ultratraildave

Messy bessy and Glaramorgeous.

I need a rest again now !

No Pain No Narnain.

Another day another big hill.

Sore legs Vorlich begs
25/05/26 ⛰️
Bòidheach👌

Isle of Skye 127km - 4960m - 18hrs 10mins

Coming just two weeks after a strong result at The Lap, I knew Skye was going to be a big ask. After spending time in the Hebrides on the Hebridean Way with Kate & Lucy beforehand, I had a rough idea of what was coming… and Skye absolutely did not disappoint. Boggy. Wet. Windy.

I knew the opening sections would be the biggest challenge, the first 40km contained around 80% of the total elevation gain. The Trotternish Ridge - the longest landslip in Britain - was relentlessly steep, boggy, exposed to brutal southerly winds, and demanded over six hours of sustained effort before reaching The Old Man of Storr.

The Storr.
Suddenly the crowds appeared, which made complete sense once I saw it properly. Photos genuinely don’t do this place justice. Even in moody, low-cloud conditions it felt surreal running beneath it. One of the highlights of the entire race, and somewhere I absolutely need to return to.

From there the route continued up and down along coastal cliffs towards Portree, serving up more brutally boggy terrain alongside some incredible views as the weather eased slightly lower down.

Somewhere after Storr I managed to open a gap to 6th and could occasionally spot 4th ahead, but I settled into my own pace and just enjoyed the experience - the beauty, the terrain, and yes bogs.

Leaving Portree, the route followed Loch Sligachan towards Sligachan. More deep bog in places, but still beautiful a lot more flatter and runnable. Another major highlight came running through Glen Sligachan towards Camasunary Bay. Honestly, I don’t really have the words for it. Tough underfoot with rocks, water, and technical terrain, but absolutely stunning from start to finish.

A diversion near Elgol kept us on tracks and roads to protect us and the eroding cliffs, which actually made for some nice steady running. As daylight faded, one final 150m climb over the hills from Torrin to Broadford stood between me and the finish line.

18 hours and 10 minutes later: 5th place.

Huge shoutout to Kate for the support, staying up until midnight to watch me cross the finish line, and providing the perfect reset afterwards in Fort William. Turns out a hot tub and a beer are elite-level recovery tools.

Shout out to GB Ultras for a fantastic event again and to the photographers and Mammut UK for their support too.

Next up - Take a small running break, guiding Isaac’s Tea Trail and do some hiking in the mountains and then look towards an unsupported BG.

Another cool one picked out from . Think my speed at that point made it appear blurred 😂👀Have to slow down next time. Class photo really. Good 📸 work.

Feeling good, recovery is good after The Lap so maybe start some slow running again tomorrow. Nothing silly.

Absolutely buzzing for this next one. 9 Days to go.

Dream come true to have this opportunity of running North to South on the Isle of Skye trail.

Also buzzing to be involved in another event. They are always amazing and the last two, and were incredible and I’ll always remember them as top events. They know how to hold events 💪⛰️🫡

The Lap PT1 - 6th 8.22

You do not have to do things the perfect way to achieve something meaningful.

Coming into my first race of 2026, the plan was simple: stay calm, pace smartly, and aim for sub-9 hours - especially with another 79-mile race in Skye in two weeks’ time.

This year I’ve not had a coach, not had a structured training plan. I’ve been focusing on quality time in the hills and with the people that mean a lot to me - enjoying the process again.

Despite all the changes this year, I still managed to finish 6th in The LAP and keep a streak of top 10s alive. But more importantly, I learned more about what type of runner I actually am.

I’m not chasing validation, as I now see that I have done in the past. I’m not trying to run somebody else’s race. I just wanted to stand on a start line, give absolutely everything I had on the day, and see what happened. I was really proud running over that line.

This race showed me that I can still push hard, compete, suffer… and appreciate every moment all at the same time.

And whether you finish first, last or middle of the pack crossing an ultra finish line is something special. Social media can make marathons and ultras look normal because that’s all we see on here but they are not normal. They require sacrifice, discipline, resilience, and belief.

Every single person who finishes one has achieved something incredible.

So if you’re starting out, stop comparing yourself to others. Stop worrying about somebody else’s pace, training, or results.

Run your race. Believe in your strengths. Trust the process.

And be proud of every step forward.

Because the truth is, most people never even dare to start.

PT2 to follow 🫡

First official race (event) of the year this weekend.

Taking on 47 miles around the Windermere Lakeland trails. Not my usual type of race this, but that just means one thing: it’s going to be hard in a different way.

This one isn’t about just enduring it’s about balance.
Knowing when to push, when to hold back, and how long I can sit on that edge.

After stepping back from racing after smashing it last year (probably too much), I’m coming into this summer with a bit of curiosity. Not even sure I love racing as much as I love the bigger adventures, the long days out, the unknown, the freedom of the trails and mountains.

So May is an experiment.
This race, and then seeing what the legs say, but more importantly what the head says.

Time to find out what kind of runner I am right now.
I love to run, I love to hike, I thrive in the outdoors.

I want to do things differently though so I imagine the rest of the year will be different.

I’ll definitely be taking on a Bob Graham Solo Unsupported over the summer and I think I’ll add some new unsupported challenges to the list including a return to the Heb Way in August to do it all again with hopefully without the problems of the last journey.