Montane Spine Race
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Montane Spine Race
@spinerace.bsky.social
The MONTANE Spine Race is one of the world’s toughest endurance events. Truly EPIC races every winter and summer. #britainsmostbrutal #spinerace
It’s been amazing to see those socks cross the fells again and to be reunited for a friend we hadn’t seen for too long, and a joy to put a winners’ medal around her neck once again.

Congratulations 🏆
#SpineRace #SummerSpine
June 18, 2025 at 9:08 PM
At the finish line, she took the time to praise our volunteer team and comment on how wonderful it was to see so many familiar faces still waiting to greet her as a returning friend at every turn along the way…

#SummerSpine #SpineRace
June 18, 2025 at 9:08 PM
All her hard work and determination paid off over the last 84:56:37. Anna has reclaimed her place as our Summer champion.

She executed a tactically exceptional race and claimed a well deserved win. She ran her own race and was able to apply pressure as those ahead began to struggle…

#SummerSpine
June 18, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Summers have been just that little bit quieter around here whilst Anna has been at home, tenaciously keeping her fitness levels at their exceptional level with endless wattbike sessions and working hard to recover enough from an injury she picked up in August of 2022…

#SummerSpine #SpineRace
June 18, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Anna Troup wins the Montane Summer Spine Race 2025

Anna Troup won this race in 2021 and 2022.
Her course record has stood unchallenged since 2022.
She has now returned 3 years later and once again won the women’s race, and this time as the first runner over the line…

#SummerSpine #SpineRace
June 18, 2025 at 9:08 PM
In fact, if he holds this pace he may well break the course record too!

Keep watching those dots. We could well be putting medals around the necks of 3 winners before midnight.

#SummerSpine #SpineRace
June 17, 2025 at 7:40 PM
If all goes to plan on the final stretch, James Hargreaves in the Montane Summer Challenger North will be in among the Northern Sprint finishers arriving in Kirk Yetholm tonight, and he will arrive as our winner…

#SpineRace #SummerSpine
June 17, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Shirley Murray, Shane Morgan and Dominic Gill, our 3rd woman and 2nd and 3rd men have just reached Cross Fell together.

Live GPS tracking can be found here: live.opentracking.co.uk/sspine2025/

#SummerSpine #BritainsMostBrutal
June 17, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Jon is still leading the men and, after an extended break, is back on the move and in second place overall.
Approaching Alston from Cross Fell are Irene Kinnegim and Nikki Han…
June 17, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Anna Troup won the Montane Summer Spine Race in 2021 and 2022 breaking the course record each time.
But she picked up an injury shortly afterwards and the road to full recovery has been long.

She’s now our race leader with nothing ahead but trail and a goal she’s worked towards for 3 long years…
June 17, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Among them are John Daniel and Phil Padfield who will each have a finisher’s medal for every race in the #SummerSpine series.

Live GPS tracking can be found here: live.opentracking.co.uk/sspine2025/

##SpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal
June 17, 2025 at 12:11 PM
They’ll also be the first #SpineRace runners to deviate from the Pennine Way trail and climb to the summit of the Cheviot, the highest summit in the range…

#SummerSpine
June 17, 2025 at 12:11 PM
The first ever Montane Summer Spine Sprint North is underway!

The runners left the line at midday exactly. They have 43 miles to cover including the Cheviot Hills, one of the most ruggedly beautiful and remote stretches of the course…

#SummerSpine #SpineRace
June 17, 2025 at 12:11 PM
The runner furthest south is Jon Lord.
He has 2 Winter Sprint South finishes and 2 Summer Challenger South finishes to his name.
He has a plan and he’s moving forward.

Never write off the backmarkers. It’s a long hard road, but there’s more than one way to solve the #SpineRace
June 17, 2025 at 10:13 AM
For the Montane Summer Spine Race there is a cut-off in at Hardraw today at 20:00.

In the Montane Summer Challenger North, the cut-off they’ll be focussed on today is 04:00 on Wednesday morning at Alston.

#BritainsMostBrutal
June 17, 2025 at 8:24 AM
A note on cut-offs. These are in place to keep runners at a pace that gets them to their finish line before their race ends.

They are the time by which runners need to move on from a checkpoint - not just arrive there. Those skirting cut-offs get little time in the checkpoints…

#SummerSpine
June 17, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Irene was moving well, but in need of a longer rest and refuelling break. Shirley and Shane helped each other through the night and were also in need of a sleep, Shirley having seen a few sleep-monsters on the last stretch along the river Tees.
All 3 are currently sleeping as of 4:45am…
June 17, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Described by the team as ‘sprightly and moving well’, she stopped for a quick curry and moved on again an hour later.

Irene Kinnegim around 15 minutes after Anna departed, and Shane Morgan and Shirley Murray arrived just before 3am…

#SummerSpine
June 17, 2025 at 3:56 AM
The wind picked up sharply overnight. Conditions on Cross Fell, the high point of the course drew some choice expletives from Challenger North runners.

Even at low-lying Middleton, tents had to be taken down and some were damaged. But Anna Troup reached there around midnight in high spirits...
June 17, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Jon Shield reached Middleton CP - nicknamed the Teesdale Tandoori - around 21:00.
His feet are still recovering from his 2nd place finish at the Cape Wrath Ultra under a month ago. He was moving well and feeling strong though and set off again just before 23:00…

#SummerSpine
June 17, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Alex Salt finished the Montane Summer Challenger South this morning in Hardraw.
This afternoon he went to Middleton checkpoint to join his Mum, Moira on the volunteer team and help others reach their own finish lines.

That’s the #SpineFamily

#SpineRace #SummerSpine
June 16, 2025 at 9:20 PM
There have, as always, been wild highs and deep lows across the course all day and our roving photographers have been capturing as many of them as possible.

Live GPS tracking can be found here: live.opentracking.co.uk/sspine2025/

#SummerSpine
June 16, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Dusk brought down the temperature and stopped the scorching sun that’s been steadily baking our runners. As we go into another long night on the trails there’s cloud rolling in and rain is forecast as we approach dawn, bringing a new set of challenges again…

#BritainsMostBrutal
June 16, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Those runners in the Montane Summer Challenger South have until 20:00 to get to Hardraw before the cut-off.
Runners in the Summer MRT Challenge South have until 20:30.
Wish them luck!

Part 3…

#SpineRace #SummerSpine
June 16, 2025 at 7:40 AM
As one race began, runners in the Montane Summer Challenger South are still arriving in Hardraw.
Jon Shield, at the front of the Montane Summer Spine Race will be here soon too…

Part 2…
#SpineRace #SummerSpine
June 16, 2025 at 7:40 AM