Most finishes.
Several runners have multiple finishes in the race. If he reaches Fort William, Graham McLymont will join a small illustrious group who have finished 10 West Highland Way races.
Two other runners of note amongst the field are worth highlighting. Neil MacRitchie and Fiona Rennie have both completed a record 17 Races. Here is hoping they are both successful in claiming their 18th goblets.
Current Course Records
Current course records for the West Highland Way are Rob Sinclair’s 13 hours 41 minutes and 8 seconds set in 2017 and Lucy Colquhoun’s 17:16:20 from 2007.
Both are phenomenal times that will take a well-prepared and well-motivated athlete to come close to challenging.
The event has support from Ron Hill and Altra UK. There will be almost 150 volunteers ensuring the smooth running of the event over the weekend.
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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.
