Summer Spine Race: Route, live tracking & how to enter

The Summer Spine Race is the seasonal variation of the Montane Spine Race, a British ultramarathon along the Pennine Way.

It follows the same route as the original Spine Race, with participants starting the 431km (268 miles) course with 10,732m of total ascent in Edale in the Peak District, before finishing in Kirk Yetholm on the English-Scottish border.

There are four events at the Summer Spine Race; the Spine itself, the Sprint, the Challenger North and the Challenger South.

Date, start time and live tracking

The 2024 Summer Spine starts at 08:00 (local time) on Sunday June 16, with a final cutoff of 20:00 on Saturday June 22 at the finish.

The 2024 Summer Spint Race Sprint starts at 12:00 on June 15 and has a final cut off of 6:00 on June 17. There are no checkpoints.

The Challenger North has a time limit of 96 hours, while the Challenger South has a 60 hour limit. The South starts 08:00 on June 15, while the North starts at 18:00 on June 16.

Each competitor carries a GPS tracking device which allows race organisers to monitor their progress and to ensure every competitor stays safe. The GPS device also allows fans to follow the race online. The live tracking is available HERE.

Summer Spine Race Route

Starting at the Edale Village Hall, the 268-mile journey along the Pennine Way takes competitors to Kirk Yetholm on the Scottish border.

There is a total ascent of 10,732m and a total time limit of 156 hours- less time than the original winter Spint Race.

There are five mandatory checkpoints along the route, where runners can stay for a maximum of six hours.

In order, these are Heden Hey Scout Centre, Hardraw, Middleton in Teesdale, Alston YHA and Bellingham. Additionally there are monitoring points and Malham Tarn (in between checkpoints one and two) and Byrness (in between 5 and the finish).

These checkpoints also have cut-off times. In corresponding order, those are 24 hours, 60 hours, 84 hours, 110 hours and 130 hours.

Starting in Edale, the Summer Spine Race Sprint is 46 miles long and takes runners to Hebden Bridge. It has a total ascent of 2017m and a cut-off time of 18 hours.

The Summer Spine Race Challenger North is a 160-mile race along the Pennine Way with 5,290m of ascent, joining the Spine Race route at Hardraw to the finish at Kirk Yetholm. By contrast, the 108 mile Challenger South starts at Edale and finishes at Hardraw and has 5451m of total ascent.

Summer Spine Race Facts, tips & FAQs

While the original Spine Race is one of Britain’s toughest ultrarunning offers due to its extreme cold weather, by contrast the Summer Spine Race forces runners to contend with the heat of Summer.

Temperatures will fluctuate from potentially over 25°C during the day to potentially 0°C at night, making hydration tactics of huge importance for Summer Spine Race runners.

Artic explorers Philip Hayday-Brown and Scott Gilmour founded the Spine race. The inaugural event was held in 2012 with 11 people starting the race, but only three finished.

The first Summer Spine Race was in 2017, where 13 people finished.

Ahead of the 2024 version, Hayday-Brown said: “We see people coming back to the race again and again, looking to push themselves to the limit of what is possible and earn that medal. From the exciting roster of entrants and race veterans, it looks as though this year will be no different.

How to qualify and enter

In 2024, there was a cap of 150 people for the Summer Spine Race.

Runners automatically meet the criteria for the race if they have run an ultra of over 80 miles, and/or have previously completed The Montane Spine Challenger (North or South).

Experience can be drawn from other events. Summer Spine Race organisers say: “Mountain marathons, orienteering events, or fell races are looked on favourably. The more a challenge features mountainous terrain and elements of navigation the better.”

Other skills or experience should also be included in your entry form.

Entry for the 2024 races is now closed.

This year’s notable names

Jon Shield, who is the reigning Montane Summer Spine Challenger South champion and previous Montane Winter Spine Sprint record holder, is set to take part in the full Montane Summer Spine race this year.

Elsewhere, rocket scientist and Spine Race regular Robert (Bobby) Cullen has likely covered more miles of the Pennine Way during Spine Race events across the years than any other. This year, he will take part in the Montane Summer Spine Sprint before heading back down to do the full Montane Summer Spine race the next day!

2024 will also see ultrarunner Mel Skyes and author Allie Bailey take part in the Montane Summer Spine Challenger South, as well as seeing race veterans Alan Cormack and Raj Mahapatra return for another year.

Summer Spine Race records and past winners

The Summer Spine Race overall course record is 70:46:50, held by South African runner Tiaan Erwee. The women’s record is 78:57:49, held by Brit Anna Troup. Both were set in 2022 – when Troup finished overall runner-up for the second year in a row.