SUP Across Scotland: Lucy Pearce conquers the Great Glen

I had seen paddlers I know take part in the Great Glen over the years and thought, “I couldn’t do that” – and I felt the same when I supported at the race a couple of years ago. Then last year I had the opportunity to take part in the Trent100 with colleagues from the Red team, which was a great achievement. In the coffee queue the morning after the event, I chatted with another paddler about what we might do next. I mentioned the Great Glen and the distance, but she said: “You’ve just paddled 100km!” Which got me thinking… 

I registered to do the Great Glen Paddle Challenge last year, but had to drop out due to family illness, and had put it behind me until the organiser, Emma, emailed to say that I was still registered to take part in 2025.

Once I had decided to go ahead this year, my main aim was to complete the paddle. I started training on the 14'0" Sport+, which we had all used for the Trent100 as it offers such a good balance of speed and stability. I felt I might be able to go faster, but wanted to be pretty confident of mainly staying on the board. Fortunately, I was also able to try out our touring and race boards – and concluded the 14'0" Elite was faster for me, and stable enough if I made sure to train in challenging conditions. 

In the months before the event, I did some distance paddles in cross-shore wind along the coast, in onshore upwind / downwind wavy conditions, on flat water on canals, round and round the local lake, even paddling on windy days where I would usually have chosen to be foiling!

The 14'0" Elite was perfect for the event and the conditions – speedy on the canal sections, and great going downwind on the bumpy lochs. It kept me on my toes, shifting weight and stance to keep the nose out and catch a few glides, and I only took one dip in Loch Ness when I got a little too close to a tourist boat’s wake. With the latest MSL®800 construction the board is light, so no problem for even the longest 600m portage. This was all borne out by the fact that the winner of the male inflatable category, Rory Press-Worth was also on a 14'0" Elite.

I surprised myself by loving the paddling! The hardest part of the event I would say was the preparation – training while busy with work, teaching and travelling; staying motivated, planning my hydration, nutrition, clothing and being prepared for all eventualities. I got advice from friends who have done the event, or other endurance sporting events, about training and food, and tested a few different ways of fuelling for the two days. Carrying lots of food and fuel on my person helped to save time kneeling to get in the bag, and I learnt to eat and paddle at the same time. 

As I wasn’t 100% confident of finishing, I made sure to be carrying extra food, a pair of shoes, a board strap and cash – so if I needed to pull out, I could deflate the board, get to the road and call a taxi. Spare clothes, torch, phone, battery pack and a foil blanket are compulsory for all paddlers, but I took more. Covering all bases meant my deck bag was a bit heavier, but gave me reassurance.

The forecast was 50/50 – day one was a south-westerly tailwind, but day two on Loch Ness was looking like a north-easterly headwind. This got me worried as I wasn’t sure the course would be switched and, although I don’t mind paddling into a headwind, I would have struggled to do so for 48km. Fortunately the organisers reversed the day two course, which meant some logistics to get everyone to the start at Inverness, but gave us the gift of downwind conditions on both days.

Paddling well, sharing the experience, being in the amazing scenery and feeling strong were all rewards in themselves, even being in the right clothing for a quick swim in Loch Ness was satisfying. I was thrilled to finish – then realised at prizegiving I was first female on an inflatable board!

The paddlers, supporters and organisers were brilliant – no question was too silly, and the friendly faces of volunteer marshals and supporters at every point we were ashore gave a huge boost. Over the trip I met people with all different reasons for taking part, and various fears and expectations for the event – it means a lot when you have trained, prepared and travelled to a unique location to take on a challenge like this. I think I enjoyed seeing others paddle across the finish line as much as doing it myself. I think we share a special feeling of achievement, even from registering and getting to the start line

And now I understand why people take on mad challenges – to get outside your comfort zone and find out that you’re stronger than you knew.

Great Glen Paddle Challenge

Find out much more about the Great Glen Paddle Challenge
online at greatglenpaddlechallenge.com