Kelly Staunton | 79 Miles | 16,000ft | 3rd Female | 16th Overall | 21:18

79 Miles | 16,000ft | 3rd Female | 16th Overall | 21:18

Isle of Skye 79 Mile Trail Ultra Recap

The Isle of Skye Trail Ultra isn’t your average ultra. With 100 starters (by application only) and just 65 finishers, it’s a brutal test of endurance, skill, and resilience. For Kelly, this was her first ever mountain self-navigation ultra – and one of the hardest challenges she’s ever faced.

The Conditions
From the start, the weather was unrelenting. For more than 21 hours, Kelly battled heavy rain, high winds, freezing summits, and dense clag that made navigation a constant mental fight.

The route’s technicality was unforgiving — exposed ridges, steep ascents over the Attrinish Ridge, and long isolated stretches where she ran alone for hours.

With temperatures plummeting on the tops, Kelly made three full gear changes just to keep moving and stay warm.

The Result
Despite the conditions, Kelly crossed the finish line in 21 hours 18 minutes, claiming:
🥉 3rd Female
16th Overall
Gold Medal for a top-25 finish

This was more than just a strong result — it was a statement of resilience.

Fueling Strategy
Kelly’s plan was built around BareFuel Strawberry Juicy, targeting 90g of carbs per hour.
BareFuel – 1 scoop in 1L of plain water (strong flavour for maximum palatability)
Real food – pot noodles, pasta, crisps, cinnamon rolls
Additional carbs – 8 PF&H gels spread over the race
Electrolytes – 21 salt tablets total (1 per hour)
Caffeine boost – a can of Red Bull at halfway

This combination meant she could stay consistent with both energy and hydration in the extreme weather.

“After halfway, as the weather hit its worst, I upped my BareFuel scoops and pushed into 3rd female – holding that place right through to the end.”

Lessons & Key Takeaways
Kelly’s biggest takeaway from Skye wasn’t just the podium finish — it was the belief she now has in tackling even bigger distances.

 “Finishing 3rd female in those conditions has given me the confidence to take on even bigger distances.” – Kelly

What We Had to Say:
Kelly was one of the first athletes to test BareFuel during its development, so seeing her trust it in one of the UK’s toughest ultras — and thrive — is something we’re incredibly proud of. She embodies what Built for Endurance really means.

Well done Kelly 👏