🌄 A Sprinkling of Inspiration from Sunny Scotland

310 days since I last wrote. In that time, I have lost my job to redundancy and started another, with the pressures of modern life feeling very real. With linear focus, I’ve battened down the hatches and saturated myself in Slack, Google Meet and new working relationships to stabilise my career and finances.

In the periphery has been my next endurance adventure: the Highland Ultra — 125km and three days of mountain running in one of the UK’s most remote and rugged environments: The Knoydart Peninsula, a runner’s playground with rocky climbs, raw beauty and pristine peaks hidden away from humanity and the outside world, accessible only by boat.

I am not one for peripheral vision — that’s invisible to me — so training for this event was unfocused, and prep could have been better. But on the 10-hour drive from London, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders, and the opportunity of adventure and exploration filled my soul with curiosity and wonder.

For this one, I’d successfully recruited my girlfriend Becky for the experience — her first ultramarathon and potentially her last if things went south!

Before I knew it, the start line was here, and 50 intrepid runners were lined up. The Scottish Highlands are not to be conquered — they simply accepted our presence. Legs were weakened, muddied and bruised, and we were humbled and awed by the magnitude of the mountains.

We ran, we walked, we climbed. We struggled, we sweated, we laughed, and some cried. Through the pain of our man-made suffering, bonds were formed, and an ancestral connection was made. Fifty humans formed a community over three short days and shared an experience that transcended the sum of its parts, connected by the raw beauty around us.

Humans are special for one reason: teamwork. We have the power to form connections, and there is no greater power than a community working as one. Along the way, I frequently witnessed small acts of kindness. A fellow runner helping put down another's tent. Someone sharing their only satsuma with a group of strangers. Constant sharing of advice, time, and limited supplies. Incredibly, Becky is more disorganised and accident-prone than me and managed to leave a large percentage of her worldly items on the trails — each of them slowly finding their way home to camp, retrieved by people behind her.

The power of the pack was real, and groups were formed to tackle the unforgiving Highland terrain. In one such group was someone who personified the experience: Baggie — a plucky newcomer to the sport, who was consistently strong and steadfast, looking a certainty to stay the course. However, she had an unfortunate fall descending a steep, rocky peak, breaking her ankle in the process.

In the moments that followed, she told her newfound friends that she’d concede defeat at the medical checkpoint. She said goodbye to her pack, wanting them to push on and not be encumbered by her for the rest of the experience — but as they disappeared from view, she had absolutely no intention of quitting, proceeding to drag herself for four straight hours to Knoydart to finish the job. A true mountain legend.

A third of the race participants were women — an incredible number in what was historically a male-dominated sport. Over the years, I have run with many inspirational women, including the indomitable and record-breaking Danish runner Kristina Madsen, who I witnessed dragging herself across 200km in the Tian Shan mountains with only the use of one eye. Or Jemma Harding, who suffered a near-fatal accident — hit by a lorry while commuting on her bicycle — and endured life-changing surgery and years of recovery and rehabilitation leading up to her moment completing the Jungle Ultra in the Peruvian Amazon. In the Highlands, leading the female pack was Ioana Barbu, who stormed to victory with her usual positivity, aiming to be the first person to complete no fewer than all six of the global Beyond The Ultimate races in a calendar year.

At the heart of my inspiration was, of course, my girlfriend Becky, who — despite her somewhat lacklustre preparation — took on the challenge with grace and resilience. In her, I could see what I felt in my first experience: a seed of an idea and the beginning of a journey. A world to explore and endless opportunities unfolding.

In the Scottish Highlands, inspiration swelled and, with disconnection from the outside world, I felt time slow and a stillness seep through my soul. Like a bubble floating down a waterfall, modern life paused, and the chaos faded — with crystal clarity permeating my thoughts. An opportunity to breathe, sit with my thoughts, and be present in the moment and with my community.

I saw the good in people and, without the distractions of modern life, I eagerly drank from the fresh mountain rivers — present, reconnected, and recharged.

A heartfelt thank you to my wonderful ultra running community for my sprinkling of inspiration from sunny Scotland. 🏞️

🏃‍♂️ A Brief Note on the Race — There Was One After All!

Firstly, Ioana took the female race with consummate ease, remaining streets ahead of the pack for the duration of the event. Lily finished in second, and Katrina came in third, both delivering consistent performances across all three stages.

At the pointy end of the men’s race, a South African runner and all-round lovely human, Carlos — a 100-mile runner — simultaneously kept me company with good conversation and pushed me to my limits on day one with a strong pace for our first 30km. Unfortunately, the wheels soon fell off for me over the next 20. On that particular day, I decided that hydration was optional — which resulted in cramps in both legs, a complete loss of appetite, and dizzy spells at the most inconvenient times. The steep mountain terrain was definitely not my friend in those moments. Lesson learned (hopefully)!

Hot on our heels was Kristian, from Denmark — a marathon runner trained by none other than BTU legend Kristina Madsen. Kristian has a freakishly long stride and made quick work of the boggy marshland, holding a consistent pace throughout the course. He’s a true inspiration to me, and when I hit my 50s, I’m hopeful to be as fit and healthy as this man.

And rounding out the podium contenders, our own mountain goat — fell-running Tom — with the downhill running prowess and speed of Kilian Jornet!

There was friendly competition and camaraderie between the four of us throughout the event — another testament to how wonderful the ultra running community is.

Carlos was gradually caught by the competition over the three days, with Kristian delivering steady performances to secure second spot and Tom stealing third, growing stronger with each day — an incredible first multistage effort for both athletes. I managed to recover from my first-stage hiccup and was very happy to finish on top.

An honourable mention goes to Johnny, who won the 100% unofficial medics’ race! He kept me company for an hour each day before taking in the views with a more leisurely workout in the afternoons.

And a final honourable mention to Craig, who won the 100-metre sprint with his electric start to stage 3!