Britain’s toughest race saw athletes from around the world test their endurance on Britain’s most iconic and demanding national trail.
With record-breaking feats, some of the most punishing conditions the race has ever seen, and countless stories of perseverance, the 2025 Montana Spine Race has drawn to a close.
The 268-mile race from Edale in Debbieshire to Kirk Etholm in the Scottish Borders took place between January 11-19, testing the endurance of 537 athletes from around the world.
This year, participants faced extremely cold, sub-zero temperatures and icy, treacherous terrain along the iconic Pennine Way, with a total of 313 athletes crossing the finish line.
The pinnacle of the Mountain Spine race, the Full Spine, started on January 12. Along the 268-mile course, competitors faced not only extreme cold, but a punishing total ascent of more than 10,700 meters along the Pennine Way.
Kim Collison (Will Roberts)
Kim Collison took the overall win in 82:46:32, the third-fastest time in the race’s history.Setting off at 8 a.m. on Sunday, she took the lead from tomorrow and trailed her rivals when she crossed the line just before 7 p.m. on Wednesday. :
Collison was the winner of the Swiss Peaks Trail 360 last year and has previously won the Northern Traverse and the Arc of Attrition, but his journey from Edal to Kirk Yetholm was longer than most. His triumph was the culmination of four years of setbacks and DNFs in his three previous Winter Spine attempts.
Lucy Gossage won the women’s race in 87:41:38 for an outstanding fourth overall, while Team Montana’s Robin Cassidy finished second in the women’s race in 94:31:43.
Lucy Gossage (David Wood)
It didn’t take long for Gossage to make the transition from duathlons and triathlons to ultra running, where she now ranks first and third in the winter steeplechase.
The race also featured the Challenger South and Challenger North challenges, which tested participants over 106 miles.
The Challenger South race started on January 11th from Edal, with competitors facing temperatures of -9°C.
Men’s champion James Allen won in an impressive 34:39:43. Alice Kershaw won the women’s race in 43:14:45, cementing her place as one of the race’s top performers.
Montana Spine Race (Adam Jacobs)
On January 13th, Challenger North departed Hardav, presenting another brutal test for extreme runners.
Paul Grundy won the men’s race in a total time of 48:03:07, which included a 38-minute penalty for a navigational error, while Nicky Spinks won the women’s race in 56:49:55.
Montana Spine Race (Adam Jacobs)
One of the most memorable moments came from Cleo Bishop-Bolt, who was the third woman in the Challenger North. In the fatigues of the race, Bishop-Bell found herself helping a stray dog ​​she encountered along the trail, and after making a makeshift lead, she led the dog to a remote refugee hut.
Meanwhile, the 46-mile Spine Sprint Race, which also started on January 11, tested competitors over a shorter but no less grueling course.
Paul Brennan took first place in the men’s race in 9:26:48 and Hannah Bruce took first place in the women’s race finishing in 12:53:40.
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