Runners 'battling demons' in final Spine race push

Uncertainty. Niggling injuries. Savage conditions. Extreme fatigue. Battling demons.

These are some of the challenges the remaining Spine Race runners face as they make their way up over the final stage of the Pennine Way before Sunday.

The Montane Winter Spine race is a single non-stop 268-mile (430km) stage along the Pennine Way, taking in parts of Cumbria, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian's Wall and the Cheviots. Competitors have one week to complete it.

One of those who knows exactly what the later finishers are enduring is veteran runner Chris Wright, who described this year's conditions as "extremely challenging".

The 63-year-old completed the MRT Challenge South on Monday, in a time of 50 hours, 50 minutes and 25 seconds.

In January 2023, Wright, from Penrith, achieved the full race in six-and-a-half days.

"It's perhaps harder for people like me who not necessarily super-talented athletes because they are keeping going for longer.

"The effort is twice as hard because of more time on the feet."

"If you're at the rear of the pack, the second half is much, much harder than the first half was.

"You are gradually wearing everything down," he continued.

Wright said the last stages "really test a deep level of resilience" with sleep deprivation and decision-making being a "big determinant of success or failure".

While kipping at designated checkpoints, he slept in public toilet blocks, a forest floor and behind a wall.

First to reach the finish line this year - and win the men's race - was France's Sebastien Raichon in a time of 95 hours 43 minutes and 52 seconds.

Anna Troup, from Grasmere, Cumbria, was the first woman over the line on Thursday, describing some "terrifying" moments.

Conditions have been so testing for this year's event that many runners have had to abandon the race.

Wright said starting this year's race off the back of Storm Gorretti, was "energy sapping" in "extremely challenging conditions".

"It rained all day on Sunday so we faced snow, ice, mud and rain," he said.

"The combination of ice, deep snow and mud meant stability under foot was so poor," Wright continued.

"From Kinder Scout to Bleaklow, there was a lot of snow, which in places had drifted and become an icy trench.

He said going through snow like that was "almost three times the work of a normal track".

"Then I hit Black Hill, and I thought 'this is going to be an ordeal'," he said.

Wright said he was later saved by "scoffing a Sunday lunch at a pub in Lothersdale" which was "wonderful".

"I didn't consume a single gel but focused on home-made and real food this time," he said.

The MRT race variants are exclusively for mountain rescue volunteers to compete in, with some fundraising for charities.

Wright said he had "great satisfaction" after completing the main race and the MRT Challenges North and South within three years.

He entered the race while being an active team member but had his place deferred and has since left the team.

He has raised about £3,000 for Penrith Mountain Rescue in his previous races.

He said "even with a careful training programme it was a miracle" that he finished the 108-mile (173km) race variant this year.

"I had a bad knee injury in September so I feel blessed that I'm still mobile.

"I'm starting to feel a bit proud," he added.

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