Run Livingston

Training tonight is at the Alba Centre, 6.30pm. A fun speed session is planned, you know you want to 😁 See you there.

The Run Livingston Barkley Marathon will return later this year!

🚨 BREAKING: The 2026 Barkley Marathons has done it again. For the 26th time since 1986, there are no finishers.

Brutal winter conditions turned Barkley Marathons into a survival test rather than a race. An early start, a frozen creek crossing, relentless rain, thick fog, and plunging temperatures transformed Frozen Head State Park into a nightmare.

Out of 40 starters, only a dozen completed the first loop. Just four elite ultrarunners made it through two loops within the 26:40 cutoff: Damian Hall, Sébastien Raichon, Mathieu Blanchard, and Max King.

But the mountains had the final word...

As the weather worsened, Blanchard and King were forced out by the cold. Hall and Raichon pushed deep into loop three, chasing history. Yet neither reached the cutoff to start loop four.

The result? The course wins. AGAIN.

They may still complete a 40 hour “fun run,” but the full five-loop finish remains unconquered in 2026. In a sport obsessed with times and records, Barkley reminds us of something raw and humbling: sometimes nature decides.

And this year, it decided no one was getting through.

📸 Jacob Zocherman

This is great advice and supportive of the Strength and Conditioning sessions we run for our members on Wednesdays.

Want a 5K PR This Year? Here’s How Often You Should Strength Train for a Faster Effort. Build power, improve running economy, and keep injuries away.

I had the great opportunity tonight to listen to Aaron Phipps, Wheelchair Rugby Gold Medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

What an inspiring story of determination and seeing every limitation as an opportunity. "I had to lose 30% of my body to realise 100% of my potential".

Whatever your potential, do your best and live your best life.

Saturday 17th January saw a group from Run Livingston set off on our annual ‘Ultra Marathon’ around Edinburgh and the beautiful surrounding countryside. Like everything else at Run Livingston, the primary goal of the event was about inclusive running, so whilst several runners completed the full 33 mile route around Edinburgh, the route was planned out with multiple entry and exit points allowing our runners to pick a distance to run, and maximising the inclusivity for all levels meaning we saw a range of distances completed.

The club remains true to our original ethos which has always been about providing an environment that encourages runners of all levels to build great running habits with weekly social runs, coaching sessions and strength & conditioning for runners.

We always welcome new members, and all we ask is that they bring a positive attitude and are willing to support the other runners as well as their own progression.

If you want to know more, drop us a message

It doesn't need to be a new year to start running with a club, running is for life, not just for Christmas 😀

Run Livingston is a friendly, community-led running club with a focus on social running and supporting runners of all abilities to achieve their own goals. Whether you’re just starting out or training for a specific event, you’ll find a welcoming and supportive local group to run with.

We offer a range of weekly training sessions including steady social runs, interval and speed sessions, and longer runs, all led by qualified and experienced coaches. Our sessions are designed so everyone can take part, with regrouping points and options to suit different paces.

There are 3 regular weekly sessions and ad hoc events throughout the year, all visible via our app, training plans and booking pages:

- Mondays at 18:30 at West Lothian College for a social training session.

- Wednesdays at 18:30 at West Lothian College for strength and conditioning for runners.

- Thursdays at 18:30 at various local locations for more coach-directed training.

We are proudly affiliated with Scottish Athletics. Membership is £20 per year and £1 per session. All funds go directly back into the club to support runs, training, and social events for members, their families, and friends. Surplus funds are donated to local charities each year.

New runners are always welcome. To get started, simply get in touch and arrange to come along to a session — we encourage new members to try us out before joining. Full details, updates, and how to sign up are available via our page or by messaging the club direct.

So what do you do on a Wednesday night in temps of -2? Well, RL runners are working out, building strength and improving fitness. They’re a hard core bunch!

What a fantastic boost for Run Livingston seeing 2 of the club's finest on the main image from today's Glen Ogle 33 ultramarathon (GO33).

Whether your goal is improving your 5km time, preparing for an event or just looking for a bit of company for your winter runs, get in touch.

There is no better time than now to start your running journey.

No crowd is watching when you lace up sore legs, or when you say no to comfort, no to excuses, and yes to one more run in the cold, in the rain, or with a thousand reasons not to go.

No one sees the quiet discipline.
No one feels the aches.
No one knows the doubt you push through mile after mile.

But on race day?
The world finally sees the tip of the iceberg.

Because the marathon isn’t just a race.
It’s a public test of private will.

It’s the proof that every early morning mattered. Every skipped shortcut. Every moment you showed up for yourself when no one else was watching.

Some people chase medals.
Others chase finish lines.
But the ones who keep going?

They chase the version of themselves that refused to quit.