Races

Montane Winter Spine Race Update: Brennan and Bruce win the Sprint

12.01.25: Tough Spine Sprint conditions for winner's Paul Brennan and Hannah Bruce

The gruelling Montane Winter Spine Race Sprint has just concluded in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.

Runners battled deep snow, black ice and temperatures as low as -9 as they took on the 46 mile course, most of which time was spent in the dark. 

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Pictured: Paul Brennan at the finish. Photo credit: Dave Wood/The Spine Race

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Paul Brennan was first across the line, winning the Men’s race in 9hrs 26min, almost an hour ahead of joint second-placed Tom Hollins and James Trott (10hrs 17min).

Hannah Bruce marked her Spine Race Debut in style, winning the Women’s race in 12hrs 53 mins, just 15 minutes ahead of second placed Meredith Moody (13hrs 8mins). Black Trail Runners Ambassador Rebecca Deveroux was third across the line in 13hrs 16 mins, persisting in wearing shorts for the entire duration of the Sprint despite freezing temperatures.

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Pictured: Hannah Bruce at the finish. Photo credit: Dave Wood/The Spine Race

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Ever wondered just how tough the Montane Spine Races really are?

Read this article to find out more

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Follow the 2025 races

The Montane Winter Spine event includes six different races with distances ranging from 46 miles to 268 miles of non-stop expedition-style racing, including two dedicated Mountain Rescue Team races which are incorporated into the Challenger South and Challenger North events.

Races are listed in order of start times below;

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Challenger South and MRT Challenger South (108 miles)

Start Time: 08:00 January 11th 2025

The Montane Winter Spine Challenger South is a non-stop, 108 mile race along the Pennine Way. Beginning from Edale in Derbyshire, runners have a time limit of 60 hours to get to the finish at Hawes. The race covers the southern section of the trail which features the iconic moorland of the Kinder Plateau, numerous National Parks, Malham Cove and Pen-y-Ghent. This challenging and technical section is a physically and psychologically demanding route that requires concentration, good physical fitness, resolve and respect. This becomes even more demanding with the full intensity and ferocity of the British Winter in deep snow, storm force winds and driving rain. This is a notoriously difficult event and should be considered as having a similar degree of difficulty as the full Montane Winter Spine.

Track the race here

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The Sprint (46 miles)

Start Time: 12:00 noon January 11th 2025

The Montane Winter Spine Sprint is a non-stop, 46 mile race along the most iconic and demanding trail in Britain: the Pennine Way. The race covers a challenging and technical section of the Pennine Way. It’s physically and psychologically demanding and requires a degree of self-sufficiency and skill which sets this race apart from others. Beginning from Edale in Derbyshire, runners have a time limit of 18 hours to reach the finish line at Hebden Bridge. It’s a truly epic experience that will give you the full intensity and ferocity of the British Winter and test you against the toughest of trails.

Track the race here

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The Full Winter Spine (268 miles)

Start Time: 08:00 January 12th 2025

The Montane Winter Spine is widely regarded as Britain’s Most Brutal endurance race. It’s a non-stop, 268 mile race along the most iconic and demanding national trail in Britain; the Pennine Way. Beginning from Edale in Derbyshire, runners have a time limit of 168 hours to reach the elusive village of Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. You will climb over 10,000 meters as the route crosses some of the most beautiful but difficult terrain found in England, including the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian’s Wall and the Cheviots. It’s a truly epic challenge that will test your physical resilience and mental fortitude. You will experience the full intensity and ferocity of the British Winter including deep snow, storm force winds and driving rain.

Track the race here

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Challenger North and MRT Challenger North (160 miles)

Start Time: 08:00 January 13th 2025

The Montane Winter Spine Challenger North is a non-stop, 160 mile race along the Pennine Way from Hardraw to Kirk Yetholm.  This is a truly demanding race that gives you an opportunity to take on the northern section of the full race route. Beginning from Hardraw in North Yorkshire, runners have a time limit of 108 hours to get to the finish line at the infamous village of Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. The trail crosses some of the most beautiful but difficult terrains in Britain including; the Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian’s Wall, and the Cheviots. This is one of the most physically and mentally demanding races out there, made even tougher by the ferocity and intensity of the British winter.

Track the race here

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