RACE UPDATE 16/01: The Montane Winter Spine 2024

RACE UPDATE: 16/01/24 @ 17:30PM

Winter has taken its grip on the race and so too has Jack Scott, extending his lead over Damian Hall to around 10 miles, as he approaches the final major Checkpoint (5) at Bellingham, 211 miles into the race in 57 hours 25 mins. Both men, including Konrad Rawlik in 3rd (currently 192 miles in and roughly 4 hours behind Hall at Greenhead) are all still ahead of record pace. Our SportsShoes x Montane athlete Dougie Zinis remains in 4th (183 miles in), with James Leavesley, Orran Smith and Rory Harris all in joint 5th, roughly 15 miles further back on the trail (168 miles in).

Our sources at INOV8 told us before the race that Scott is the most mentally prepared he's ever been for a race and is ready to dig deeper and push harder than ever before, both physically and mentally. Based on his performance so far, this certainly seems to be the case.

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Pictured: Winter takes its grip on the Spine Race. Photo Credit: Steve Ashworth

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Like Scott, runaway leader Clare Bannwarth has continued to stamp her authority on the women's race. She is the first female to reach Checkpoint 4 at Alston (175 miles) and currently lies in 5th place overall in 55 hours, 47 mins. Bannwarth is being pursued by Lucy Gossard (at 165 miles), Hannah Rickman (at 158 miles), Nicky Spinks (at 152 miles) and Elaine Bisson (at 146 miles). A gap of less than 30 miles separates the top 5 women, so it's all to play for as the race heads into the third and most challenging night.

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Pictured: The lone figure of women's race leader Clare Bannwarth cuts through the wintry landscape. Photo Credit: Steve Ashworth

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Day 3 has seen the arrival heavy snow and this has inevitably added another layer of complexity to the race. Regardless of this, there has been little change to both leaderboards, with the top 5 men and women all consolidating their respective positions over the course of the day. The only significant change is the virtual distance between Damian Hall's men's record of 84 hours, 36 mins and the overall record set by Jasmin Paris in 83 hours, 12 mins, a time gap which is changing by the minute and one which will ultimately see the two markers switch places on the real-time tracker. At this stage of the race, no one would bet against a new record being set this year, but there is still a long way to go and anything can happen. Remember: The only predictable thing about the Spine Race is its unpredictability.

Keep up to date and track the race here

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Pictured: Day 3 of the Montane Winter Spine Race. Photo Credit: Steve Ashworth

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Catch up on all this action from the start of Day 3...

RACE UPDATE: 16/01/24 @ 9AM

A new day sees a new leader emerge in the Montane Winter Spine Race, as a freezing cold night on the fells has led to some major changes at the front of both the men's and women's races.

The start of the Day 3 sees INOV's Jack Scott now in pole position (186 miles in) after taking control of the race from teammate Damian Hall (182 miles in). They arrived at Checkpoint 4 in Alston almost an hour apart in 46 hours, 23 mins and 47 hours, 20 mins respectively, but are currently only 4 miles apart as they approach Greenhead. Both athletes were the runaway leaders in last year's event, but this current twist in the plot sees their former roles reversed as Scott looks to go one better in 2024.

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Pictured: The leading men's pack on Day 1. Only 4 of the big names now remain. Photo credit: Jamie Rutherford

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Can Jack Scott hold on? Or will the current champion Damian Hall reclaim his crown? Or will the challenge come from further behind? Because lurking in 3rd place in Konrad Rawlik (170 miles in), who looks likely to be the next to arrive in Alston, followed by our SportsShoes x Montane athlete Dougie Zinis (166 miles in), just behind the men's record pace and in a solid 4th position. James Leavesley, Orran Smith and Rory Harris are all in joint 5th and running together as a group, hitting Birkdale, 148 miles into the race, at exactly the same time. They are roughly 18 miles behind Zinis at this stage.

The other big news in the men's race is that three more of the bookie's favourites, James Nobles, Dave Phillips and Eugeni Roselló Sóle have all now retired from the race, joining a lengthy list of Spine legends who will have to wait another 12 months to contest this iconic race.

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Pictured: Hannah Rickman, currently in 3rd place. Photo Credit: Andrew Henry

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In the women's race, Clare Bannwarth is the only person to maintain her position at the end of Day 2 as there have been some notable changes to the top 5. She is currently in a commanding lead, after becoming the first woman to reach the Checkpoint at Dufton in 48 hours, 46 minutes. She is just behind the record pace set by Jasmin Paris in 2019, which stands at 83 hours 12 mins overall.
Lucy Gossage has worked her way into 2nd position, reaching Checkpoint 3 at Langdon in 46 hours, 11 mins. She traded places with Hannah Rickman during the night, who has since reached the same milestone in 47 hours, 2 mins. And as Rickman takes a break at Langdon, the news she won't want to hear is that the indomitable Nicki Spinks has moved into 4th position and is closing in fast. She moved up a place in the rankings following the retirement of Victoria Morris at Tan Hill. The experienced Elaine Bisson now makes up the top 5.
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Stay tuned and keep refreshing your browser, because this race is not over yet. After all, this is the Montane Winter Spine Race and anything can happen!

Keep up to date and track the race here

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Catch up by watching all of the action so far...

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THE MONTANE WINTER SPINE RACES 2024 | EPISODE 3

The Montane Winter Spine Race 2024 enters day three. Overnight temperatures plummet making overnight conditions tough underfoot. As the sun rises, the Pennine Way shows off its natural beauty but still relentlessly claims the scalps of ultra runners all along the trail, especially at the front.

The Challenger South and MRT Challenge come to a close and all eyes go north as Jon Shield sets a impressive pace in the Challenger North.

For those that are following for the first time, all Montane Spine ultra marathon races follow the Pennine Way. The Sprint race is 46 miles and needs to be completed within 18 hours. The Challenger South and the MRT Challenge cover a distance of 108 miles with a time of limit of 60 hours. The Challenger North is 160 miles with a cut off time of 108 hours. The full Spine is 238 miles and with a 168 hour total time limit.

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Ever wondered just how brutal the Montane Winter Spine Race really is? INOV8's Lee Procter explains here

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