fakTrying to wipe out memories of bad dreams and inspire myself for today's long run by watching the nutters running on the Pennine Way https://youtu.be/Nskzq6NNjjQ?si=tmLV9f2QkglT3K6_ Valencia 10k stream next.
YouTube
40 participants have retired already, just under 30 and a half hours in (to a race that has a 7 day cutoff). It's icy out there, lots of opportunity to slip and fall. Someone's already managed to fully fall in a river. #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
An early release for the day 3 video and it reinforces for me absolutely not and how I would just die sliding off the trail. It's cold, it's wet, it's windy and they are going into their second night. Not for me, well done dots. #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching https://youtu.be/eMiVX3uaYHA?si=ZvKpXtieJv5KteLG
Montane Winter Spine Race | Episode Three | 2026
Over 50 retirees now (and I couldn't be bothered to do my 3rd 2 mile rep today). The leader is through the 4th (of five) checkpoint having had less than 4 hours sleep, started at 08:00 on Sunday and is around 190 miles in #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
Crikey, the leader has retired less than 20 miles from the finish, after over 78 hours (and almost 250 miles) of running #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
FFS, in other Spine news they had to disable a participant's tracker of one of the shorter (only 108 miles) events and pull her off the course because of credible threats to her life over her fundraising for Afghan women & girls. This timeline sucks. https://web.archive.org/web/20260114162753/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/14/woman-pulled-out-of-uk-ultra-marathon-after-death-threats-over-her-fundraising-for-afghanistan #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
Tom HaywardAnother couple of miles and the runner who was in second is going to find out he's actually in first #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
Lots of finishers now and attention turns to the back of the field and those checkpoint cutoffs. Next one is checkpoint 5 at Bellingham, which closes at midnight tonight and there are currently 37 participants yet to reach it #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
Belligham is 224 miles in, and the current back marker is at 198 miles. #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
Last person is through Greenhead and at mile 209, with an ETA at Bellingham of 23:41 #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
He's 5 and a half miles away and level pegging with the virtual lantern rouge. He has to be in and out by midnight. #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
He made it! But now has another 12 miles to go to make Byrness by the 10:00 cut-off #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
He didn't make it. New backmarkers and the only cut-off left is the finish line 28 miles from Byrness. 08:00 tomorrow. #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
The final night, still 25 people out on the course, the deadline in 08:00 for arrival in Kirk Yetholm. Come on dots, particularly the victim of a typo in the latest video: Seven Jeff (Steven) #TheSpineRace #BritainsMostBrutal #DotWatching
Mark Tyndall@fak 26 miles in 15 hours (and only half that in daylight) sounds like a tough hike even if you haven't already done 200 miles!
Jon Roach