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WHW Race POD

WHW Race POD

By: Paul Giblin
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About this listen

 The WHW Race Pod shares the stories, struggles and spirit of the West Highland Way Race, Scotland’s iconic 95-mile ultramarathon from Milngavie to Fort William. Hosted by three-time race winner Paul Giblin, the podcast goes beyond results and splits. We talk to runners, volunteers, race organisers and crew members about what really happens before, during and after the race. Expect honest conversations, reflections and powerful moments from one of the most respected endurance events in the UK. Whether you're a past runner, a future participant or simply drawn to the mountains and the meaning behind long-distance running, this podcast is for you.Copyright 2026 Paul Giblin Hygiene & Healthy Living Running & Jogging Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Sixteen Weeks: Decide or Drift

    Sixteen Weeks: Decide or Drift
    Feb 26 2026
    Show NotesIn 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:Why sixteen weeks is a dangerous but powerful phaseThe difference between imperfection and driftWhat strong preparation actually looks like in the dataHow four-week training blocks should layer and absorbAerobic density and why steady matters more than sharpClimbing economy and durability specific to WHWLong run progression without dramatic spikesBack-to-back fatigue exposureFuel rehearsal before it becomes urgentWhy discomfort should be practised, not avoidedI 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.Key ThemesStructure versus driftTraining blocks and progressionAerobic density and sustained effortClimbing strength and composureFatigue exposure and durabilityNutrition rehearsalDiscomfort as skillIdentity, readiness, and quiet beliefListen IfYou’re sixteen weeks out from WHWYou feel slightly unsettled about your preparationYour training looks consistent but lacks edgeYou want clarity on how to structure the next four monthsYou’re serious about arriving in Milngavie readyIf 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.PaulGet in Touch - Share Your StoryIf 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:Send a WhatsApp voice note or message to:WhatsApp: +447418609498Or message on Instagram:@pyllonSome of the most powerful stories are the ones people almost don’t send.Race LinksWest Highland Way Race https://westhighlandwayrace.org/Instagram @whw_raceAbout the HostPaul 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.comInstagram @pyllon @pyllonultraYouTube https://youtube.com/pyllonSubstack https://pyllon.substack.comAbout the WHW Race PodThe 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.
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    18 mins
  • Written Into the Trail: Lucy Colquhoun and the Record That Endures

    Written Into the Trail: Lucy Colquhoun and the Record That Endures
    Feb 12 2026
    Show Notes

    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.

    Key Themes
    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

    Listen If
    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

    Get in Touch – Share Your
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    59 mins
  • What Are You Really Training For? - Episode 5

    What Are You Really Training For? - Episode 5
    Jan 29 2026

    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.

    Get in Touch – Share Your Story

    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.

    Race Links

    West Highland Way Race

    https://westhighlandwayrace.org/

    Instagram

    @whw_race

    About the Host

    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

    About the WHW Race...
    Show More Show Less
    8 mins
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