Race Report: Montane Spine Challenger South Winter, 2026

Thanks to our men's captain Dom Devlin for this report from his time on the Pennine Way last weekend:

This was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

After having an amazing time and doing well on the Spine Sprint last year I was excited to take it to the next level with this race and was once again blessed with perfect winter conditions, which was what I wanted. These are supposed to be ‘Britian’s most brutal’ races and this has definitely lived up to that. I had never done a race of 100+ miles before but my mantra for years has been ‘go harder or go home’ so picking the most difficult one I could find seems like a good idea.

Training
Anyone who has spoke to me at all in the last few months is probably sick hearing about my plantar issues so I won’t go into too much detail here but I didn’t get to do anything like the amount of training for this race that I wanted to. I was running around 50 miles a week including a hill session and doing two strength sessions in the gym. Trying to balance training for something like this with recovering from injury was difficult and while I definitely was undertrained going in, I had been feeling positive about my running for the few weeks before. I did manage to get a few days out on the course including recces of everything after Hebden, which meant that I had seen the entire course at least once before the day.

Build up to the race
In the week before the race it became clear that we were going to get the winter conditions, great for the race rubbish for getting to the start line, my train and all others into Edale cancelled for Thursday and Friday. After a bit of scrambling around I manged to get a lift to Edale from Kerstine on the Friday afternoon, thanks so much to her for getting me there. No issues with kit check, I was using mostly the same gear as last year so was comfortable with everything. I go with 20l bag for most of my kit then 3l waist bag on the front for my food. The start of the race was delayed until 10 on Saturday morning which then meant I had time for a normal wake up time and a good breakfast.

Edale to Hebden (48 miles)
I really enjoy the first section of this race and was really having to hold myself back running across from Edale to Jacob’s ladder on a beautiful snowy morning, up Jacob’s and off over Kinder. The snow was pretty deep over the top and was tough going but good fun. Out over Bleaklow is hard going in the snow, but probably preferable to Bleaklow without snow. I refilled my water at the mountain rescue CP at Torside and was moving pretty well in the section after that over Laddow rocks and Black Hill, couple of nice climbs with some good running in between, even if it was through snow and pretty sapping. After this the path down by the reservoirs was quick, followed by the sharp decent to the river crossing and immediate climb back up and across Marsden Moor.

By the time I made it to the mountain rescue CP at Brun Clough I was cold and tired and very glad of the tea and rocky road they provided. I paused for long enough to drink it then pushed on to Nicky’s food bar. I hadn’t planned to stop here but was very glad I did since having some actual hot food made me feel and lot better, plus I also got a couple of chocolate bars to add to my food bag, which were a welcome change. It seemed to take a long time to get to Stoodley Pike, I always think this because you can see it in the distance for ages.

It then seemed to take a long time to get from there to the checkpoint at Hebden Hey. I was running with another couple of guys and we were all feeling a little rough by this stage, I had already decided that my pre-race plan of get in and out of Hebden as quick as possible was going to need to change because I needed some rest. The climb out of Hebden Bridge before even get to the checkpoint is really difficult, it’s a steep path that winds through some nice houses. Looking back and seeing the headtorches on the other side of the valley was pretty cool. The checkpoint itself was down another steep path that was covered with ice, similar to much of what was to come the next day.

Hebden Checkpoint
The fire was lit in the drop bag room in Hebden and it was nice to be in the warm for a minute. I had decided that I was going to have an hour of sleep after I’d changed and eaten. On opening my drop bag I discovered that a fork that was in my food bag had pierced the side of an iron bru can and it had gone over all my food and some other stuff, fortunately my clothes were in a dry bag so didn’t get soaked and I had another can to drink. Still took over 20 minutes to get everything out, dried and sorted, food replenished for the next stage (sticky but mostly fine). I had two bowls of chicken broth with rice and got into bed with my alarm set for one hour later.

Bed was a top bunk in colder room with a few people already sleeping and I only managed twenty minutes of sleep in that hour. Kit check, bottles filled and off into the night. After climbing back up the hill and through the little town I stopped to take off my fleece layer since I was warmer than expected and when closing my bag the zip burst. Impossible to repair by the trail side I had to improvise by stuffing everything into my bivy bag and wedging it in so nothing could fall out, it was sticking out the side of my bag for the rest of the race.

Hebden to Gargrave (78 miles)
As we went into the early hours of Sunday the rain started and since the ground was still frozen there was a lot of sheet ice to deal with throughout the day and the rest of the course. There are some nice flat reservoirs to run past here and the climbs are some of the less taxing ones but the whole section was made harder by the cold and ice. Everything seemed to be taking a long time to get done and I was certainly hampered by being more runner than hiker because there was not a lot of running and I am not as fast when I drop to a walk as I would like to be, probably need to do more of this in training for mega races. I was also misremembering the order in which things came and always seemed to think I was closer to the next milestone than I actually was.

The weather on Sunday was miserable and the day is a bit of a blur, I had started to develop a chesty cough overnight which got worse through the day and my left elbow was starting to hurt from using trekking poles more than I usually do, luckily my existing foot injury was giving me no trouble at all. At what felt like lunchtime, but may have been later, I stopped in the Hare and Hounds in Lothersdale and had a cup of tea and some chips. It’s a great pub that I previously stopped in on a recce day and lots of spine runners were using it as a pit stop. I put my fleece layer back on at this stage and kept all my layers from here until the end. The course around here is undulating and through quite a few farmers’ fields some rough track and a couple of road sections, again with a lot of ice. I saw some red squirrels as well. When I finally got to Gargrave I had a couple of minutes in the public toilets to change my socks then got a meal deal from Co-op and headed on towards Malham.

Gargrave to Malham Tarn (87 miles)
After Gargrave there are more farmers’ fields to cross and some beautiful scenery, that I seen none of because it was dark by this point. I know checkpoint 1.5 is at Malham Tarn, I know where that is, I have ran past before and marked where it was and yet on the day of the run I had convinced myself it was in Malham itself, 4 miles earlier, which in the tired state I was in felt like a massive blow. It felt like I was running in circles through the fields at this point and I kept thinking I’d made nav errors when I hadn’t and doubting myself and was glad when the runner behind caught up and I ran with her for the next couple of miles.

There was a barn owl sitting in a tree too which was pretty cool. After 10 minutes rest in the toilets in Malham we set off for the cove. I had to put my yaktraks on here to get over the ice in the next section and thankfully after the massive stair climb at the cove, we were diverted away from the limestone rocks and to the other side for safety reasons. The climb after Malham Cove was a real slog, I was flagging badly and really needed the checkpoint. Hallucinations started here, rocks were becoming sheep, cows, bits of discarded gear, people, all of them were just rocks. The weirdest one was a guy in full workman’s clothing leaning on a wall that turned out to just be the wall. Even the run around the lake to the visitor centre seemed to take an age and the half hour sit down at the checkpoint was badly needed. I put my socks on a radiator, wishing I brought another spare pair so I could have had clean ones, and taped up my blistered feet.

Malham Tarn to Horton (94ish miles)
Pretty soon after Malham Tarn comes Fountains Fell, a slog of a climb into a headwind. I really like this hill and the challenge it presents, you keep thinking you are at the top and then there is another climb. As I said to the safety team I met part of the way up ‘fountains fell at 3 in the morning in the dead of winter, where else would I rather be?’ On the way back down there was no respite from the wind, straight into my face and the footing was terrible with the ice, a very difficult section, my right knee had started to play up and my cough getting worse. In the valley between there and Pen-y-gent there were lights in the distance everywhere (except there weren’t), people camping out in tents all over the place (except there weren’t) and a creature that may have been a dog and may have been a bear jumped out from the side of the trial at me (except it didn’t).

All of these things were just tufts of long grass by the side of the trails, again the hallucinations were mad. As is usually the case when it is windy and icy we were diverted off Pen-y-gent and given how I was feeling at that point I wasn’t unhappy about this so instead the route followed the slabbed path down into Horton, with my knee now really starting to hurt.

Horton to Hawes (Finish)
Horton is a lovely little village, the carpark has a public toilet, there’s a train station and a couple of nice pubs. There is however nowhere to get a cup of coffee early on Monday morning, and I really wanted a cup of coffee. From here there are two climbs left and a long descent to the finish. The fist climb is smaller and I enjoyed it quite a bit while trying to work out a strategy with my remaining food because I was getting dangerously low on stuff. My knee was hurting on the short downhill between the two climbs and I really wanted to run but every time I picked up the pace I started coughing.

​I was seriously flagging on the second hill up the Cam High Road until I took a paracetamol with caffeine and it seemed to perk me up. I started to really enjoy myself running, more of a plod than a run but better than a walk, over the icy flat section at the top until finally I came to the 3 mile descent to the end. The rain was hammering down at this stage and the side of the fell and the last few fields were incredibly muddy, but then I love running in muddy fields and thought to myself if I’m going to run I may as well run fast, so I picked up the pace and ran hard through the fields with a smile on my face, then over the flagstones, out of the alley and up the road to the post box.

Afterwards
I was very well looked after at the finish with food and warm drinks. The medic took a look at my knee and said it should be ok in a couple of days and I rushed off to get a train to Leeds where Ryan was picking me up.

I have no idea how I finished this race when around 44% dropped out, I’m not as fit as I could be but I do seem to have a mental edge for this stuff. I think being stubborn is a big part of it but so is being able to deal with discomfort and push on anyway. The biggest advice I would give anyone getting into ultrarunning is get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I wouldn’t advise anyone to do this race, if it’s something you should do you’ll already know.

A massive thanks are due to Kerstine for driving me there, Ryan for picking me up, Angela for putting up with me though this whole thing and to everyone who watched my dot, sent me words of encouragement and supported me along the way. There were times where I could have quit this race and a big part of why I didn’t was my friends willing me on along the way.
​
P.S. A couple of people have asked if I was raising money for charity, I wasn’t, I do running just for fun and the love of it. However if I have inspired anyone to donate to a charity any of the peak district mountain rescues would be appropriate, they do such an incredible job keeping us all safe in the hills.

These are the messages sent to Dom through the race's messaging system during and after the event:

You bloody legend! Massive congrats Dom! So pleased for you! 👌🏻👏🏻🙌🏻😁
Shaun cooper12 Jan 26 18:37
Happy tears for you mate ! Huge congrats 👏 🙌 ❤️ 💖 💙 💕 👏 🙌
Zoe Furley12 Jan 26 16:21
Legend!!! So proud of you mate. ❤️💪❄️✊️
Jay12 Jan 26 16:14
Congratulations!!!! Amazing effort. Well done!
Gill12 Jan 26 16:10
Well done Dom! We just managed to watch you over the finish line! What a cracking effort 👏👏
Claire H, Lisa D an Sam12 Jan 26 15:45
Woohoo awesome 🙌🏻 🥰
Brigid12 Jan 26 15:45
Congratulations Dom!! Smashed it!!!
Sarah Hill12 Jan 26 15:44
Whey yes yes yes 🙌 👏 😍
Dad12 Jan 26 15:44
Congratulations! Can't wait to hear all about it in maths on Thursday!
Tilly in year 912 Jan 26 15:43
Smashed it mate!!! Congratulations!! 💪🏻👏🏻
Stu12 Jan 26 15:42
We love you uncle Dom keep going!
Eilish and Maria12 Jan 26 15:11
Come on Dom, that beautiful little village is literally in sight! 😁💪🙏🏼🍀
Katie N12 Jan 26 15:05
Nearly there Dom, keep pushing!!
Eve12 Jan 26 15:05
Wow wow wow 😀 I've never done so much dot watching! You are absolutely amazing!
Karen Layton12 Jan 26 14:59
Just a parkrun to go mate!!! Absolute legend!!! 👊🏻
Stu12 Jan 26 14:54
Just a map run with the boys left or a couple of laps of Bestwood. You got this!! can someone phone Heidi and get him an extra day off though or move his classroom?
Angela12 Jan 26 13:28
Unreal Dominic, excellent stamina proud of you lad well done 👏 👏👏
Dad12 Jan 26 12:58
Home stretch! Phenomenal effort Dom 👏
Simon12 Jan 26 12:43
You are so close to the end. Just keep plodding on. You’re a super star
Kerstine12 Jan 26 12:14
Almost there, you've got this!
Helen12 Jan 26 12:12
Go on DOM ! Home stretch lad 💪💪💪
Zoe Furley12 Jan 26 12:09
My hero
Paul12 Jan 26 11:41
Just incredible!! Bring it home my friend!
Oli12 Jan 26 11:36
Doing amazing Dom! The last bit now! Keep focused 💪🏻💪🏻
Shaun cooper12 Jan 26 10:58
Can’t believe you’re still running!! Keeping you in my prayers x
Granny12 Jan 26 10:24
Keep going Dom, last part now, you’re doing amazing. One foot in front of the other.
Sam12 Jan 26 09:47
Nearly there now Dom, keep pushing! We are all so proud of you!! 👏
Sarah and David Hill12 Jan 26 09:10
Go on Dom! You can make it back for briefing at this rate
Stash12 Jan 26 07:55
Go on Dom, you madman! Nearly there now keep pushing!
Eilish and Maria12 Jan 26 06:35
Go on Dom, you’ve got this!
Dodsleys12 Jan 26 06:10
Well done Dom. Amazing effort you’re putting in through the night!!
Neil12 Jan 26 02:44
Proud of you Dom, you’ve got this.
The Cassidys12 Jan 26 01:27
Cracking run so far.
Chris12 Jan 26 00:24
Cracking effort out there Dom, absolutely tenacious
Adam11 Jan 26 23:13
You’re doing an incredible job, Do , and as the night draws in, we are all still rooting for you. Full of admiration for your strength and tenacity! Keep digging deep. You’ve got this!👊👊🙌🙌🙌
Cath Agius.11 Jan 26 21:10
Keep ‘er lit lad … you are awesome 😘☘️
Brigid11 Jan 26 21:00
Keep going you are doing amazing and are such an inspiration 😀
Bev11 Jan 26 20:52
Keep it up Dom
Dad11 Jan 26 20:43
In awe of you man. Keep putting one foot in front of the other
Tony11 Jan 26 20:33
Last push Dom! All of BC is watching you in awe.
Kat11 Jan 26 20:20
Brilliant job Dom, doing yourself and your club proud!
Jason Buckley11 Jan 26 19:43
You’re doing amazing pal stick at it mate
Adam Tomlinson11 Jan 26 19:12
Keep going Dom! You are doing so well and we are all willing you on! You’ve got this 💪
Claire H11 Jan 26 17:46
Get into the Co-op at Gargrave, Dom, and fuel up with some warm food (and maybe a coffee?). Can't believe you are going so well in such horrendous conditions. You've done too much to stop now - keep digging in and keep fuelling. Amazing achievement.
Pete D11 Jan 26 17:32
I’m so amazed by your strength.. keep going Dom your bloody amazing xx
Sarah Hill11 Jan 26 14:40
Legend. Keep going mate, you got this! X
Helen11 Jan 26 14:23
Keep going Dom. We are thinking about you and dot watching. Keep going- this is what you have prepared for, you can do it. Love Team Crouch
Dawn Crouch11 Jan 26 14:11
Dom, we are completely in awe. You are doing a Herculean task and you just keep going 🙌🙌 Incredible effort. All of the BC clan are rooting for you. Howay the lad!👊👊🙌🙌
Cath Agius11 Jan 26 11:46
Keep going Dom, Amazing achievement. I'm in awe
Rob Gibb11 Jan 26 10:00
Keep going Dom - absolutely brutal and brilliant what you are achieving - keep pushing through. 👍
David Hill11 Jan 26 08:49
Great work Dom! Incredible effort mate, on your way home now fella. ✊️
Jason Buckley11 Jan 26 08:48
Unbelievable stuff Dom, can’t quite believe it when I look at the map! Keep going mate, you really are a legend. X
Katie Newton11 Jan 26 08:44
Dom you are doing so well! Good call to have a stop and a rest overnight- now you can push on in the daylight today. We’re all so in awe of what you’re achieving- just keep putting one foot in front of the other. You Got This! 💪
Lisa Deacon11 Jan 26 08:36
You’re my hero. Keep it going Dom your doing amazing
The Iron bru man11 Jan 26 07:59
You’ve got this mate. Keep moving forward. You do it because you love it. Sending the biggest of ‘you crazy butter’ hugs. Kerstine xx
Kerstine11 Jan 26 06:48
Half way is approaching mate, absolutely smashing it!!! 💪🏻
Stu11 Jan 26 04:22
Amazing stuff Sir Dom 👏, keep up the unbelievable work, you got this!
Simon11 Jan 26 00:22
Go on Dom ! Thinking of you bud through this night section 🙌💙 you've got this mate
Zoe Furley10 Jan 26 21:11
Keep going Dom! You’ve got this!
Claire H10 Jan 26 20:55
Dom you got this! Thinking of you on this epic journey!
Oli, Smara, Alina, Shaun and Tom10 Jan 26 20:52
Cracking effort pal. Good luck through the night. See you tomorrow babe x You can tell me all about it on the journey home. I’ll bring a beer for you.
Ryan (no.1 fan)10 Jan 26 20:51
Hi Mr Devlin!!! You're doing great! You can do this! Keep going!!!
Tilly in year 910 Jan 26 20:34
Keep going Dom, you're doing awesome. Hopefully you've got some food in you now and you're back on it 🤞
Olwen10 Jan 26 20:25
Tough going watching the dot ,keep er lit lad
Dad10 Jan 26 20:19
Keep Going Dom!! You’ve got this 🤩
Eve10 Jan 26 20:18
You're amazing Dom! Keep going c:
Kat10 Jan 26 20:09
Phenomenal effort, Dom. I know it's hard going into the night but you have trained hard for this and I know you are stubborn as hell. Relentless Forward Progress - Pain is temporary, glory is forever!! You're a legend!! Best of luck,
Pete D10 Jan 26 19:56
Smashing it Dom! Doing awesome Pal! 💪🏻💪🏻
Shaun cooper10 Jan 26 19:50
Well done Dom!!! Keep going!!
Sarah Hill10 Jan 26 19:45
You are doing so well Dom - keep going! #Slay king
Huma Saeed10 Jan 26 18:34
Keep going Dom, keep strong through the night, rest when you need too.
Sam10 Jan 26 18:22
You’re doing brilliantly, Dom. We are in awe! Keep on running 👊👊👊 Cath & the Agius clan.
Cath Agius10 Jan 26 17:53
Looking at the ice here and thinking of you. Keep going!! Good luck
Gill10 Jan 26 17:33
Hey Dom!! Looking strong, keep going!! You have got this!! Your my inspiration 😊
Sarah Hill10 Jan 26 17:10
Keep going you are doing amazing 👍🏼
Bev Barnes10 Jan 26 17:10
Keep going strong Dom! 💪🏽
Dani10 Jan 26 16:55
hey sir, most people would have given up by now but don’t be people! (from your favs)
amari and nell10 Jan 26 15:03
Tracking you 😊 amazing run.
Karen Layton10 Jan 26 13:45
Keep going Dom, you can do it! Shell
Shell10 Jan 26 13:02
Be awesome Dom even though I think you're nuts 😂 And most of all enjoy yourself!
Helen10 Jan 26 12:39
Good luck Dom, take care
Mick10 Jan 26 11:35
Go Dom go!!! Wow, you’re absolutely bonkers! I hope the snow and ice isn’t too bad, and the sun is shining for you. Go get those miles Superman!
Clare x (KADS)10 Jan 26 10:47
Best of luck from your festival friends!
Beril&Toni09 Jan 26 22:12
Good Luck mate…give it your best!
Ben Betts09 Jan 26 21:20
Good luck Dom, go and be the best you can and enjoy! 💪🏃‍♂️😊
Sam09 Jan 26 20:57
Good luck Dom, go and be the best you can and enjoy!
Sam09 Jan 26 20:57
Have a blast Dom
Dad09 Jan 26 20:54
Be awesome, there is no try (or spiders) Send me your list of demands for your triumphant return meal on Monday. Love you lots you crazy hallion xx
Angela & Pasco09 Jan 26 20:50
Go and have a fantastic run, Dom! Enjoy the adventure and looking forward to watching your dot heading up to Hawes 💪
Lisa Deacon09 Jan 26 19:06
Go Dom, go! We are sending you our best and willing you on, you mad fool! The Crouch family xx
Dawn Crouch09 Jan 26 18:57
Have fun with it Dom! Or whatever you get instead of fun?
Kat09 Jan 26 18:27
Hi, this is from your 3 favourite maths students, George, Dom and Josh, Hope you smash it👍
George09 Jan 26 17:06