Welcome to the 17th Highland Fling Race
The 2025 race takes place on Saturday 20th September and is a point-to-point trail ultramarathon along the southern 53 miles (85km) of Scotland’s iconic West Highland Way trail through the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park from Milngavie to Tyndrum.
EVENT DETAILS
- Distance: 53 miles (85 km)
- Ascent 2300m / Decent 2100m
- Terrain: 90% trail / 10% road
- Full route is waymarked (no navigation required)
- Chip-timed
- There is a drop bag system in operation
- Free Luggage transport from start to race finish
- Event Buses available pre-race to the start from Tyndrum and Glasgow, and post-race back to the start in Milngavie from the finish (extra cost)
ENTRY CRITERIA
To qualify for the 2025 event, you must have at some point in the past completed an ultramarathon, a road marathon or trail marathon. If your longest race is a road marathon, the finish time must be under 5 hours. If you have completed an ultramarathon on road or trail, any finish time is acceptable. If you have done a road marathon in over 5 hours BUT it was at the end of an Ironman, that's acceptable.
If you haven't already completed such an event then you have until 1st June 2025 to do so.
Long fell/hill races and very long distance walking events may be accepted at our discretion. Please note that GPS data such as Strava/Garmin/Suunto logs from training runs are not accepted.IMPORTANT EVENT RULES
1) Runners are not allowed external support at any time. No support runners/pacers. Spectators may be welcome at specific locations.2) All runners must carry waterproof trousers and jacket with a hood, an emergency foil blanket and charged/switched on mobile phone
3) It is strictly FORBIDDEN for any participant to run in place of another runner. No one is allowed to run using another runners race number.
4) No Dogs accompanying runners. No littering
5) Limited earphone use allowed.
RUNNER AGE LIMIT
All runners must be 20 years old on race day.
REFUND POLICY
- Up until 1st June 2025, 50% of the entry fee will be refunded if I withdraw by emailing the organisers.
- After the 1st June 2025 no refunds will be given.
- No deferrals to 2026 are available.
- No transfers of place to other runners are available
- In the event of withdrawal from the event, any charity donations made at the time of entry are NOT refundable.
We strongly advise that runners take out the offered entry insurance during the entry process.
EQUALITY & INCLUSIVITY
We are continuing our efforts to make our events more inclusive. We want everyone to feel welcome, comfortable and safe at our events. The steps we are taking to achieve this include:
Event Race Team
Over 60% of our race day team are women. This includes our main race control team, our finish-line medical team, our checkpoint bosses, our first aiders, and our sweepers.
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.
Elite Runners/Start Line
We will operate a split starting line with a taped off area specifically for female entrants. 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 Early Start
The aim of this is to make the event more accessible to slower runners. After the success of our 2023 5am early start trial, we will now be offering this option 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.
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 one week of race day. Deferrals for any other reasons are not possible, sorry.
Breastfeeding/chestfeeding
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.
Training Runs
Once again we are teaming up withWildheart Runners to organise female-focused training runs in advance of the Highland Fling and Devil o’ the Highlands Footrace. These free training runs are perfect for first timers and runners who expect to be towards the back of the field on race day. Nonbinary and male runners are also welcome. Full details will be posted up in the events’ Facebook groups.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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 in advance of race entries opening to discuss help/options available, including the possibility of payment in instalments or a reduced entry fee.
Transgender Runners
We are LGBTIQ+ friendly. You can enter our event as female, male, or nonbinary. If you are trans, you are welcome to run in the gender category with which you identify. If you would like more information on this, please email us.
We are fully committed to upholding all principles of theScottish LGBT Sports Charter and have a zero tolerance policy to all forms of discrimination of discriminatory language and behavior. We have signed up to theScottish LGBTI+ Rainbow Mark.
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 female and male changing tents are communal changing spaces with no curtains or dividers inside, however we also provide private non-gendered one-person changing areas for any runner who wants to use them (please ask one of the Runner Welfare marshals 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 female and male 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.
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.
EVENT CHARITY PARTNER
We are pleased to be supportingImproving Lives charity in 2025. Based in Clydebank this registered charity (SC048160). The aim of Improving Lives is the relief of those in need by assisting the disabled community by reducing their isolation, increasing their sociability and contributing to their relative well being.
The promotion of equality for the disabled community by helping individuals play a greater role in society which in turn raises their collective profile across that society.
Also promoting equality for disabled people by sharing information with the public to raise awareness of various disabilities and to remove any stigma or preconceived ideas about living with disability.
