Kintyre Way Ultra

Event overview

The Kintyre Way Ultra is a trail running event held on the Kintyre Way long-distance path in Scotland. The 2026 edition takes place on Saturday 9 May and runs from Tayinloan to Campbeltown. The event was first run in 2007, originally between Tarbert and Campbeltown. Organisers now offer one of three sections each year: Tayinloan to Tarbert, Tayinloan to Campbeltown, or Machrihanish to Campbeltown.

Route and race features

The route includes varied terrain: hill paths, forestry tracks, beaches, seaside rocks, bluebell woods and gorse fields. Runners can see across the sea to Arran, Islay, Jura and Gigha at points, with Ailsa Craig and Northern Ireland visible from the southern section.

Distances mentioned:

• Original long route: 67 miles
• Shorter option introduced: 35 miles
• Full Kintyre Way length: 100 miles

The race is fully waymarked with pale blue posts and distance markers at 1 mile intervals. Additional signs or marshals are used where needed. Support includes refreshments, massage and showers at the finish, drop-bag transfer to checkpoints, rucksack transfer to the finish, and extra water stations between checkpoints. Timing is provided by KitST with GPS tracking where signal permits. Profits are used to support maintenance of the route and the section to be run is surveyed each year. Relay options are available: teams of three for the two northern sections or teams of two for the southern section. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.