Legendary British ultrarunner Anna Troup enjoyed a fairytale return to competitive action by storming to a dominating overall victory in this year’s gruelling Summer Spine Race.
Winner in both 2021 and 2022, the 55-year-old was finally able to complete her impressive hat-trick of victories having missed the last two years through injury.
Her incredible feat Anna not only top the women’s rankings, but she also finished as the leading runner overall, completing the iconic 268-mile trek up the Pennine Way in a time of 84:56:37.
Forty minutes sleep in four days
Widely regarded as ‘Britain’s Most Brutal’ endurance race, runners started from Edale in Derbyshire on Sunday, June 15, and were given a time limit of 156 hours to reach the village of Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders.
Forced to miss out on the last two years of competition, Anna had kept up her cardio fitness with rigorous daily sessions on the Wattbike while allowing her stress fracture of the foot to heal.
And there were no signs of any injury this week as she slowly but surely gained on the early race leader, Jon Shield, before moving into the lead at the Alston Check Point – roughly 82 miles from the finishing line.
“I’m actually really quite tired,” she admitted, after arriving in the Scottish Borders. “I’ve had 40 minutes (sleep) in the last four days so it’s quite nice to be here. But I’m thrilled, absolutely thrilled.
“It’s so special coming back from injury, it’s just so great; I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful it is.
“The really tough bit in this race is the last 12 or 14 miles when you’re up on the high points of the Cheviots. You think you’re nearly there and you’re so not, and it feels like it goes on forever. Even though I’ve done it now three or four times, it takes me by surprise every time.”
Completing the trek in four days, battling challenging conditions and tough terrain, she finished six hours ahead of her nearest competitor, Irene Kinnegim of the Netherlands and seven ahead of the leading male athlete, Shane Morgan.
Englishman Shane had shone in the latter stages, and enjoyed a battle for second place with his Dutch rival, but eventually had to settle for third place overall.
Summer Spine results 2025
Overall
- 1. Anna Troup – 84:56:37
- 2. Irene Kinnegim – 90:58:08
- 3. Shane Morgan – 91:45:56
Women
- 1. Anna Troup – 84:56:37
- 2. Irene Kinnegim – 90:58:08
- 3. Nikki Han – 100:26:10
Men
- 1. Shane Morgan – 91:45:56
- 2. Dominic Gill – 94:46:45
- 3. Tim McBain – 96:12:19
