How to Conquer the Devil of the Highlands

by Ali Hall

Rachel storming in to take first place

Usually, what happens in a portaloo stays in a portaloo. But not today, because Grant Macdonald shares all with us. Aren’t we lucky! 

Stretching over the second half of the West Highland Way, the Devil of the Highlands is one of Scotland’s most popular ultra races. At 42 miles and 6500 feet of elevation, the route winds from Tyndrum to Fort William through some of Scotland’s most picturesque scenery. 

Known for his community-focused, charitable, fun, friendly, and inclusive races, John Duncan heads up the team behind the Devil of the Highlands and its better-known sister race, the Highland Fling. 

With promises of an epic finish line of multi-coloured banners, carnival-style flags, cheering crowds, and beer, what other enticement do athletes need to sign up to dance with the devil? 

Pyllon had six athletes start the DOTH race, and five athletes finish; we’ll come onto Grant’s mishaps shortly. 

I invite you to read along and follow the journey of four of our athletes, including Rachel Normand, the gold medalist. 

Llinos all smiles and high spirits

An insight into our athletes

Iain Quimby

With a history in Muay Thai, Glasgow lad Iain is made of tough stuff. When COVID-19 struck and closed his beloved local gym, Iain had to adapt. Running became the new passion. He hadn’t run further than 5 miles before, and suddenly, he found himself running further and faster and merging himself into the trail and ultra community. 

Seeing him in action, It’s hard to believe that Iain was once a 19-stone, bass-playing party animal, out of puff just from tying his shoelaces!

When his children came along Iain realised something had to change. Becoming a father encouraged Iain to think about his health and do something about his diet and overall well-being. He is now the bar manager of a vegan pub in the West End of Glasgow, so some of you may be his clients without even realising it. 

“Running has changed my life, it's a regular part of my routine structuring my week and life now. When I run I feel relaxed, sometimes I run and work out all the thoughts in my head and other times my mind is almost completely thoughtless, almost meditative when running, each day is purposeful.” - Iain Quimby

The weather conditions didn’t deter Iain’s focus

Grant Macdonald 

Meet Grant from the Pyllon coaching team. Did you happen to catch his amazing downhill tips on Instagram? If so, you may recall the golden advice of aeroplane arms for downhill running. Grant always brings a smile to everyone’s face. It's hard to believe that he only started running later in life, as a means of improving his health. But don’t let his later start fool you, especially since he's already donned a GB vest in 24-hour racing! He's faced some challenges in recent years and he still manages to find humor in tough situations. That's just the kind of guy he is.

"Two significant life changes have meant racing has taken a bit of a back seat for me in the last couple of years. Joining the Pyllon coaching team, and becoming a dad have meant racing has just felt less of a priority. Life has become 50% dealing with tears, tantrums and toilet issues. Being a dad has had its challenges as well.” - Grant Macdonald

Grant attributes his poor race outcome to his new hair cut - what do you think?

Rachel Normand

La Sportiva athlete, Rachel Normand, is lucky enough to live spitting distance from the Pentland Hills in Edinburgh. Both Rachel and her husband are keen runners and mountain lovers. I’m not sure if it’s common to be jealous of a baby, but for all those who follow Rachel’s Instagram account, you may turn green at the incredible adventures their one-year-old daughter, Jane, has already experienced with her outdoor-loving parents. 

Rachel discovered running while living in London, but it wasn’t until she moved to Scotland in 2017 that she found her home in the hills. 

“I love the sense of freedom you get from running on trails, and that during a run I forget to worry about all the things that usually occupy my mind.” - Rachel Normand

Rachel engaging a positive mindset

Llinos Proctor

Living on the doorstep of Bridge of Orchy, Llinos is in the enviable position of having the WHW as her local trail. With a conservation background, she now manages woodland and combines her love of nature, wildlife, and mountains with her creative side as a printmaker; she has some wonderful pieces of Scottish wildlife and landscapes. 

It’s not everyone who can claim to have four peacocks! But yep, you guessed it, Llinos can. 

Llinos describes herself as a talkative, scaredy cat. But for someone who has run the full WHWR and now the DOTH, I’d suggest she doesn’t let her fears hold her back. 

Postnatal depression led Llinos to running, and the therapeutic benefits have kept her returning to the trails regularly to ensure she is a more patient person with her family. 

“I feel calm when I run, it quiets my mind, helps me put things in perspective and connects me to my landscape.” - Llinos Proctor

When the going gets tough, Llinos keeps going

Why did you want to dance with the Devil and how did it go?

According to Iain, the route of the DOTH is one of the most scenic in the world, and who are we to disagree with him? With hopes for a top 20 finish but recognising that just finishing is an achievement, he was understandably blown away with a top 5 finish and 1st in his category. 

His stand-out moment is his final push from Lundavra to the finish line. He used the downhill to keep pressing to the end and went as fast as his legs would carry him, and as spectators will testify, he came into the finish as if he was in a 400-meter race, not a 42-miler!

“I loved this race, it was well organized, great atmosphere, organisers, marshalls and competitors were 10/10 all round.” - Iain

Massive good luck to Iain for the 2024 WHWR ballot.

Despite having not raced the DOTH before, Rachel is familiar with the route and recce’d several sections in the lead-up. In Rachel’s mind, the DOTH was to be a marker of her fitness post-pregnancy. 

“Winning the race was a dream come true. I ran easy for the first half and didn't get too carried away with racing. I ran up the Devil's Staircase which I'd done in training but didn't know I'd be able to do after twenty miles of racing!” - Rachel

Feeling strong running through Kinlochleven gave Rachel a confidence surge and encouraged her to keep her place all the way to the finish, where the pride of having her husband and daughter cheering her on as she crossed the finish line, beamed from her face. 

Even winners recognise areas of improvement. A few learning points for Rachel include moving through aid stations quicker and the importance of maintaining a positive mindset in tough times. 

Llinos went beyond her potential

Well, it would be rude not to dance with the devil, given the route passes her house, and with the offer of a babysitter for the day, Llinos was buoyed to be racing her first DOTH. Not only did she show up and run hard, but she finished an hour under the time she was aiming for. 

This race lived up to her enormous expectations, with the high point being the downhill into Fort William and the inclusive, friendly atmosphere from the race organisers and marshals. Although, she’s seen enough midges for one lifetime.

“I managed to follow my race plan from Debbie (easy to BOO, steady to Glencoe, get

uncomfortable after that)” - Llinos

Great advice, ultra runners need to be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable.

Grant’s race came to an end almost as soon as it started … 

Grant was super excited to be pinning on a number after a fairly decent training block. Talking himself up to Paul on Training Peaks, he was taking the DOTH so seriously he even had a pre race haircut. He says the haircut didn't go well, perhaps an omen of things to come. I’d say he looks pretty dapper though, you can judge for yourself from the pic.

“It was a real highlight to see the joy Pyllon coach, John Connolly, took in Rachel's win.” - Grant

A proud moment for Iain

What worked well for you and what maybe didn’t work so well?

Coming in off the back of racing Cateran Trail 55, Iain focused on high mileage and practicing descending and tempo runs out on the trails. Maybe Iain’s secret weapon to his success is his dress rehearsal of the full route in abysmal conditions. 

Iain speaks of a standout training session that incorporated terrain and elevation specificity of the DOTH. Learning to press hard with fatigued legs takes practice, and practice is what Iain did. 

Speaking of specificity, Rachel recognises that the longer hill reps she churned out in training likely contributed to her ability to skip up the Devil’s Staircase during the race. Rachel’s ability to find additional gears mid-race to open up the gap between herself and Meryl and Morgan, who placed 2nd and 3rd, respectively, was fine-tuned in training by executing tempo sections during a long run. 

Llinos attributes her successful race to getting out for long, slow runs and building strength and speed through intervals and hill reps. 

Are you ready to hear about Grant yet?

What can we say about his race? I think It’s best I hand the mic to Grant himself and don’t change any of his words. I mean, who am I to edit the humour master? 

“What with my lack of recent racing I had decided to throw caution to the wind, ditch my usual conservative approach and go out with the lead group to see where it took me. This new confident approach lasted about 30 seconds up the first climb out of Tyndrum. A rush of cold sweats and a rapidly cramping stomach and I was immediately rejigging my plan to ‘where can I evacuate my bowels without 400 unfortunate people witnessing it?’.  

No obvious places revealed themselves so I adjusted my pace downwards and planned to hang on to Bridge of Orchy. I acknowledged the sympathetic smiles from the marshals at the road crossing as I waddled uncomfortably down the hill to the portaloos. My relief was matched by the disappointment of hearing almost the entire race field go past me as I sat on the portaloo regretting the previous night's meal choice.

I know this is a safe space to share this level of detail. Runners have all been there. I exited the portaloos and immediately returned realising this incident wasn't quite over. But clearly my race was - certainly in terms of a competitive run. I could shuffle my way uncomfortably to Fort William if I had to. But truth be told I was happy to hand in my dibber and keep my shorts clean for another day. 

Thanks to two members of the Pyllon family for saving my day. John Connolly scooped me up and graciously chauffeured me to Fort William, stopping off along the way to support the other Pyllon runners.”

Iain embraces the quad busting descent into Kinlochleven

How were you kitted out?

There was a mixed bag of kit on the course, which is exactly what we would expect, given how individual we all are. 

Our athlete’s feet were decked out in Hoka Tecton X, La Sportiva Jackal II Boa, and Inov8 Trailfly G280.

Some top advice from our athletes is to eat every half hour or 45 minutes. If you are worried you may forget, set an alarm reminder to remind you. Nutrition can really make or break your race. 

We don’t know what Grant was wearing for his 11k, but thanks to the generosity of Kenny Mcmanus, he had a stash of dry clothes to keep him warm in the aftermath of his, erm, incident. 

The moral of the story - don’t forget a warm clothes contingency plan, boys and girls! 

What advice do you have for others looking to do the Devil of the Highlands Race? 

First things first, don’t be like Grant. Make sure you plan your pre-race meals carefully! 

After that, the advice is fairly unanimous: get out on the trails for training and recce the route if possible so your body is familiar with the ascent and descent profile.

Rachel tells us there is a bus from Fort William to Glencoe, which you must book in advance. There’s also a train from Rannoch Station to Bridge of Orchy if you fancy adding some bog sections that aren’t in the race route. I mean, who would ever turn down bog?

These public transport options should help you figure out logistics for a recce. 

Both Rannoch Moor and Lairigmor are long, tough sections. If you like listening to music or podcasts during a run, this is where your headphones may come in handy. 

Find your inspiration and harness it

We are each unique beings, so it stands to reason that our sources of inspiration vary. 

Often, we seek inspiration in places of resonance and relatability. At the moment, new mum Rachel is inspired by other women who have recently had babies. Watching their return to running long distances gives Rachel the confidence that she will also return to full fitness. Hopefully, her confidence will have soared with this stunning performance at DOTH in the bank. 

Llinos wants to be a shining example to her kids as she sets herself up as a muse for them and showcases the importance of leading a healthy, active, and adventurous lifestyle. 

As for Iain, the support from his family helps get him out the door in the first place, and watching everyone within the Scottish ultra scene doing epic things and smashing their own goals keeps him out there striving to be better himself.

Rachel’s look of disbelief for a race well won

Thanks to Rachel, Llinos, Grant, and Iain for sharing their experiences with us. A special mention to Grant for using his misfortune as a giggle opportunity, let’s hope you don’t need to befriend the portaloos at the Ochils 50 miler. 

Another thanks goes to Graham Milne and Alan Brown for some of the images included. 

You can see the results of the 2023 Devil of the Highlands here. Entry is not yet open for 2024; keep an eye on the website for more details. 

Thank you for reading. We have a team of experienced and enthusiastic coaches waiting to help you on your ultra journey. Contact us to find out more.