Winter Spine Sprint South 2026

Winter Spine Sprint South 2026 

When I signed up for the Montane Winter Spine Sprint South, I knew I was committing to something far more than a typical trail run — but I don’t think even I fully appreciated just how epic this challenge would be until I was on the start line in Edale. 

Here’s a breakdown of what the race is, what you need to know, how I prepared, and everything you’ll want to think about if you’re considering lining up for one of Britain’s toughest winter ultras.

What Is the Winter Spine Sprint South?

The Montane Winter Spine Sprint South is a non-stop 46-mile winter ultramarathon along the iconic Pennine Way — widely regarded as one of the toughest sections of trail in Britain. The race starts in Edale, Derbyshire, and finishes in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, following mixed moorland, exposed ridges, and technical paths in often merciless winter weather. Runners have 18 hours to cover the distance — meaning much of the route will be run in darkness, deep cold, and potentially snow, sleet, or strong winds. Bearing in mind the start time is usually 12pm (we were delayed to 1pm) pretty much most of the race is done in the dark, cold and wet! 

What sets the Spine Sprint apart from other ultras is that it’s unsupported: runners must self-navigate, carry all mandatory safety gear and food (which is obscenely heavy!), and manage their progress without pacers or crew. Unlike the longer Winter Spine or Challenger events, the Sprint doesn’t have intermediate checkpoints for food or sleeping, so self-sufficiency is key. 

Why Did I Want to Run the Spine Race?

Why on earth would I want to do something like this I hear you ask! Well…there is part of me that really enjoys a bit of misery on the hills…some of my best days in the mountains have been when I’ve had a bit of an epic in the snow or absolutely foul weather…nothing beats that feeling of returning home still in one piece after a darn good battering! 

The spine caught my attention pretty much as soon as I started getting into running a few years ago having been a fanatical mountain climber/hiker before that. It’s the race renowned for being obscenely long and hard and I’ve always loved a big challenge. I love the idea of an expedition style race where you have to look after yourself and essentially immerse yourself in the hills on your own in any weather. 

There was one big problem….I’ve never run or even walked more than 26 miles so there was no way I was qualified or strong enough to even think about doing the full spine. The spine race thankfully have different races over the same route in varying lengths which helps people on the ladder to getting ready for the big one. I plumped for the Sprint South as I already knew Edale and parts of the moors it goes over and it is 46 miles which is the shortest on offer to get me started. 

The Spine Race Training Journey

Preparing for this race isn’t just about mileage — it’s about training your body, mind and skills to handle cold, darkness, navigation, and sustained effort under load. Having spent the last few years being pretty inconsistent with my training I decided it was time to get a running coach to help me focus and have somebody to be accountable to. 

I knew I would prefer a lady coach as I think it’s easier to talk to a woman about hormonal changes and potentially an impending menopause whenever that may be. I also knew I needed a no nonsense coach who would give it to me like it is without any fluffing up and ideally somebody who had done the spine and some really long distance expedition style events that I eventually want to work up to. 

I couldn’t think of anyone better than Allie Bailey to help me on this road having listened to her at Keswick Mountain festival in 2025 with the legend Nicky Spinks in a seminar. Although Allie specialises in working with people with mental barriers to running I loved her no BS attitude and she has been very successful in some seriously tough races. 

As it turned out I had plenty of mental barriers to crack myself which were uncovered by reading ‘Are You Mad at Me’ by Meg Josephson recommended by Allie. I literally broke down in tears running one day listening to it on audiobook as it covered a lot of past Trauma that I had definitely repressed and was causing me to act in a not very helpful way now. I can’t recommend this book highly enough to anyone who is a people pleaser or who constantly worries about how other people are feeling. 

After helping me sort out some mental blocks Allie got me on a training plan to fit with our busy campervan building workload and also my past running form as to not overload me and to make sure the plan was do-able. It included: 

  • Consistent running - Prior to Allie I would maybe run once or twice a week absolutely hammering myself on excessively long runs to make up for the fact I struggled to fit runs in during the week. Allie changed my mindset on that and had me running 4-5 times per week on smaller easier to fit in runs around work and then a slightly longer run at the weekends. She also made me run on the flat so that I was running rather than walking as I tended to walk any hills to keep in zone 2 which meant running up and down the river behind our house a lot….although at first I hated the idea as I’m all about the hills I actually grew to love my early morning/evening runs with the owls hooting and the sparkly lights of the villages surrounding us in the Yorkshire dales. I very quickly saw improvement in my heart rate and running pace by following the plan which was very rewarding. 
  • Long runs with weight: Because the mandatory kit is heavy (6KG +), replicating race weight on long training runs helped me adapt my pace and effort. I did 5 training runs with pretty much full weight including Tour de Helvellyn 38 mile ultra in the Lakes to try and adapt to running with a heavy load. 
  • Navigation practice: Learning to read a map and use GPS devices on moors and plateau terrain was crucial for confidence. I must admit my map and compass skills were pretty rusty as I tend to rely on my Coros Apex 2 GPS watch along with OS maps on my phone when more detail is needed. I had to do a bit of work remembering how to use the compass if my tech did decide to not work on the day. 
  • Night runs: Much of the Sprint falls in darkness, so running with headtorches and adjusting rhythm in cold night conditions was vital. Pretty much all my week day training runs were done in the dark which was a little scary to start with (not helped by us watching horror documentary series) but I soon got used to it and actually really enjoyed the peace and quiet in the dark with a real sense of being alone. You can also have a wee whenever you need to without trying to find somewhere private!! 
  • Weather exposure: Training in rain, wind, and mud — especially on higher ground — built tough mental and physical resilience. I did one of my reccy runs during storm Claudia which had me wading through streams up to my hips to get me used to what the conditions could potentially be like. 
  • Reccy runs - It’s really important to try and reccy as much of your race route as possible because you spend so much time in the darkness and there was a high possibility of it being misty. Running with a head torch in the dark and mist is really disorientating so knowing the route helps enormously. I actually managed to run the whole of the Spine sprint south route prior to the race in smaller sections apart from one 3 mile section so it all very felt very familiar on race day. 
  • Strength training - Often under estimated - I certainly did! I couldn’t believe the difference doing 1 proper strength training session a week made on my knees which had been weak and painful for years. Allie had me doing specific routines concentrating on higher weight and lower reps which has made such a difference. I also started doing stair stepper sessions (45 minutes at one time) to get used to the ascent that would be encountered. I knew the strength sessions had worked when I completed Tour de Helvellyn and my knees were fine all the way to the end when usually I would have been pretty crippled on the descents past about 10 miles. 

Community: WhatsApp and Facebook Groups

One unexpected highlight of the build-up has been the online community. WhatsApp groups and Facebook communities for Spine runners have been buzzing with advice, encouragement, kit hacks, training photos, recce stories and navigation tips — reminding everyone that, even though this race is unsupported on the trail, you’re far from alone in spirit.

In particular I found the ladies WhatsApp group really helpful and supportive. I did find the main sprint group occasionally had strange or off putting things in it like photos of somebody wading through a deep river under a waterfall (Turns out the person that posted the photo had come off the pennine way so this wasn't in the race!!) or people sharing strava reccy run information showing incredibly quick times (which ends up making slower people feel a bit inadequate). 

I think the WhatsApp groups are helpful but don't get too bogged down in them. 

Spine Race Kit Requirements

The kit list for the Winter Spine events is extensive — and strictly enforced. Missing or unsuitable gear can mean disqualification at kit check. The official 2026 Winter Spine kit list applies to the Sprint too and includes everything from waterproof jacket and trousers, headtorch + spares, emergency shelter, map/compass or GPS, stove and sleeping system, first aid items, navigation tools, warm layers, gloves, hat and more. 

A few key points:

  • Mandatory kit must be worn or carried at all times.
  • No drop bags at checkpoints for the Sprint, but you may transport a bag to the finish for your own use afterward (though it’s optional). 
  • Kit check happens at registration and is randomized — some runners get full checks, some get partial checks, so be prepared. I luckily got a partial kit check which made it quicker and easier but my friend Jenny had a full kit check and she ended up spending ages having to repack her bag after kit check. 

If you would like to see the kit list please click here. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hz5J6XnnZ_lJzXlNQ-UypdSg6xEURihq/view

This was for the winter 2026 races so please don’t rely on this if you have entered future events as things change each year/season. 

My Winter Spine Kit List

The kit list for the spine races is extensive - especially for the winter spine due to the nature of the terrain, exposure, remoteness and weather. There has been much debate about the kit list as some people feel it’s too much and too heavy for most people and if you manage to get it on the lighter side (we are still talking 5-6kg min) it costs a fortune to get the lightweight kit. 

I did end up spending a fortune along with a few requests to Santa as I wanted to enjoy the race rather than making it miserable due to the weight. I also have plans to do a few more spine races so knew I would use the kit again. 

It’s worth noting that the kit list is the same whichever distance spine you are doing so you still need to carry a sleeping bag on the sprint even though you likely won’t be using it to sleep - it would only be used in an emergency to keep warm. 

Here is the list of kit I used for the spine winter sprint south:

I love ultimate direction rucksacks - I find them comfortable over the distance and the fast pack 40 has so many pouches for stashing food and 2 good water pouch holders. I wanted to use the fastpack 30 but I found it limiting with the 2nd water pouch holder being a bit small and not as many pouches for food either. I think this could have worked with an OMM chest pouch but I didn’t have time to practice with this set up so stuck with what I knew. It was ideal for me however it did rub my back a little at the base due to the weight. 

As of 2026 you no longer need a hand held GPS device which is great as it saves a chunk of weight. I have to say my Coros watch was perfect for this event and gave me no trouble unlike many other runners whose Garmin watches crashed and lost their route and tracking. The Coros has never let me down and is easy to upload routes too and use. 

I tried a lot of head torches prior to settling with the Petzl NAO RL. I found most of the ones which had decent battery capacity were way to heavy at the front and I had to have the elastic uncomfortably tight to keep it onto of my head! As the NAO RL battery is at the back it was much more balances and uncomfortable for long periods of time and the battery had only lost 1 bar in the 8 hours I had it on which was amazing! I only had it on the lowest setting as the snow lit up the surroundings but still very impressed with the battery life. The adaptive lighting takes a bit of getting used to but it was by far the best I tried. 

I love this jacket - it’s super lightweight and comfortable with long arms and also covers you bum to keep you dry (I get irritated by water proof jackets that don’t keep your bum dry!) The hood is also brilliant and I had this on for over half of the sprint and didn’t even notice it was on. 

I chose these as they are super light but also have 30,000 hydrostatic head which is way more than needed for kit requirements. I thankfully didn’t need to wear them during the race but they kept me lovely and dry on my reccy runs and were very comfortable running in. 

I love extremities gloves - they have kept my hands warm on super cold winter days in the mountains. I have found them far warmer than more well known expensive brands too. 

I also love Injinji socks - they have kept my feet sore free for a few years now and the combination of the liner sock with the waterproof socks kept my feet dry and warm enough (just!). The only issue I had was a couple of black toe nails due to the compression from having 2 socks on - I will go at least half a size if not full size up next time wearing this combo. 

I put this on at dusk and it helped keep me toasty through the night. 

This wasn’t needed as I stayed fully dry but the darts are a great lightweight base layer. 

This is my go to warm jacket for days when I know I need an emergency warm layer - it’s super light for it’s warmth so ideal for this. It’s not a jacket I would use for rough days on the hill as it’s outer layer is fragile and I have torn it already (it’s got a few patches!). I did put it on at dusk but got too hot so it stayed in my pack as an emergency. 

These are my go to running shoes for all trail runs as they have a nice wide toe box for my wide feet and I’ve never had any serious foot pain in them. They also have excellent grip on snow and rock which is useful as I can also wear them on mountain days too. 

You have to have micro spikes as part of the kit check so I carried these but I actually ended up running the whole race in nano spikes as I didn’t have to take those on and off on road sections and pretty much needed something on the whole race. 

Super light but not super cheap - luckily Santa (aka Jacqueline!) bought me this for Christmas so I didn’t have to lump my 1100g cumulus sleeping bag around with me. I haven’t actually used the sleeping bag yet but it’s ideal for this race for kit list being lightweight and packable. 

Again ideal for this race as it’s light and small - not sure how comfy it is as didn’t need it for the sprint but will be testing it out on the summer challenger south no doubt! 

Fully waterproof and super light at 180g. You can get much cheaper but I do plan to do some proper bivying in the longer races so was happy to spend a bit more on something good quality and light. 

I used this having 3 cups of tea at each of the MRT check points so was well worth having! 

I took 2 insulated soft flasks and 3 non insulated which gave well over the 2 litres required. I only filled 3 for the actual race but could have managed with 2 as I filled them up at each MRT station and If they hadn’t been there on the day I ran I could have filled from streams or reservoirs using my water filter. I think water can only really be planned a day or 2 before when you know what the weather and conditions will be like.

  • Food 

The minimum food requirement for the sprint sprint was 1500 kcal of which some could be made up from energy drinks such as Tailwind etc. I carried approx 2500 Kcals which was made up of Activeroot energy drink, Strkyr bars, a variety of gels and OTE flapjack bars. These were all things I had tried and tested on my long training runs and knew I could stomach. 

  • Mobile phone - iPhone 17 pro

Iphone’s aren’t generally the best at coping with the cold and their battery life isn’t generally as good as android equivalent phones. If you are using an iPhone then make sure you carry it somewhere warm or put it in a warm pouch and you must carry a charger. 

I carried this trowel along with 2 packs of tissue and 4 poo bags. 

I carried this along with other supplies provided by the spine race. 

This little power bank is amazing - super lightweight and charges my phone around 3 times. 

My rucksack came in at 6.5KG with 1.5 litres of water. I really wouldn't have wanted it any heavier than that although I had trained with that weight. For me it was well worth spending the money on lightweight kit as I knew I would want to do more of these races and could also use the kit on our long distance trekking adventures. 

Logistics & Accommodation

Start — Edale

  • The race starts in Edale, a village accessible by train (Manchester–Sheffield line), making it easy to reach by public transport. 
  • Many runners book local accommodation like YHA Edale, nearby B&Bs, or hotels in Castleton so they’re close for kit check and registration the day before. We stayed in a hotel about 10 minutes from Edale which included breakfast so perfect for pre race carb loading! 

Registration & Kit Check

  • You must attend registration and kit check before the race — this is where all gear compliance is verified and race numbers are distributed. 
  • Arriving with plenty of time to unpack and show your gear before the check list is crucial — you’ll have to unpack all your kit in front of the checker. This process took around 1 hour as there was quite a big queue of people when we arrived 
  • Once kit check is complete you need to go to the village hall with your drop bag if you have one and then listen to the race briefing. Here you will learn important information about how the race is run and what to do if something goes wrong. At this point you will have your tracker attached to your rucksack too. 
  • Once you’ve finished the above you are ready to go. We had an hour to kill before the start so we we went to the Penny Pot cafe near the train station for more carbs and pre race coffee. 

Finish — Hebden Bridge

  • The race finishes in Hebden Bridge, a charming town with plenty of accommodation, pubs, and cafés — a welcome contrast to the moors. 
  • Plan travel from Hebden Bridge post-race: trains connect out to Manchester, Leeds and beyond.
  • We stayed in a lovely hotel called The Hebden Townhouse which I chose because it looked like it had a bath for me to soak in at the end but also I wanted Jac to have somewhere really nice to chill in whilst she waited for me to finish. 

Weather Forecast

January conditions across the Pennine Way can be extremely variable. Typical daytime temperatures hover around 0–10°C, with night temperatures dropping as low as -10°C. Expect wind, rain, sleet or snow on higher ground, especially on open moorland and plateau sections. 

I can’t believe how lucky we were with the weather for our race. There was a storm just prior to the race starting which dumped a large amount of snow over the whole race route which was EXACTLY what I wanted being a snow baby! Although it made it hard going with slippy ice and trying to stay upright it was so beautiful with barley any wind - you really couldn’t complain. 

Some people did suffer with hypothermia that night as it was very cold on the tops, especially as soon as the sun went down. I think even in the best conditions the winter spine is pretty brutal as it’s so exposed. 

I felt sorry for both the challenger south participants who went before us who had to break the trail but also the full spiners who went after us in the most horrendous wind and rain. We really did get lucky! 

Race Route: Section Breakdown

The Sprint essentially follows the Pennine Way from Edale to Hebden Bridge but psychologically I broke it up into sections in my head so it didn’t feel so big. Here’s a little write up of what to expect in each section:

  1. Edale to Snake Pass - 10 Miles 

The opening section has a gentle climb up and over to barber booth and then quickly has you going up the steep ascent up Jacobs ladder to the exposed top of Kinder Scout. It is very undulating on top so many people were hiking this section all the way around past Kinder Downfall (a water fall that often is blown upwards in the wind) The downfall was completely frozen on the day and there some ice climbers making their way up - For once I wasn’t jealous of their adventure as I was having so much fun on my own adventure in the arctic tundra! 

Once over the top you drop down a little and then seem to go over endless slabs over to snake pass. I felt very lucky that the snow had completely covered all these slabs and bog either side of it meaning it didn’t matter if you stumbled to one side - doing that usually means you end up to your waist in bog! 

Once at Snake Pass there was a lovely MRT Land Rover with a nice chap to top water up - this was a nice surprise as I wasn't expecting anybody until potentially Torside. 

2. Snake Pass to Torside - 5.9 Miles 

This is probably my favourite bit of the route alongside the top of Kinder as it has a wonderful exposed edge with sweeping views of the moors to run down near the end. After Snake Pass you run up boggy moorland towards Bleaklow summit. Again this is usually very boggy but it was all snowed over and frozen making it much more enjoyable than normal! We also had this section for sunset and it was absolutely stunning - it felt like we were in the artic. 

Bleaklow is famous for the plane crash that happened over high exposed ground which is pretty tricky to find. Both times I’ve been running that section I have found groups of people wandering aimlessly lost trying to find it or their way back! Me and Allie went and had a quick Look at the crash on a reccy run and it's well worth deviating to see if you are out reccying.  

*Plane Crash (Not on the Pennine Way - worth visiting if reccying this section) 

After Bleaklow Summit you make your way along to the lovely exposed Clough Edge which eventually leads down to Torside Reservoir where the MRT were perfectly situated to give tiring runners hot drinks and water refills. Quite a few people retired at this point as the next section is very steep and demanding if you struggling already at this point. 

*Taken on a reccy run

3. Torside to Wessenden - 7.7 Miles 

After making your way around Torside Reservoir you start to make the gruelling ascent up towards Laddow Rocks which is another stunning edge to run if you can see! We were in total darkness by this point so no views but it’s still a lovely section to run. You then go down to several stream crossings which can be very deep when in spate (This is where i was waist deep after storm Claudia) but there was none of that on the event - we sprung straight over them using the exposed icy stepping stones making quick work of that section. 

You then have a long crawl up to Black Hill which isn’t steep but is that type of incline unless you are super fit is difficult to run, especially with the amount of snow we were going through. 

Once finally at the the summit it’s pretty much downhill and easy running. The only final tricky section can be Deans Clough which is a tricky crossing when in spate and often has a diversion around it.

4. Wessenden to M62 Crossing - 9.8 miles

Once at Wessenden you have a lovely runnable section around a couple of reservoirs with the final steep uphill of the sprint going up to Wessenden Moor but it’s over very quickly - short and sharp! 

Once past the last steep uphill it’s pretty easy runable terrain usually on slabs but they were all snowed over for us making it much more enjoyable! The descent down to the M62 and Nicky’s food bar is glorious as you start to dream about sipping flat coke and scoffing a burger and chips! 

I had seen messages from Allie and Jac saying I was in 4th place for the women’s which I was absolutely flaboghasted by as I only ever hoped to simply finish the race and you simply can’t tell what position you are in when your in the race. I therefore decided to crack on past Nicky’s food bar as I wanted to see what I could do but also I had been feeling sick for most of the race so wasn’t sure I could stomach anything either. I also had enough food to last me until the end so wasn’t worried about calories. 

I definitely plan to stop at Nicky’s next time when I’m doing a longer race as I need to get better with food to maintain pace on the longer races. I was also a bit gutted I didn’t get to have a halloumi burger which I had been looking forwards to. It’s amazing of them to stay open and support the race like they do and stay open until the last runner is through. 

5. M62 to Hebden Bridge - 11.6 miles 

From here you know you are on the home straight so it feels good in one way but also your legs are pretty done in from all of the ascent on the first 20 miles. 

I stopped at the White House pub where the MRT were stationed with hot drinks, water and biscuits which sorted me out for the final 8 miles. 

After the White House the route is extremely runable if you have the energy. I struggled as I hadn’t been eating well so I power walked all the boring sections next to the reservoirs and up to Stoodley Pike and then made the most of the downhill from there to make up time and blasted down the hills and finally into Hebden. 

There was a sting at the end of the Sprint South’s tail..that final hill up to the final checkpoint is extremely steep and comes right at the end when you don’t expect it. Very cruel indeed! However when I saw Jac’s happy face when I got the top and she told me I was still 4th I was absolutely delighted!

Hebden Bridge: The Finish & Aid

Although the Sprint is unsupported with no official checkpoints en route, the finish in Hebden Bridge often feels like an aid station in its own right — the volunteers were absolutely amazing really looking after me making sure I had exactly everything I needed. I tucked into a pasty and a bag of crisps as I was absolutely starving after not eating much for over 12 hours. 

Big thank you to the aid station volunteers who were lovely and very caring. 

After Effects

I always knew I would be sore after a race like this but due to trying to stay upright in the snow for so long with lots of sliding about I was pretty hammered after the race.

I finished at 1.30am in the morning and was absolutely buzzing which is conducive to going straight to sleep! By the time we got back to the hotel it was 3am and I sat in the bath for 45 minutes to try and ease by aches and pains. I might as well have not bothered going to bed because I just lay there wide awake buzzing from adrenaline from such an awesome adventure but also I hurt all over! I also had a horrible cough which felt like I had water on my lungs…I think as a consequence of breathing deeply in the very cold air for so long. I heard other sprinters had the same thing too. 

I was also desperate hungry after apparently burning over 9000 calories and eating very little which makes it very hard to sleep. As soon as the morning buffet was open at 8am I was down scoffing pastries, eggs and cheese! 

The next morning I had puffed up feet, 2 black toe nails and doms like I’ve never felt before…all over! My shoulders and back were sore from carrying such a heavy pack for so long and my legs were absolutely shredded! 

Recovery 

I planned to take 2 weeks off completely with some small walks in the 2nd week. I ended up doing a 15 mile walk 1 week after with friends as we had a cottage booked in Northumberland and of course I thought it would be a good idea to reccy another section of the pennine way!

I actually felt fine and did take it really easy the week after with week 3 starting my training plan back up again. 

My first few runs back felt pretty dreadful with low energy levels and high heart rate but have since settled and my pace is back to normal 5 weeks on. My heart rate is still quite high doing hill work but I think that’s fairly normal after a big event.

A Massive Thank You to Mountain Rescue & Volunteers

While the Sprint doesn’t have official checkpoints like the longer Spine events, Mountain Rescue Teams and their volunteers are part of the broader Winter Spine community — from safety prep to aid at major Spine checkpoints and local support. Their contribution to safety and encouragement across this brutal challenge deserves huge respect.

What’s Next? The Lakes Traverse

With the Winter Spine Sprint South under my belt, I've got the Lakes Traverse at the end of March. The Lakes Traverse is 100km with 3500m of ascent so a nice step up from the Sprint. I'm using it as a bridge in distance and ascent for the next Spine race in the summer.

After that is the Spine Challenger South - 106 miles starting from Edale and ending in Hawes, This will be a big step up in mileage for me but I'm so excited for the adventure and to see how my mind and body reacts to the next step! 

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