RACE UPDATE 15/01: The Montane Winter Spine 2024

Is there anyone in the country not dot-watching right now?

'Britain's Most Brutal' race has the nation gripped once more, after 36 action-packed hours on the Pennine Way from South to North.

With near perfect winter conditions for the first half of the race, it's no surprise that there are currently five runners ahead of record pace. Visibility is good, the ground is rock hard and the sun has shone brightly, although temperatures have been well below zero throughout the night and for most of the day.

Leading the charge at Langdon (Checkpoint 3 and roughly 140 miles into the race) is last year's winner Damian Hall (35 hours, 20 mins), with a slender lead over last year's runner-up Jack Scott (35 hours, 42 mins) and the 2022 Dragon's Back winner James Nobles (35 hours, 44 mins). Making up the top 5 and hot on their heels are Konrad Rawlik (35hrs 55mins), and Dave Phillips (36 hours, 33 minutes).

There is still a long way to go and anything can happen before the finish. Which is exactly what SportsShoes x Montane ambassador Dougie Zinis and fellow Spine veteran Eugeni Roselló Sóle will be thinking as they look to close the gap on the top 5.

Unfortunately, four of the pre-race favourites haven’t made it this far, with Kim Collison the most recent to drop out after leading the field for almost half of the race. The Spine will have to wait another year for the La Sportiva athlete, as he joins John Kelly, Simon Roberts and Pavel Paloncy on the list of retirees.

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Pictured: INOV8's Damian Hall leads the way. Photo Credit: Steve Ashworth

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The women's race is just as exciting as the men's, with defending champion Claire Bannwarth out in front and the first woman to reach Tan Hill in 34 hours, 37 minutes. She leads Hannah Rickman by almost two hours (36 hours, 36 minutes), with Lucy Gossage narrowly behind in third (36 hours, 53 minutes).

Victoria Morris and ultra-running legend Nicky Spinks currently lie in 4th and 5th, reaching Checkpoint 2 in Hawes in 30 hours, 55 mins and 31 hours, 22 mins respectively.

The question is, can the leaders of both races keep up this rapid pace? With snow due to arrive in the early hours of the morning, we sense the Spine is about to live up to it's nickname as 'Britain's Most Brutal' race and only the strongest will survive.

Keep up to date and track the race here

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Pictured: One runner feeling the effects of 'Britain's Most Brutal' Race. Photo Credit: Andrew Henry

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Catch up on all the action so far...

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THE MONTANE WINTER SPINE RACES 2024 | EPISODE 1

Follow the start of the Challenger South, the MRT Challenge South and the Sprint. For those that are following for the first time, all three of these ultra marathons start in Edale and follow the Pennine Way. The Challenger South and the MRT Challenge South cover a distance of 108 miles with a time of limit of 60 hours whilst the Sprint race is 46 miles and needs to be completed within 18 hours. The conditions have been merciful for a Winter Spine and saw Rupert Allison smash Jon Shield's previous course record.

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THE MONTANE WINTER SPINE RACES 2024 | EPISODE 2

The Montane Winter Spine Race 2024 enters day two. Course records are broken, runners are taking on the elements and independent battles are starting to form all the way up the Pennine Way. As the Montane Winter Spine Sprint draws to a close, the 268-mile Montane Winter Spine Race roars into life. As expected, a collective group of the elites battle it out right from the start. Who knows what will happen over the first night of racing?

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Ever wondered what you need to wear for the Montane Spine Race? We asked some of the UK's toughest ultra-distance trail runners what shoes, kit and equipment they recommend for tackling 268-miles of the Pennine Way.

Click here to find out more

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SportsShoes is committed to organising the most exciting and unique races, whether it's on the track, road or trail. Keen to find out more? Then check out our Races category for more information about events, latest news and results. Because it's no fun standing still.