Recap: Charlie McHardy – By Way of the Glen

Every week we're lucky enough to hear stories from runners taking on incredible challenges. Some cross finish lines, some set personal bests, and some don't get the result they were chasing.

But that's never been what Highland Fuel is about and it's team are about.

It's about supporting people who are willing to step outside their comfort zone, test their limits and discover what they're capable of. Sometimes that ends with a medal around your neck. Sometimes it ends with a difficult decision to stop. Both take courage.

Charlie's race is a reminder that success in endurance sport isn't always measured by a finishing time. It's measured by the willingness to take on something that scares you, to learn from it, and to come back stronger.

To everyone out there pushing boundaries, chasing big goals and embracing the unknown, whether it's your first 10K or a 170-mile ultra, we're proud to be part of your journey.

Because the finish line isn't the only thing worth celebrating.

 

The result sheet says DNF.

Charlie's story says something very different.

By Way of the Glen is one of Britain's toughest endurance races, linking the 96-mile West Highland Way with the 72-mile Great Glen Way into one relentless 170-mile journey from Milngavie to Inverness.

As Charlie puts it:

"The West Highland Way is not for the faint of heart. Ninety-six miles of ever-changing, ever-undulating, ever-foot-smashing terrain through some of the most dramatic remoteness Scotland has to offer."

The Great Glen Way offers no let-up either.

"Any runner taking on either of these two classic routes needs to be made of pretty tough stuff. Prepare to hurt. Prepare to cry. And sure as hell prepare to want to stop, throw your shoes in the loch, and swear to never ever ever run again."

Now imagine running them both... back-to-back.

"If you have to be a little bit nuts to run an ultra, by the time you decide you're signing up for By Way of the Glen, Elvis has well and truly left the building."

That's exactly what Charlie did.

And yes... on paper, he didn't finish.

But he doesn't see it as failure.

"Let me be clear about this – I didn't finish. But I didn't fail. I learned."

A recurring hip injury eventually forced Charlie to stop after around 80 miles.

"I could probably have continued, but not without doing myself more damage. And with 90 miles of the race left to cover, I made an educated decision to be able to run again another day."

Up until then, everything had been falling into place.

"For the first fifty miles I felt as good as I ever have racing. The weather was hot and humid along the side of Loch Lomond, and I've experienced kidney issues before so hydration was really high on my priority list."

From a fuelling perspective, things couldn't have gone much better.

"The Highland Fuel in my flasks was absolutely brilliant. No gut issues whatsoever and the taste is on point. I wasn't religiously slamming gels back, but enough to keep the energy up and keep me feeling alert as the sun went down."

Around the 100 km mark the hip began to deteriorate.

His support crew did everything they could.

"My superhuman crew did an incredible job of MacGyvering me back together at Glencoe, but by the time I arrived in Kinlochleven I was smashing out the 40-minute miles and I knew my day was done."

But despite the DNF, Charlie refuses to view the weekend negatively.

"I went out for an epic adventure, and my God I got one. What a part of the world. What a route. What a challenge. What a wonderful wee band of like-minded nutcases to share a race experience with."

Only one runner completed this year's race, with Brian Robertson producing an incredible course-record performance. It underlines just how unforgiving By Way of the Glen really is.

For Charlie, though, the biggest takeaways weren't about finishing positions.

"I've been trying for years and I finally loved being on the West Highland Way. I've raced there plenty of times and had so many battles over the years with my physical and mental states. This time, I just loved where I was."

And perhaps most importantly...

"I learned that actually consuming sufficient energy takes a bit of effort, but using the right stuff makes it a whole load easier. Highland Fuel has a friend for life in me."

Will he be back?

"I haven't decided if I have unfinished business with this race or not yet. But I'll be back racing after a little recovery... and possibly also some beer. I did say it was important to drink plenty."

Charlie finished his write-up with a quote that perfectly sums up the weekend:

"Though I am worn, I am not done." — Annelise LeCheminant

And we couldn't agree more. We know you'll be back.

Below is his race report, exactly as he wrote it. Just an honest account of the highs, the lows, the difficult decision to stop, and what he learned from taking on 170 miles of Scottish trails.

The West Highland Way is not for the faint of heart. 96 miles of ever-changing, ever-undulating, ever-foot-smashing terrain through some of the most dramatic remoteness Scotland has to offer. The Great Glen Way offers a similar challenge, covering the 72 miles from Fort William to Inverness along the Highland Fault line and the darkness of Loch Ness – perhaps this is the true Loch Ness Monster. Any runner taking on either of these two classic routes needs to be made of pretty tough stuff. Prepare to hurt. Prepare to cry. And sure as hell prepare to want to stop, throw your shoes in the loch, and swear to never ever ever run again.

Now imagine, if you will, what it must take to run both of these incredible adventures, back to back, without stopping. What. The. Hell?! Welcome to By Way of The Glen.

A 170-mile epic, By Way of the Glen takes runners North from the famous West Highland Way start in Milngavie all the way to Inverness at the end of the Great Glen Way. If you have to be a little bit nuts to run an ultra, by the time you decide you’re signing up for By Way of The Glen, Elvis has well and truly left the building.

That’s what I did. And I failed. At least, I did on paper. I couldn’t finish it.

Let me be clear about this – I didn’t finish. But I didn’t fail. I learned. The short version of the story is that a recurring hip problem forced me to withdraw from the race after 80 miles – I could probably have continued, but not without doing myself more damage. And with 90 miles of the race left to cover, I made an educated decision to be able to run again another day.

It had all started so well. For the first fifty miles I felt as good as I ever have racing. The weather was hot and humid along the side of Loch Lomond, and I’ve experienced kidney issues before so hydration was really high on my priority list… And the Highland Fuel in my flasks was absolutely brilliant, no gut issues whatsoever and the taste is on point. I wasn’t religiously slamming gels back but enough to keep the energy up and keep me feeling alert as the sun went down.

Things started to become troublesome around about the 100k mark, and although my superhuman crew did an incredible job of MacGyvering me back together at Glencoe, by the time I arrived in Kinlochleven I was smashing out the 40-minute miles and I knew my day was done.

But I didn’t fail.

I went out for an epic adventure, and my god I got one. What a part of the world. What a route. What a challenge. What a wonderful wee band of like-minded nutcases to share a race experience with it. In the end, the race only had one finisher – it’s a beast that bites, and every hat I own comes off to Brian Robertson whose course-record-breaking performance was an absolutely sensational conclusion to an absolutely sensational weekend.

Key takeaways? I didn’t fail. I learned. I’ve been trying for years and I finally loved being on the West Highland Way. I’ve raced there plenty of times and had so many battles over the years with my physical and mental states. This time, I just loved where I was. I learned that actually consuming sufficient energy takes a bit of effort, but using the right stuff makes it a whole load easier. Highland Fuel has a friend for life in me. And I learned that it’s really difficult to not-quote the seminal lyrics of Chumbawumba when describing an ultramarathon DNF.

I haven’t decided if I have unfinished business with this race or not yet. But I’ll be back racing after a little recovery and possibly also some beer – I did say it was important to drink plenty.

As for quotes, Chumbawumba may be off the hook, but Annelise LeCheminant (look her up) isn’t…

“Though I am worn I am not done…”

See you next time.

Charlie x