A focus on Ultra and my first Scottish Vest

2011 was the start of my journey into life as an ultra runner. By this stage I had spend 6 years dedicating 4-5 months of each year marathon training. I spent many hours running the same canal path week in week out. I was stuck in a rut and I wanted out!! To this point I had dabbled in ultra running but I decided that in 2011 I was going to make it a focus and see what I could achieve.

I started the year with the D33,SUMS). It’s a 33M out and back race along a disused railway track in Aberdeenshire. It was a great introduction to the Scottish scene and like hill running, the friendly, low key events appealed. I was happy to finish the race in 4^th position in 3h41. My plan was to run steady as my main focus was the Highland Fling in April.

The start of the D33

the first race in the Scottish Ultra series(

The Highland Fling is the largest ultra race on the Scottish ultra scene and is set on the first 53M of the famous West Highland Way (WHW). Running from the suburbs of Glasgow to the village of Tyndrum it consists of a nice mix of flat, fast trails to very undulating technical trails along the bonnie banks of loch Lomond.

I finished the race in 5^th in 7h46m and as the event was the Scottish Ultra Trail Championship for 2011 and I was pleased to finish strongly and to top it all off I was Scottish Ultra Trail Champion 2011.

In June I went back to the Laraig Ghru and took 22mins off my time finishing in second place.

My next challenge was back to the SUMS series to the WHW for the Devil of the Highlands.

The Devil of the Highlands

My first win.

The second half of the WHW a 43M stretch between Tyndrum and Fort William. The route takes in the Devils stair case, which is my favourite section of the WHW on the approach to Glencoe. It was here I recorded my first win as an ultra runner finishing the course in 5hr32m.

Three weeks later was theThe Speyside Way Race  a 36M section of the Speyside Way, finishing on the beautiful Moray Coast. Only a few miles from Garmouth a tiny hamlet where I spent the first 3 years of my life. Despite an extra couple of miles on route I clocked my second win.