Ding Ding! The Highland Fling 2026

Saturday 29th August 2026

The Highland Fling began in 2007 as a training run for the full 96-mile West Highland Way race, the first official race having 18 runners, with 17 finishing. Over the years, it has grown into an iconic Scottish ultramarathon, attracting top ultrarunners and enthusiasts from around the world tackling 53 miles (85km) along a challenging mix of classic Scottish scenery, including rugged hills, lochs, and forests, along the southern section of the West Highland Way through the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

This year the event was a nominated 2026 Scottish Athletics Ultra Trail Championship event and over 400 runners headed into the hills – with five Glenpark Harriers representing the Greenock Club. Remarkably, on a day of brutal conditions that overcame over 60 runners, all the Greenock Men made it to the end.

Kyle Wilson (9th) 8h20m47s 

An outstanding run from Glenpark’s Ultra specialist Kyle Wilson saw him put in an massive return to form after his recent disappointment representing Scotland in the Anglo Celtic Plate 100k back in March, where injury curtailed his race. 9th place in a field this strong is simply amazing, and with the Highland Fling serving as the ultra championships and attracting a stacked field of competitive runners, Kyle knew it would be a serious challenge. Doubts and the usual pre‑race nerves were there, but so too was an ambitious plan to run a personal best after his 2024 Fling time.

The race began well. Kyle paced it sensibly, felt strong, and everything was on track – until just after Rowardennan. From that point, severe stomach issues hit, making it difficult to take in fuel. His pace began to slip, and with it, so did his time targets. Beyond Inversnaid – the lochside section he dislikes the most – he took a couple of falls, felt cramps starting to build, and lost several positions.

The sickness persisted, and the cramping worsened after Beinglas. For a moment, he feared the race was heading toward disaster. Eventually, he managed to settle the cramps, which allowed him to keep running, but the nausea continued to slow him down. Only at the final checkpoint did things turn: a cup of flat Coke settled his stomach, and he was able to lift the pace again. He rallied strongly through the closing miles, overtaking several runners to claw his way back into the top ten, finishing 9th overall.

It was a hot day, and there were plenty of lessons learned. Kyle was actually slightly disappointed with his finishing time – especially after running 7:49 previously and aiming for around 7:30 – but that’s the nature of ultrarunning. Plans don’t always survive the day, and adaptability becomes part of the sport. The result also came at the end of a difficult year. Injury had ruined his first Scotland team selection, something that still weighs heavily. The road back from that setback, the recent passing of his beloved mum, and getting married were just some of the challenges he faced. Although the race didn’t unfold as hoped, he’s back in the mix, injury‑free, and determined to rebuild and return to his best!

Kev Craig (58th) 10h25m14s

For Kev, the familiar sight of Milngavie train station at silly o’clock brought its usual mix of nerves, knowing there were 53 miles ahead before the red‑carpet finish in Tyndrum. This was his fifth time standing on the Highland Fling start line. At 06:00, he set off into what would become a surprisingly hot day on the trails. The early miles went smoothly, with the usual temptation to push hard from the start, but Kev’s experience ov the longer distances meant he had the race craft to hold back and save something for later.

Just like Kyle’s race, the problems set in just after Rowardennan, with the heat seemed to intensify. The technical section between Inversnaid and Beinglas, enclosed by the dense natural woodland along Loch Lomond, became humid and energy‑sapping. He spent most of the day running solo, passing only a handful of runners, but steadily ticking off the miles. Around the 45‑mile mark he hit a rough patch, as often happens in races of this distance, but it passed quickly.

The Highland Fling boasts a tremendous finish and before long, Kev was heading into the final mile and heading toward Tyndrum. First, a piper greets runners with about 200 metres to go, and then the course turns onto a long red‑carpet runway. Waiting at the end was none other than John Cassidy of the Young Hearts Run Free podcast, cheering him across the line.

This finish also marked a significant and hugely challenging milestone: Kev has now completed all three races on the West Highland Way this year. The Devil o’ the Highlands in April, the WHW Race in June, and now the Fling. That achievement, known as the Triple Crown, was made even sweeter by the fact he had now completed a “triple triple,” with full sets in 2018, 2019, and 2026.

Steven Grant (122nd) 11h35m14s

Steven Grant admits he’s a bit of a Fling addict, signing up again this year despite not having logged quite as much training distance as he’d hoped. This was his first “summer” Fling, and the morning conditions at Milngavie were perfect. He set off at a conservative pace, settling into a comfortable line at the back of a small group and enjoying both the chat and the views.

By the Garadbhan, he was already walking most of the uphill gradients and plodding steadily through the rest. Running down Conic Hill gave him an early preview of what awaited his quads later in the day. By Rowardennan, the temperature had climbed, and at every checkpoint volunteers were pouring water over his head to keep him cool. Thankfully, his stomach held up well, allowing him to drink plenty and maintain steady progress through the tough second half.

Around the 50 km mark, he may even have made a cameo appearance on the Random Runners video diary. By the time he reached Beinglas, his quads were completely shot – as they always seem to be at that point. He arrived there behind his slowest ever split, and the final section became a slow, determined race against himself. Still, he pushed on and reached Tyndrum in a time that, while not his fastest, wasn’t his slowest Fling either. Now the dust has settled, Steven is happy to report that he loved it. The Highland Fling remains, in his eyes, a brilliantly organised race over a stunning course, filled with great people.

Greig Turner (222nd) 13h15m02s

In what seems to be a recurring theme on the day, Greig was running well in the early stages and felt as though he flew through to Rowardennan, reaching the 27‑mile mark in 5 hours and 10 minutes without a single issue. But from that point onward, he suffered a thousand deaths in the heat with relentless cramping. With thoughts of race times gone from that point, the course became a grim endurance effort and Grieg had to dig deep just to reach the finish – arguably the hardest he has ever worked to complete a race. After crossing the line, it was apparent the superhuman effort had taken its toll and Grieg had to spend a short spell in the medical tent for a check‑up with the doctor, thankfully everything checked out after some rest and rehydration!

Dave Graham (255th) 13h42m27s

Dave started in Milngavie in wave two at 6 a.m., feeling good and running well in the early stages. He cruised to Beech Tree and paced himself well all the way to Balmaha. But as the sun rose and the wind dropped, as with the rest of the Greenock Men, the heat began to take its toll and with swarms of midges irritating the runners, Dave was struggling with overheating. Despite the difficult conditions, he still managed a personal best from Milngavie to Inversnaid, which gave him a real boost. A few kilometres after Inversnaid, things began to go wrong with the onset of nausea and the effort turned into a slow slog toward over the tricky technical section to Beinglas. By the time he arrived, he had added dizzyness to the nausea, forcing him to stop for around forty minutes.

After a long rest and finally managing to hold some food and fluids down, he set off again. The final section was slow, but he kept moving and eventually jogged his way to a second red‑carpet Fling finish, happy to get the job done and is hopeful for a stronger time next year!

Full Results