Written Into the Trail: Lucy Colquhoun and the Record That Endures

Show NotesIn 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:

How she was “strong-armed” into entering the race after running the Highland FlingThe simplicity of her preparation, and the discipline behind itRealising halfway through the race that she was leadingThe moment the course record became a possibilityBonking at Cramond Cottage and bouncing backThe 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.