What do you get when you combine the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way, 170 miles of relentless Scottish trail, a coach with a winning pedigree, a couple of loyal crew members, and a runner who refuses to quit?
You get Brian Robertson, better known on Instagram as @brido_runs_daft_ultras
In this episode, we sit down with Brian fresh from an incredible performance at the By Way of the Glen, a brutal 170-mile journey linking Milngavie to Inverness via the West Highland Way and Great Glen Way. Brian not only completed the event, he became the sole finisher and set a new course record of 47:40:45
But this conversation goes far beyond race results.
Brian shares how a casual chat during marathon training introduced him to ultrarunning, his battles with shin splints, how a serious chest infection ultimately saved his running career, and the transformative impact of working with coach Iain Bethune.
We also dive into:
- How the D33 convinced him ultras were for him
- Lessons learned from the West Highland Way Race
- Why elevation became the secret weapon in his training
- The importance of crew support and race strategy
- Breathwork techniques that helped him stay calm during 170 miles of suffering
- The ultra community and the people who inspire him
- A moving discussion about overcoming addiction and how adversity helped forge his mental resilience
- The famous Great Glen Way "Princess Chair"
Along the way there are shoe reviews, nutrition mishaps, stories from Glen Ogle, Falkirk and the Ochils, and perhaps the most budget-friendly sock strategy ever featured on the podcast.
Most of all, this is a story about endurance, humility, friendship and discovering what you're capable of when you commit fully to a goal.
"Take it one mile at a time. Get to the next checkpoint. That's all I thought about." Brian Robertson 2026
