The Highland Fling is an annual 53 mile point-to-point trail race which first took place in 2006. The route follows the West Highland Way, Scotland’s oldest official long-distance footpath, through the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park.

Our aim is to put on an event which will allow as many runners as possible to experience Scotland’s beautiful scenery and the camaraderie of the Scottish ultrarunning community.

For your entry fee you get the following:

A fabulously varied race route on diverse and challenging terrain
• Luggage transport from race start to race finish
• Water provided at all checkpoints
• Transport of personal food drop bags to 3 checkpoints along the route
• Finishers technical race t-shirt (female and male fit available)
• Finishers neck buff
• Finishers medal
• Bottle of exclusive ‘Highland Fling Race’ prosecco
• Hot home-made food served at the finish line
• Tea, coffee and other drinks served at the finish line
• Heated marquees to relax in
• Hot post-race showers
• Post-race massage
• Medical support from race doctors and medical team
• Live online updates for family and friends to follow your progress

Race Weekend Timetable

Friday 28th August 2026
4:00pm - 8:00pm: Race Registration 1, Burnbrae Inn, Milngavie, G61 3DQ

Saturday 29th August 2026
3:45am: Coach leaves from the Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum, FK20 8RY, going to the race start in Milngavie
4.30am: Coach leaves from Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, G3 8AG, going to the race start in Milngavie
4:30am - 5:45am: Race Registration 2 at race start, Milngavie Station car park, G62 8BX
4:30am - 5:45am: Bring drop bags to race start and put into checkpoint vehicles
4:30am - 5:45am: Bring kit bags (for finish at Tyndrum) to race start and put into large truck
4.50am: 5am runners enter start pen for race briefing
5.00am: 5am runners start
5:45am: Race Director's race briefing for 6am runners
5:50am: 6am runners enter the race start pens
6:00am: Race start. Run 53 miles to Tyndrum
5pm: Prizegiving at race finish
6:00pm/8:00pm/10:00pm: Coaches leave Tyndrum for Milngavie
7:00pm - 11:30pm: Event Afterparty in marquee at the race finish (BYOB)
10:00pm: Last Saturday night coach leaves Tyndrum for Milngavie
Night owls: For anyone wanting a nightcap, the Tyndrum Inn is open until 1:00am

Sunday 30th August 2026
11:00am: Final coach leaves Tyndrum for Milngavie
10:00am - 1:00pm: The 2025 Highland Fling Closing Ceremony (our fancy description for the marquee and equipment deconstruction and packup) takes place at the race finish. If you’re still in Tyndrum, please do come along and help us out :-)

All coaches must be booked in advance via Si Entries.

FURTHER EQUALITY & INCLUSIVITY INFORMATION

Active Gender Entry

When entries open, we will initially be allocating race places by gender. There will be 500 places for women and 500 places for men, as well as the option to enter as nonbinary. If a particular gender sells out, a waiting list will then be opened for that gender. This process is a trial and we will be continually monitoring entries. We may open up any remaining places to all genders at a later date. The aim of this is to balance and equalise the final male/female gender split and also encourage nonbinary participation.

Split Start Line

We will operate a split starting line with a taped off area specifically for women. This gives elite women the opportunity to gauge their competition as well as allowing for better media coverage of the women’s field. Plus it’s just fairer all round.

Optional 5:00am Early Start

The aim of this is to make the event more accessible to slower runners. This option is available to any runner who may be worried about making the time cut offs. When filling in your race entry form, you can choose to start at either 5am or 6am. Please remember the 5am option is only for slower runners with an expected finish time of 14+ hours.

Event Team

Over 60% of our raceday team are women. This includes our main race control team, our finish-line medical team, our checkpoint bosses, our first aiders, and our sweepers.

Free Training Runs

Once again we are teaming up with Wildheart Runners [link to https://www.wildheartrunners.com/ ] to organise women-focused training runs in advance of the Highland Fling and Devil o’ the Highlands Footrace. Men and nonbinary runners are also welcome. These free training runs are perfect for first time Flingers and runners who might expect to be towards the back of the field on race day. Full details will be posted up in the events’ Facebook groups.

Pregnancy/Adoption Deferral Policy

In the case of pregnancy/adoption, we offer a two year deferral option or a full refund. We also offer a deferral if your partner is pregnant and their due date falls within two weeks oof race day. Deferrals for any other reasons are not possible, sorry.

Breastfeeding/chestfeeding support

If you will need to feed your baby during the event, we will do all we can to facilitate this. Please email us in advance of race day to arrange access to race checkpoints that are normally out-of-bounds to spectators, so you can meet and feed your baby.

Period Products

Period products (a selection of tampons and pads) will be available at the race start, at all checkpoints and at the finish line for any runner who needs them. These will be inside the event portaloos (no need to ask anyone for anything), with supplies being regularly checked/topped up throughout the event.

Event t-shirts

Our event t-shirts are available in women’s and men’s fit, and from XS to XXL size. Medical Team/First Aid Information

Around 50% of our medical and first aid team are women. There is a dedicated medical tent at the race finish, and first aid marshals at each checkpoint. If you would prefer to receive medical/first aid assistance from a woman, this will always be an option - please just ask.

Sweeper/Tail Runner Information

Over 50% of our sweeper team are women. Our sweepers cover the route in pairs, and at least one of each pair of sweepers will be a woman. All sweepers are first-aid trained.

Safeguarding/Public Information

If you would prefer your name not to be shown on the publicly available start list, on the live tracking, or in the race results please email us prior to entering to arrange. If you would prefer your finish-line race photos not to be shared online, please email us before race day to arrange. (Please remember that you are taking part in a mass participation public event and we cannot guarantee that you will not appear in the background of other photos taken by our event photographers or in photos taken by spectators and shared online.)

Disabled Parking

A small number of parking spaces are available at the immediate race finish area (inside ByTheWay campsite) for mobility restricted spectators. Please email us in advance of race day to arrange this. Please note that parking at ByTheWay is very limited and if demand exceeds supply, we may not be able grant all requests.

Low Income/Entry Fee Support

We aim to make our events accessible to people on low incomes. If our entry fee is a barrier to your participation, please email us to discuss help/options available, including the possibility of payment in instalments or a reduced entry fee.

Transgender Runners

We are LGBTIQ+ friendly. We believe that trans people belong in sport. You can enter our race in the women’s, men’s or nonbinary category. If you are trans, you are welcome to run in the gender category with which you identify. If you would like more information about this, please email us or give John or Noanie a call on 07941 670 623.

We are fully committed to upholding all principles of the Scottish LGBT Sports Charter. We have also signed up to the Scottish LGBTI+ Rainbow Mark and have a firm zero tolerance policy towards all forms of discriminatory language and behaviour.

Event toilets, showers, and changing areas

All event portable toilets are gender neutral. Our changing facilities at the race finish cater for female, male, and nonbinary runners.

Our two main women’s and men’s changing tents are communal changing spaces with no curtains or dividers inside, however we also provide private non-gendered one-person changing facilities for any runner who wants to use them (please ask one of the Runner Welfare marshals at the race finish area to point you in the right direction).

Our event showers are a mobile block comprising eight individual non-gendered fully enclosed single cubicles, each with its own lock.

ByTheWay’s own permanent toilet/shower block has separate women’s and men’s facilities, as well as a very spacious properly-wheelchair-accessible-with-enough-room-for-assistants toilet/shower room. If you have any questions about any of our toilet/shower/changing facilities, please just email us and we will be happy to give you more information.