David McElhinney

Bio

I’m from and live in East Kilbride.  I work in Braehead for a Global computer manufacturer. I have three children who live in E.K. with their mum (although they visit/stay with me regularly) and are all in further education.

Ultra History

First Ultra was the fling in 2015 quickly followed by the Clyde stride the same year. I’ve also completed the Kintyre Way Ultra (2017) and last year did Run the blades, Glenmore 24 (12hr) and the GO33

Why whw? 

For someone who has never actually run the race I feel like I have a long association with it.

After years of doing triathlons I intended to and trained for the race in 1999 along with my three pals. Unfortunately I got injured a few weeks before the race and had to pull out.  That was one of the years where the weather was horrendous and only 15 people finished. My three pals ended up =10th and 12th

I parked the idea for years and then in 2015 decided that I had to scratch the itch and finish what I started back in 1999 – Things had changed – a lot !!! There’s  Ballot ? You need show “relevant experience ? etc. etc. etc. ? Clearly there had been an Ultra boom in the past 15 year (That I’d missed). This led to my entry into the Fling and successful entry into the 2016 WHW race…………Unfortunately I was injured again and (again !!!) I was forced to DNS.

After 2016 I kind of gave up on the WHW and decided that maybe my body just wasn’t built to handle the training for it, then I crewed for Carsten Jacobsen last year and the whole experience was a joy from start to finished and re-emphasized how much the race meant to me and how desperate I am to complete it. 

So – It has been a long burning ambition of mine and I hope to finally realise my dream at the ripe old age of 50.

Aim for the race?

Just to get to the start line feeling healthy (See above). If I manage that then I’d like to run sub 24hr or possibly 22:14:17 J (see the results from 1999)