William Wallace might have preferred a sword, but modern day warriors are finding running shoes rather useful for conquering the hills around Stirling. Following its second staging on Saturday 10 October, the William Wallace Running Festival is already looking ahead to 2027, with entries open for Saturday 9 October. Launched in 2025, the festival brings together ultra runners, relay teams, 10K competitors and youngsters for a celebration of Scottish history and endurance running.

Organised through a collaboration between Peter Ness of Scurry Events and the Coull family behind Stirling based You Can Sport, the festival has quickly established a distinctive identity. The 2026 edition continued its combination of challenging distances and routes taking runners through countryside associated with some of Scotland's most recognisable historical landmarks.

The 70K ultra is the biggest challenge, taking runners through countryside associated with Bannockburn, the Campsie Fells, Stirling Castle, Bridge of Allan and the Ochil Hills. The 50K follows its own demanding circuit, while both ultras can also be tackled by relay teams of three or six. For those preferring a shorter battle, the Braveheart 10K follows a flatter route beside the River Forth, crossing Stirling Old Bridge, closely associated with Wallace and Andrew Moray's famous victory in 1297.

Younger runners and families have their own opportunity to participate through the Wallace Warriors one mile event, ensuring the festival isn't exclusively about extraordinary distances. The event has also established a charitable connection with MND Scotland, supporting its work with people affected by motor neurone disease.

With the 2026 festival now completed and entries already available for next October, the organisers are wasting little time preparing for another gathering of Wallace's running warriors. Fortunately, chainmail remains entirely optional.

You can enter right now via the runABC race hub.

Image courtesy William Wallace Running Festival on Facebook.