Great Glen Ultra Marathon

Event overview

The Great Glen Ultra is a solo ultra running event that follows the Great Glen Way from the Fort William area (Corpach) to Inverness. The course is approximately 72 miles with around 8,500 ft of climb. The race awards 4 UTMB points. Entry fees are shown as £118 (discounted) and £120 (standard). The event has a limited field with 150 places and the entry status is open.

Course and logistics

The route follows the Caledonian Canal and the waymarked Great Glen Way, passing features such as the Neptune Staircase, Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Fort Augustus, then climbs with views over Loch Ness before descending into Inverness to finish with a lap of the 400 m track at Inverness Sports Centre. Terrain includes canal towpaths, forestry paths, tracks and some road sections. The High Route option is used for much of the course and is signposted.

The event is designed to be run unsupported with marshaled checkpoints and drop bags at roughly 10 mile intervals. Checkpoints include Clunes (10.5 miles), Laggan Locks (20 miles), Fort Augustus (31 miles), Invermoriston (40 miles), Drumnadrochit (54.5 miles), Loch Laide (62 miles) and the finish (72 miles). There is an additional water stop at Grotaig (49 miles). Support crews may meet runners only at Fort Augustus, Invermoriston, Drumnadrochit and the finish.

Mandatory kit is required and will be spot-checked; examples given include a foil blanket, a working mobile phone and a means to carry at least 1 litre of water. The event is run under a Scottish Athletics race licence and follows Covid-19 protocols. Refund and deferral rules are published, including a 30 day cooling-off period and a graduated refund schedule. Entry expects prior endurance experience. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.