One thing you definitely can’t control at the Montane Winter Spine Race is the weather.
It’s billed as ‘Britain’s most brutal race’ for good reason – early January in the north of England and beyond can present you with pretty much anything.
So heading into a 2024 edition that looks to have the strongest start list ever, what’s in store for them?
Frozen ground
The ever-excellent Spine Race media group reached out to Caroline McCann, the safety team manager and here’s her take.
She said: “The weather in the Peak District has been pretty nice over the last few weeks. It’s been a bit damp and grey but actually the ground has been draining quite well.
“The trails are quite firm now but the temperatures are dropping. It’s going to get colder and colder and not likely to get above freezing for four or five days.
“So the trails will freeze quite hard with all the moisture that’s in the ground. People have got to be quite wary that they might need some cushioned shoes and poles will be quite useful for puddles and all of that kind of stuff.
“Watch out for shin splints for runners who aren’t used to running on the hard stuff.”
Going down to minus seven
The Met Office suggests that when the race starts at 8am on Sunday the temperature won’t get above 1 degree, with a low of minus seven early on Wednesday just as the leaders are likely to be into their final 12 hours.
Follow it all with our live coverage – it promises to be a race to remember.
