WHW Race POD

A Conversation with Gus Irvine: When Winning Doesn't Feel Like Winning

Three weeks after winning the 2026 West Highland Way Race for the second consecutive year, Gus Irvine joins Paul Giblin for a very different kind of conversation.

Rather than revisiting splits, tactics or race strategy, this episode explores what happened after the finish line.

Despite leading from Balmaha to Fort William and successfully defending his title, Gus describes feeling surprisingly flat throughout much of race day and in the weeks that followed. What should have been one of the proudest moments of his running career instead became a confusing experience that left him questioning why the expected feelings of satisfaction and joy never arrived.

Together, Paul and Gus discuss:

• What it felt like defending a title rather than chasing one
• Battling mentally for more than 60 miles
• Why winning wasn't the rewarding experience Gus expected
• The role of crew when an athlete hides how much they're struggling
• Whether success and fulfilment are always the same thing
• Lessons that may only make sense months, or years later

It's an honest conversation about performance, expectation, identity and the complicated emotions that sometimes follow achieving a long-held goal.

Whether you've raced the West Highland Way yourself or simply chased something important in your own life, this episode offers a reminder that the story rarely ends at the finish line.

About the West Highland Way Race Podcast

The West Highland Way Race Podcast shares conversations with runners, organisers, volunteers and people connected to one of Scotland's most iconic ultramarathons. From race previews and practical advice to personal stories and post-race reflections, each episode explores what makes this event so special.

About the host

Paul Giblin is a three-time West Highland Way Race winner, endurance coach and founder of Pyllon Ultra.

You can connect with Paul here:

Instagram: @pyllon @pyllonultra

Pyllon Ultra: www.pyllonultra.com

YouTube: Pyllon

Podcast: Pyllon Ultra Pod

Roberta Fletcher finished third in the West Highland Way Race in 2024. She returned a year later and finished second. In 2026, she completed that progression by winning the women’s race in 18 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds.

It was a brilliantly controlled performance. Roberta was seventh woman at Balmaha, but remained calm, trusted the effort she had planned and gradually moved through the field. She reached second place by Beinglas, took the lead before Tyndrum and continued to build her advantage all the way to Fort William.

In this episode, Roberta talks to Paul about how she moved from running 10Ks to entering the West Highland Way Race, after first experiencing the event while supporting another runner in 2023.

They discuss the influence of the communities around her as well as the increase in training volume that allowed Roberta to make such a significant improvement over three years.

Roberta also explains why she set herself the intimidating target of 18:45, how she avoided being distracted by the other women in the race, and why running by feel helped her stay composed when the early checkpoint times were slower than expected.

There is also plenty about the team behind the result: her twin sister leading the crew, the change from gels to sandwiches, bananas and pork pies, and the carefully chosen song that helped send her out of the final checkpoint towards Fort William.

This is a conversation about patient progress, trusting the preparation and learning to enjoy the process rather than allowing the result to dominate it.

Congratulations to Roberta Fletcher, the 2026 women’s West Highland Way Race champion.

Follow the West Highland Way Race on Instagram at @whw_race.

Find out more about the race at westhighlandwayrace.org.

Please follow or subscribe to the West Highland Way Race Podcast and share the episode with anyone who might enjoy it.

The podcast is hosted by Paul Giblin, ultrarunner, endurance coach and founder of Pyllon Ultra.

Connect with Paul and Pyllon:

Instagram: @pyllon and @pyllonultra

Substack: pyllon.substack.com

YouTube: youtube.com/pyllon

Website: pyllonultra.com

Podcast: Pyllon Ultra Podcast

The Work Is Done: Only Days Until the West Highland Way Race

With less than a couple of weeks to go until the West Highland Way Race, many runners find themselves asking the same question:

"Have I done enough?"

In this episode, Paul reflects on the final days before race day and explores why the focus now should shift away from training and towards preparation, mindset and decision-making.

The reality is that almost all of the fitness you'll take to the start line is already built. The work is done.

So what actually matters now?

Drawing on his experience of running the race ten times, winning it, crewing it, coaching athletes through it, and obsessing over it for years, Paul shares some thoughts on:

• Why goals matter more than most runners realise

• Understanding the difference between competing and completing

• Finding your deeper reason for being on the start line

• Identifying the things most likely to limit your performance

• Why decision-making becomes one of the most important skills in a 100-mile race

• How to respond when plans inevitably go wrong

• Avoiding race-week panic and last-minute doubt

• Remembering to enjoy the experience and the journey

Whether you're racing the WHW this year or preparing for any big endurance challenge, this episode is a reminder to trust the work you've already done and focus on making the best use of it.

The countdown is nearly over.

See you in Milngavie.

Hosted by Paul Giblin.

West Highland Way Race

Website:

https://westhighlandwayrace.org

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/westhighlandwayrace

WHW Race Pod

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/whwracepod

Pyllon

Website:

https://pyllonultra.com

Substack:

https://pyllon.substack.com

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/pyllon

YouTube:

https://youtube.com/pyllon

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider sharing it with another runner, crew member or supporter of the race. Word of mouth genuinely helps us grow the show and celebrate the people and stories that make the West Highland Way Race so special.

WHW Race Pod

In this episode of the WHW Race Pod, Paul talks about one of the most important and often overlooked parts of the West Highland Way Race experience: crewing.

The WHW is one of the few races where having a crew is mandatory, and the relationship between runner and crew can genuinely shape the outcome of the race. A calm, organised and adaptable crew can help carry a runner through the hardest moments. Poor communication and poor preparation can quickly unravel things.

Drawing from years of racing, crewing, coaching and being around the event, Paul shares practical advice for both runners and crews ahead of race day.

Topics include:

• Why runners should properly brief their crews before race day
• Going through realistic race plans and timings together
• Setting clear expectations and communicating honestly
• How crews should handle difficult emotional moments during the race
• Why adaptability matters more than the perfect plan
• The importance of staying calm when things change unexpectedly
• Organisation, logistics and avoiding unnecessary chaos
• Looking after yourself as a crew member during a very long day
• Treating volunteers, crews and fellow runners with respect
• Why perspective matters during ultras
• Embracing the unique atmosphere and community of the WHW bubble

This episode is aimed at anyone involved in the West Highland Way Race this year, whether you’re running, crewing or supporting. But much of the conversation will apply to any long ultramarathon.

If you know someone preparing to crew an ultra, feel free to send this episode to them.

Hosted by Paul Giblin.

WHW Race:

https://westhighlandwayrace.org

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/whwracepod

https://www.instagram.com/westhighlandwayrace

Pyllon:

https://pyllonultra.com

https://www.instagram.com/pyllon

https://youtube.com/pyllon

https://pyllon.substack.com

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider sharing it with another runner or leaving a rating or review. It genuinely helps more people discover the show.

With the West Highland Way Race now just a couple of months away, many runners find themselves in a familiar place.

Training hasn’t quite gone how they hoped.

Missed sessions. Disrupted consistency. Life getting in the way.

And with that often comes a quiet pressure to catch up. To do more, and to fix things quickly.

In this episode, Paul explores why that instinct can lead you further away from where you want to be… and how to approach this final phase of training with clarity, control, and purpose.

• Why the “perfect training block” is largely a myth
• The common trap of trying to cram fitness late in the build
• A personal story from student life that reframes how to use limited time effectively
• How to shift from “catching up” to “making the most of what you have”
• What actually matters in the final 6–8 weeks before race day

• Structuring your weeks around consistency rather than intensity
• The role of the long run and why it should feel controlled, not exhausting
• Using back-to-back runs to build durability without overreaching
• Why easy running needs to stay genuinely easy
• Practising fuelling so it becomes automatic on race day
• Learning sustainable pacing through feel, not guesswork
• Why recovery, sleep, and nutrition are part of the training process

• Handling periods of increased life stress, including moving house close to race day
• Understanding total load, not just training load
• Protecting sleep and creating intentional downtime
• Reducing decision fatigue by planning ahead
• Adjusting training without losing rhythm
• Why arriving slightly undertrained but fresh is often better than overtrained and exhausted

• Letting go of the idea that training needed to be perfect
• Recognising the experience and resilience you already have
• Learning to respond, adapt, and move forward without overreacting

Take time to write down:

• Key experiences that show your resilience
• Moments where you’ve handled difficulty well
• Strengths you can rely on during the race

Often, the evidence you need is already there.

You can’t recreate missed training. But you can make smart decisions now.

Consistency, control, and clarity in this final phase will take you further than trying to force what’s already gone.

The WHW Race Pod is hosted by Paul, a three-time winner of the West Highland Way Race, with deep experience of the race and a strong connection to its community.

West Highland Way Race

https://westhighlandwayrace.org/

Instagram

@whw_race

You can follow along and stay connected here:

Substack: https://pyllon.substack.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pyllon

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pyllon

Website: https://pyllonultra.com

Most people imagine the West Highland Way Race as something dramatic. The climbs. The tough sections. The big moments where everything is on the line.

And those moments are part of it.But they’re not the race.

In this episode, we explore one of the most overlooked skills in ultrarunning - the ability to handle the long, quiet, repetitive stretches where nothing much is happening.

Because that’s where most of the West Highland Way actually takes place.

From the steady miles along Loch Lomond, to the mental shift after Balmaha when the day opens up and the reality of the race sets in, this is the side of the event that often catches runners out.

We talk about:

1. Why the “big moments” are only a small part of the race
2. What it really feels like during the long, uneventful stretches
3. How your mind starts to drift when there’s nothing to react to
4. The trap of overthinking when everything is actually going well
5. What I’ve seen while crewing at the race, especially as the field spreads out
6. Why training needs to include boredom, not just intensity
7. How to stay steady when nothing is pulling you forward

This is the unglamorous side of the West Highland Way. The unseen miles but necessary miles. The ones that don’t make the highlight reel.

But they’re often the ones that decide your race.

1. Training for the West Highland Way Race
2. Struggling with long, uneventful runs
3. Finding your mind drifting during training or racing
4. Looking to improve your consistency over long distances

This podcast is hosted by Paul, a three-time winner of the West Highland Way Race and former course record holder.

Having spent years racing, training on, and crewing at the event, Paul brings a deeper perspective on what it really takes to perform well on the course.

The WHW Race Pod is about more than results and race day highlights.

It’s about understanding the experience of the race itself and preparing for the parts that don’t always get talked about.

If you enjoyed the episode, share it with someone else preparing for the race.

And if you’re lining up at Milngavie this year, this is the part of the race worth preparing for.

In this episode of the WHW Race Pod, I’m speaking directly to those of you who are about sixteen weeks out from the West Highland Way Race.

This is a deceptively important point in the build.

It’s where people either decide… or they drift.

Drift doesn’t look dramatic. It doesn’t look like quitting. It looks like training that’s “fine.” Weeks that tick over. Long runs that feel comfortable. Sessions that become optional.

And you don’t notice drift in one week.

You notice it in eight, and you feel it at 65 miles.

In this episode, I break down:

1. Why sixteen weeks is a dangerous but powerful phase
2. The difference between imperfection and drift
3. What strong preparation actually looks like in the data
4. How four-week training blocks should layer and absorb
5. Aerobic density and why steady matters more than sharp
6. Climbing economy and durability specific to WHW
7. Long run progression without dramatic spikes
8. Back-to-back fatigue exposure
9. Fuel rehearsal before it becomes urgent
10. Why discomfort should be practised, not avoided

I also speak personally about why this race matters to me, and why I care so much about how you use this phase.

The West Highland Way is not designed to be comfortable. Difficulty is built into the course. The runners who thrive here are not the ones who hope it goes well. They’re the ones who expect the hard moments - because they’ve rehearsed them.

Sixteen weeks is enough time to change your trajectory.

But only if you decide now.

1. Structure versus drift
2. Training blocks and progression
3. Aerobic density and sustained effort
4. Climbing strength and composure
5. Fatigue exposure and durability
6. Nutrition rehearsal
7. Discomfort as skill
8. Identity, readiness, and quiet belief

1. You’re sixteen weeks out from WHW
2. You feel slightly unsettled about your preparation
3. Your training looks consistent but lacks edge
4. You want clarity on how to structure the next four months
5. You’re serious about arriving in Milngavie ready

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone preparing for the race, and consider leaving a review. It helps more people discover the stories behind the trail.

I’ll be back soon.

Paul

If you’ve got a story you’d like to share, something you’d love to hear explored on the podcast, or an experience from the West Highland Way that still stays with you, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

You can:

1. Send a WhatsApp voice note or message to:
2. WhatsApp: +447418609498
3. Or message on Instagram:
4. @pyllon

Some of the most powerful stories are the ones people almost don’t send.

West Highland Way Race

https://westhighlandwayrace.org/

Instagram

@whw_race

Paul is an ultrarunner, coach, and creator. He is a three-time winner of the West Highland Way Race and a former course record holder.

Paul is the founder of Pyllon – a coaching collective and creative project built around endurance, curiosity, and the long view.

You can find more of Paul’s work here:

Website

https://pyllonultra.com

Instagram

@pyllon

@pyllonultra

YouTube

https://youtube.com/pyllon

Substack

https://pyllon.substack.com

The WHW Race Pod explores the stories, experiences, and quieter moments that shape the West Highland Way Race.

Beyond results and records, it’s a space for reflection, connection, and the human side of running one of the world’s most iconic ultras.

In this episode of the WHW Race Pod, I sit down with Lucy Colquhoun, who still holds the women’s course record at the West Highland Way Race, set in 2007 in a time of 17:16:20.

Nearly two decades later, that performance still stands. But this conversation goes far beyond splits and statistics.

Lucy reflects on who she was when she lined up in Milngavie in 2007: an enthusiastic amateur who had only started running in her thirties, discovering endurance almost by accident. We explore what training looked like in a different era, before social media, before nutrition plans and performance data were everywhere, when hill running was still deeply grassroots.

She shares:

1. How she was “strong-armed” into entering the race after running the Highland Fling
2. The simplicity of her preparation, and the discipline behind it
3. Realising halfway through the race that she was leading
4. The moment the course record became a possibility
5. Bonking at Cramond Cottage and bouncing back
6. The emotional complexity of still holding a record so many years later

Lucy also opens up about something deeper: identity.

What happens when racing is no longer central to your life?

What does it mean to step away from competition?

How do you hold pride without becoming defined by one performance?

We also touch on her incredible victory at CCC in Chamonix the following year, and the psychology of validation, comparison, and purpose in endurance sport.

This is a thoughtful, honest conversation about legacy, humility, and the private reasons we run.

If you’re preparing for the West Highland Way Race this year, this episode is a reminder that the experience itself is what endures. Records may stand or fall. But what you learn about yourself out there stays with you.

1. Simplicity versus modern complexity in training
2. Grassroots ultrarunning in Scotland in the 2000s
3. Running to feel rather than to pace
4. Identity beyond performance
5. Comparison as “the thief of joy”
6. The changing culture of the sport
7. Pride without ego

1. You’re lining up for WHW this year
2. You’re curious about the history of the race
3. You’re navigating your own relationship with performance and identity
4. You’ve ever wondered what it feels like to hold a long-standing course record

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone preparing for the race, and consider leaving a review. It helps more people discover the stories behind the trail.

I’ll be back soon.

Paul

If you’ve got a story you’d like to share, something you’d love to hear explored on the podcast, or an experience from the West Highland Way that still stays with you, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

You can:

1. Send a WhatsApp voice note or message to:
2. WhatsApp: +447418609498
3. Or message on Instagram:
4. @pyllon

Some of the most powerful stories are the ones people almost don’t send.

West Highland Way Race

https://westhighlandwayrace.org/

Instagram

@whw_race

Paul is an ultrarunner, coach, and filmmaker. He is a three-time winner of the West Highland Way Race and a former course record holder.

Paul is the founder of Pyllon – a coaching collective and creative project built around endurance, curiosity, and the long view.

You can find more of Paul’s work here:

Website

https://pyllonultra.com

Instagram

@pyllon

@pyllonultra

YouTube

https://youtube.com/pyllon

Substack

https://pyllon.substack.com

The WHW Race Pod explores the stories, experiences, and quieter moments that shape the West Highland Way Race.

Beyond results and records, it’s a space for reflection, connection, and the human side of running one of the world’s most iconic ultras.

The WHW Audio Companion – Week 1

In this episode of the WHW Race Pod, Paul introduces the WHW Audio Companion - a short, reflective series designed to support runners through the training months leading into the West Highland Way Race.

This isn’t a training plan or a list of sessions. It’s guided thinking.

Paul explores the deeper question that sits underneath every long build: what are you really training for, beyond the race name, the distance, or the finish time?

Drawing on his own experiences training for the West Highland Way and Western States, as well as years of coaching athletes preparing for long-distance races, Paul reflects on:

1. The moment when training goes quiet and belief starts to wobble
2. Why belief can’t be faked, and why this phase of training matters
3. How doubt and discomfort are not problems to solve, but part of the work
4. What athletes often think they’re training for, and what they’re actually preparing for
5. Why character, not just fitness, decides the later stages of long races

This episode sets the foundation for the Audio Companion series and offers a clear focus for the next period of training: not just building fitness, but shaping the person you’ll need to be on race day.

If you’re training for the West Highland Way, another long race, or simply trying to stay connected to your “why” during a demanding block, this episode is an invitation to slow down, reflect, and realign.

If you’ve got a story you’d like to share, something you’d love to hear explored on the podcast, or an experience from the West Highland Way that still stays with you, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

You can:

1. Send a WhatsApp voice note or message to:
2. WhatsApp: +44 7418 609498
3. Or message on Instagram:
4. @whw_race

Some of the most powerful stories are the ones people almost don’t send.

West Highland Way Race

https://westhighlandwayrace.org/

Instagram

@whw_race

Paul is an ultrarunner, coach, and filmmaker. He is a three-time winner of the West Highland Way Race and a former course record holder.

Paul is the founder of Pyllon – a coaching collective and creative project built around endurance, curiosity, and the long view.

You can find more of Paul’s work here:

Website

https://pyllonultra.com

Instagram

@pyllon

@pyllonultra

YouTube

https://youtube.com/pyllon

Substack

https://pyllon.substack.com

The WHW Race Pod explores the stories, experiences, and quieter moments that shape the West Highland Way Race.

Beyond results and records, it’s a space for reflection, connection, and the human side of running one of the world’s most iconic ultras.

In this episode of the WHW Race Pod, Paul explores what makes the West Highland Way Race different from so many other ultramarathons.

This isn’t a breakdown of splits, cut-offs, or results. It’s a reflection on the quieter qualities of the race - the ones that don’t always show up on a start line or a screen.

Paul shares his own journey into the race, from first hearing about it at a time when life felt stuck, through to racing it in his first year of ultrarunning. Along the way, he reflects on the atmosphere of the Milngavie start, the weight of the race’s history, the deceptive nature of the route, and what really happens to runners as the hours – and nights – pass.

This episode explores:

1. Why the West Highland Way doesn’t need spectacle to be meaningful
2. How the route slowly reveals how you’re really doing
3. The kind of runners the race tends to attract, and why so many return
4. Why times and placings only ever tell a small part of the story
5. What remains long after Fort William

Paul also reflects on the legacy of John Kynaston and the original WHW podcast, and why continuing to tell the deeper stories of the race still matters.

If you’re training for the West Highland Way, thinking about it for the future, or simply curious about what makes certain races stay with us, this episode is an invitation to look beyond noise and numbers, and reconnect with what really matters.

If there’s a story you’d like to share, something you’d love to hear covered on the podcast, or an experience from the West Highland Way that still stays with you, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

You can:

1. Send a WhatsApp voice note or message to:
2. WhatsApp: +44 7418 609498
3. Or message on Instagram:
4. @whw_race

Some of the most powerful stories are the ones people almost don’t send.

West Highland Way Race

https://westhighlandwayrace.org/

Instagram

@whw_race

Paul is an ultrarunner, coach, and filmmaker. He is a three-time winner of the West Highland Way Race and a former course record holder.

Paul is the founder of Pyllon - a coaching collective and creative project built around endurance, curiosity, and the long view.

You can find more of Paul’s work here:

Website

https://pyllonultra.com

Instagram

@pyllon

@pyllonultra

YouTube

https://youtube.com/pyllon

Substack

https://pyllon.substack.com

The WHW Race Pod explores the stories, experiences, and quieter moments that shape the West Highland Way Race.

Beyond results and records, it’s a space for reflection, connection, and the human side of running one of the world’s most iconic ultras.