Nicki Lygo
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drlygo.bsky.social
Nicki Lygo
@drlygo.bsky.social
2K followers 700 following 2.3K posts
Acute medicine resident doctor
Winter Spine Race Checkpoint Lead
Ultrarunning crew. Event medic.
Sports injury therapist
European. Van tripper.
Defo best tea maker
Science
She/Her
Love is love 🧷 #EndDuchenne
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drlygo.bsky.social
Nicki Lygo @drlygo.bsky.social · Sep 14
Around 20% of my work year is on an event called the Spine Race. It's brought me into the most wonderful community of endurance runners. I lead their checkpoint department & place c.150 people from Derbyshire to Scotland each January, to look after 500+ athletes

Anyone know the race?

#SpineRace
Two people in the left foreground, run on a snowy trail with a landscape of white-dusted hills in the background. They are dressed for winter with hats and hoods covering their heads and have small packs on their backs. Both have running poles. The sun is shining, but the sky is white with the threat or promise of more snow.
drlygo.bsky.social
This photo by Andrew Hendry encompasses how I feel about the Spine community. There is nothing quite like the group of extraordinary people who run it, work on it & follow it

Love is palpable here. The #SpineFamily is deeply life-affirming

#SpineRace
A friend, Catherine Hill, and I hugging at the end of her 267 mile Spine Race. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this community is my second family ❤️
January 19, 2026 at 9:46 AM
drlygo.bsky.social
Rounded off my spine week with a jaunt up to hut 2, with Race Director Phil Hayday-Brown and one of the Arctic crew, Ed

Best brew of the race was had in that hut, along with a bit of tablet as a reward for the climb up the hill!

I need to do more of this during race week 🥰

#SpineRace
A selfie with the hut 2 SST (Spine Safety Team) with Phil Hayday-Brown on a murky wet and windy day The door to hut 2. There’s a sign that says “Like hut 1, but better”. Hut competition during the race is alive and well! Phil & Ed walking back down into the valley. Walking along the valley by a stream
January 18, 2026 at 6:42 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
Roadtrip down the trail today in excellent company 🥰

#SpineRace
Me and Nicky Spinks on our evening walk after a day of visiting CPs lower down the trail
January 16, 2026 at 11:44 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
Sorry for the major delay! The lovely Allie Bailey reached the wall at the end of her epic 268 mile battle this evening. She talked about how everything on the trail both punishes and rewards in equal measure. Lovely interview 🤩

Congrats Allie! 🙌🏻

#SpineRace
Allie Bailey taking 7th place in the Montane Spine Race
January 16, 2026 at 11:27 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
The department I lead on this race is 170+ people strong. I place teams at 10 locations along the 268 mile Pennine Way to care for athletes as they tackle their brutal challenges.

I am so proud of the work that they do

More info in ALT texts

Please show them all the love ❤️

Edale 👇🏻

#SpineRace
CP run by Paul Lee & Lynsey Hall. The Edale crew. They register the Challenger South (108 miles), Spine Sprint South (43 miles) and the full Spine Race 268 miles. A lot of crew from other teams congregate in Edale before moving up the trail and we all enjoy a huge crew meal together on the Friday night of race week before the runners set off and I begin to head up the trail. For those of you who know them, Alan Cormack, Lyndsay McEwan & Graeme Lornie are our regular chefs! Immediately prior to the races starting, the central race team hold a meeting in Edale to discuss expected events and to outline what is likely to lie ahead. This first weekend is extremely busy, but is still the calm before the storm!
January 16, 2026 at 7:47 AM
drlygo.bsky.social
Making night-shift crew sandwiches alongside my catering liaison colleague, Marie, with some help from Nicky Spinks. This job bring me to all sorts of situations and most of them are firsts ❤️
Nicky Spinks and I helped out our Catering Liaison Marie, who feeds the crew breakfasts and lunches in Kirk Yetholm.
January 15, 2026 at 11:02 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
Anna Troup and her husband Richard, outside the Border Hotel at the iconic wall as she takes the title of winter Spine Race winner 🏆

#SpineRace
Anna is smiling broadly, leaning on Richard’s shoulder and looking up at his face with joy (and perhaps relief) on her face
January 15, 2026 at 7:15 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
Anna Troup with an astonishing finish & a clear 2026 Montane winter Spine Race win to add to her Summer trophy. She also currently holds the female supported Pennine Way fkt!

She currently has an ‘ultra lean’ & has had to hold her head up straight with her hand for the last few hours!

#SpineRace
January 15, 2026 at 6:49 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
James Hargreaves takes a valiant 3rd place in the 2026 Spine Race! He’s done the Challenger North before, and when reaching the wall he really looked like he’d taken the whole 268 miles in his stride

#SpineRace
January 15, 2026 at 5:53 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
I haven’t seen Eugeni feeling as sad as he does right now. He tried to sleep during his race but his mind was too active. He got to the point of hallucinations and thought he was on a training run

We are all beyond gutted for him after a strong, courageous, race

#SpineRace
Eugeni Roselló Solé in the race room in the Border Hotel after his gut-wrenching DNF 15 miles from the finish line in this 268 mile race in which he had at 20+ mile lead at one point. The crew here know him well and are devastated for him
January 15, 2026 at 2:43 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
James White absolutely nails his Spine Race reaching the wall this afternoon in a very comfortable 2nd place. He really enjoyed High Cup and summed the race up with 2 words ‘sheet ice’!

Congratulations on a fantastic run James! 🙌🏻

#SpineRace
James White at the wall in Kirk Yetholm as he took second place in the 2026 Montane Spine Race
January 15, 2026 at 2:28 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
Sebastian Raichon reaches the wall, becoming the 2026 winter Montane Spine Race winner! 🏆
268 miles & 39,000 feet of climb in awful conditions. An incredible achievement & an example of grit & determination. He confirmed it was indeed,brutal!

Huge congratulations Sebastian! 🙌🏻

#SpineRace
January 15, 2026 at 8:18 AM
drlygo.bsky.social
Fabulous jaunt along the Pennine Way with @helenannhartley.bsky.social & @deanread.bsky.social today! It was such a fabulous and very welcome break. We put the world to rights and made trail plans together

Wonderful 🥰

#PennineWay #SpineFamily #SpineRace
Dean and Helen-Ann standing by the iconic Tunnocks truck by the trail Dean and Helen-Ann on a wooden bridge over a stream on the way up towards the Cheviots A selfie with me, Dean & Helen-Ann by a National Trail acorn post A Pennine Way finger post with rolling hills behind
January 14, 2026 at 11:01 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
Absolutely gutted for him 😢

#SpineRace
Screenshot of the Spine tracker for Eugeni showing him as retired
January 14, 2026 at 9:27 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
Eugeni in Byrness a short while ago. He had a sleep in the welcoming church, thank you @helenannhartley.bsky.social !
He’s now on his way again and seeming perkier after some rest

#SpineRace
A thumbs-up from Eugeni in the Byrness checkpoint. Just 27 miles of Cheviots stand between him and the victory wall!
January 14, 2026 at 3:25 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
The awesome Nicky Spinks & Elaine Bisson just touched the wall, taking the joint female win in the Challenger North Race

They said they’d had a wonderful day today, but Cross Fell & a sleep deprived ‘death march’ from Alston to Bellingham was tough

Epic journey 🙌🏻

#SpineRace #SpineChallengerNorth
The fabulous Nicky Spinks & Elaine Bisson at the Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm, all smiles after taking joint first female in the Spine Challenger North
January 14, 2026 at 2:51 AM
drlygo.bsky.social
I’m waaaay behind here, but these two geezers brought the absolute best to a joint win inaugural winter Spine Sprint North. They ran together, each occasionally trying to break away, but also stopping together to take selfies in the sunset

A cracking time set to boot 🙌🏻

#SpineRace #SpineSprintNorth
Jon Shield & Damian Hall, brilliant athletes and equally brilliant blokes, take the joint win in the inaugural Spine Sprint North.
January 13, 2026 at 10:21 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
First and second place respectively on the Challenger North 2026, Harry Firth & Michal Dzieweczynski!

Outstanding run! In Kirk Yetholm in the daylight and looking remarkably fresh!

Congrats guys! 🙌🏻

#SpineRace #SpineChallengerNorth
Harry Firth & Michal Dzieweczynski standing smiling outside the Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm wearing medals and celebrating their first and second place achievements. They battled 160 miles and all weathers to reach the wall in Kirk Yetholm in daylight
January 13, 2026 at 4:37 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
Crossing into beautiful Scotland once more

💙🤍💙

#SpineRace #Scotland
January 13, 2026 at 3:06 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
The inaugural winter Spine Sprint North is off! Have fabulous boggy Cheviot time lads n lasses!

#SpineRace #SpineSprintNorth
January 13, 2026 at 12:17 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
The Spine Sprint North is starting at midday and runs for around 43 miles, from Bellingham to Kirk Yetholm!

We’ve had some right reprobates registering today… 😜 🤩

#SpineRace #SprintNorth
@ultradamo.bsky.social
Damian Hall registering for the 43 mile Spine Sprint North
January 13, 2026 at 11:37 AM
drlygo.bsky.social
21 hour day today. I now have 3 wonderful hours of sleep, then back up for the Sprint North registration in Bellingham!

Tomorrow I will sleep for the whole night. Definitely. Maybe 😴

#SpineRace
January 13, 2026 at 3:18 AM
drlygo.bsky.social
Peeking into Alston this time! Thought the hallway, past the check-in desk, into the athlete admin room, a quick glimpse into the medics area & the tiniest glance at the lasagne-producing kitchen

The hostel was full of sleeping athletes upstairs & more were heading in

#SpineRace #AlstonLasagne
January 13, 2026 at 3:10 AM
drlygo.bsky.social
Shooting the breeze with this fella in Hawes yesterday. Got actual life advice from him that was actually helpful

But I have also very easily demonstrated that I know the PW better than he does. Defo smug moment

@ultradamo.bsky.social

#SpineRace
Damian Hall and I in the Market House in Hawes where the Challenger South finishes
January 12, 2026 at 9:24 PM
drlygo.bsky.social
G Brian Hutchinson is without a doubt the most cheerful bloke I’ve ever met and it spreads to everyone around him. He’s no stranger to this race having won jointly with Tim Bradley in 2023!

He likened his stay at the Alston CP to a spa visit 😂

#SpineRace #SpineChallengerNorth
G Brian Hutchinson smiling broadly just before departing Alston.
January 12, 2026 at 8:55 PM