What’s ahead for 2026?

Welcome one and all to 2026.

If you are approaching the new year with boundless optimism and a burning desire to finally become the very best version of yourself, best of luck with that. For most of you it will be a fool’s errand.

New year resolutions are bullshit, and I certainly don’t intend to strive to better myself in any way in 2026. On the contrary, it is quite likely that I will become more cynical, more jaded with the world in general and certainly less tolerant and forgiving of other people.

However, I do approach the next 12 months with unfettered enthusiasm for my running and to build on my experiences and some of the decisions I made at the latter end of last year. My 2025 retrospective covers a lot of that.

Before I cover the specific plans that I have in place, perhaps a few more general dos and don’ts for the year ahead.

Firstly, I will not be distracted by any more notions around very long single-stage races. That has been my own personal fool’s errand in more recent times. I will focus on shorter distances and performing well but more importantly, on events that I will enjoy and which capitalise best on my skill set.

I would also like to do more stage races, both self-sufficient and otherwise. There are a range of self-sufficient stage races out there but very few, if any, tick the boxes I am looking for. Most are out of the question due to aspects of their format or due to the general vibe of the event. For example, I would love to do the Cape Wrath Ultra but I simply will not share a tent with a number of other people, and I won’t run a stage race on the west coast in midge season.

Definitely more fastpacking too. I say that every year but never seem to do as much as I would have liked to. I am also open to another fastpacking trip in Europe.

However, it would need to be something a bit different and not necessarily mountainous, I think. There is a kernel of an idea in my head but nothing firm at present. It could be that there simply isn’t a window of opportunity anyway given the number of other things I have planned for the year.

As if all of that isn’t enough, I most certainly want to maximise opportunities for some epic days closer to home. I would like another crack at the Glenshee 9, without cramp this time. Other classic and challenging rounds like the Fisherfield 5 and the Mullardoch 12 also appeal.

So, let’s get into the detail of what is in store for 2026.

It all kicks off fairly early with the Glentress Trail Marathon in mid-February. I think this will be a challenging and enjoyable event and it provides an interim training goal before the rest of the events kick off from April onwards. Once new year has passed, mid-February will come around surprisingly quickly.

Next, I am signed up for the Beyond the Ultimate (BTU) Highland Ultra in late April. Having done the BTU Mountain Ultra in 2024, I made it clear even then that this was the only other of their events that interested me. Their Desert, Ice and Jungle races hold no appeal. Even less so, the For Rangers ultra. That said, I was extremely impressed by BTU as a race organisation. The location, daily distances and routes in the Highland Ultra are exactly what I am looking for, and it is almost self-sufficient.

I was concerned by the rise in competitor numbers for 2026, but I have obtained written confirmation from BTU that they intend to adhere to their single tent policy. I would be very disappointed if they were to renege.

Roughly a month later in late May, I intend to enter the Full Tilt Ultra, part of the Blair Atholl Trail Weekend. I entered this race in 2025 but pulled out due to my calf injury.

In June, I plan to be in North Wales for a couple of weeks. Not a running trip per se but I am sure I will manage a few decent runs whilst there. Don’t expect me to be queuing for selfies at the summit of Snowdon though. I wouldn’t be caught dead within miles of it. Shame that the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales are all now tourist mountains.

July will be a training month, hopefully making the most of some decent weather and the Scottish hills.

On 1 August, I have entered the Dartmoor Crossing in Devon. It is a long drive (but still better than flying!) back to the stomping grounds of my youth. I grew up in Devon.

I think this could be a great event. Just over 50K in distance and with good race infrastructure, this could be a memorable event, whatever the weather. The race crosses the moor from north to south. Dartmoor has some great running but with a wild feel about it nonetheless. I’ll probably camp down there for a week or ten days and do a few other runs as well.

The next event on the list will be the Steall Ultra , part of the Salomon Skyline Scotland series based in Kinlochleven, between 18 and 20 September. Again, only about 27 miles in distance but a classic mountain ridge route with plenty of technical ground and elevation.

Entries will probably open around March, but I intend to try and secure a spot on the BiFree Brama Stage Run in mid-October. This is a supported, three-day stage race based in Ribes de Fraser in the Pyrenees, organised by the same excellent team that also deliver the Costa Brava and Pyrenees stage runs. I did the Costa Brava Stage Run in 2023, and it was a very well organised and memorable event.

My entry will be contingent on being at the front of the entry queue to secure one of the few single room supplement places. If it comes down to room-sharing, I’m not going.

After all of that, no firm plans. It would be good to do a November race before the event season winds down. Having now done the Sidlaw Ultra, perhaps the Dava Way 50k ? Looks like a good day out.

So, a pretty full year then and I am very happy indeed with the events I have chosen. I think they are all in keeping with what I enjoy and what I am good at. I just need to stay injury-free!!

I hope you are also looking ahead, eagerly planning some running challenges of your own. Best of luck with that and I very much hope that 2026 is a rewarding running year for all.