‘If someone needs a nanny, this shouldn’t be the race for them’ – ultrarunning great sparks debate over kit list for ‘Britain’s most brutal’

John Kelly makes a welcome return to the Montane Winter Spine Race this weekend – though his pre-race comments about the mandatory kit list have sparked some interesting exchanges on social media!

Twelve months ago the American star, winner of the event in 2020 and current holder of the FKT for the Pennine Way, sprained his ankle 65 miles into the 268-mile race which is dubbed ‘Britain’s most brutal’.

Since then he’s gone on to finish the infamous Barkley Marathons for a third time and he’s relishing what are currently frozen conditions in the UK – though a big thaw is forecast from Monday, a day after the event starts.

‘Conditions I’ve always wanted’

Just before jetting over from snowy Tennessee, Kelly posted on Instagram: “Final Spine prep, in conditions that I hope are similar to the race! After a wet & muddy 2020, then spraining my ankle to miss out on last year’s beautiful cold & snow, I’ve yet to experience the true winter conditions I’ve always wanted in the Spine.

“Apparently one to two feet of the white stuff just fell along most of the route. By the time the race starts on Sunday that could either be a wonderfully compacted surface, or it could have melted into some of the most horrible slush & mud possible. Chances are it will be a bit of both. 🤷‍♂️

“This year I at least managed to not sprain my ankle 3 weeks out, and not get the flu 2 weeks out. Now if I can just manage to not get food poisoning the week of, I’ll be in great shape for whatever conditions come!”

‘Pointless and wasteful stuff we have to carry’

The Spine is dubbed as “Britain’s most brutal race” but, despite the challenging conditions runners will face, Kelly feels the required kit list potentially takes things a little too far.

Of course few runners are more respected – or respectful – than the American and last year after his unfortunate exit he immediately joined in to help the support teams, underlining the ‘Spine family’ spirit.

But talking about getting his kit ready for what lies ahead, he added: “I also got my pack weight down to 3.3 kg / 7.3 lb (not including food & water), which feels like a miracle given all the pointless & wasteful stuff we have to carry. It also takes me back to my triathlon days, when people could unfortunately buy an advantage with better gear. But in competition I’ll play by the rules we have, and out I’ll continue to complain / try (apparently futilely) to change them. 😂

“But other than the kit list, this is one of the most wonderful & unique experiences in ultra running.

The community is incredible & the race is well-managed & executed.

“Thank you so much to the race staff, volunteers, other adventure seekers, & my own family & support who make this opportunity possible!”

False sense of security?

And, asked on Instagram “what are some of the useless items you guys need to carry?”, he added: “Stove, fuel, spork, mug, full sleeping kit (bag, bivy, mat), hypodermic needle, 2 meters of KT tape (another 10 in drop bag), nitrile gloves, rehydration salts that can’t be the same as what you’re using for calories, food from which only about 15% can be drink mixes.

“I understand that there need to be some requirements for liability & insurance purposes, but ultimately people doing these events need to know what they’re doing, be responsible for themselves, not take a false sense of security from an exhaustive kit list (it’s 41 pages long), and have room left in their pack for actual useful condition-specific items. If someone needs a nanny, this shouldn’t be the race for them.

“All that said, thank you so much for your help on the safety team. Bad things will happen, even to the most prepared people, and it’s people like you who ensure safety, not a 41 page kit list that can never account for every circumstance or ensure that people know how to use what they’re carrying.”

Former winners Eoin Keith and Damian Kelly both said they agreed with Kelly’s comments while race officials took time to explain exactly why the exhaustive kit list was in place and how it had evolved over the years, with Kelly himself later adding it was “fun” to “debate” the topic.