700 Runners Brave UK Storm for 268-Mile Winter Ultramarathon

More than 700 runners just launched into one of the world's most brutal foot races, and they couldn't be more excited about the freezing rain, snow, and howling winds ahead.

The Montane Winter Spine Race kicked off Sunday in Edale, Derbyshire, sending competitors on a 268-mile non-stop journey along the Pennine Way. Runners will climb more than 10,000 meters through some of Britain's toughest terrain, including Cumbria, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian's Wall, and the Scottish Borders.

Storm Goretti welcomed the athletes with heavy snow, ice, and strong winds across much of the UK. But for these ultramarathoners, brutal winter conditions are exactly the point.

Competitors have one week to complete the main race, running through the night by torchlight. The course demands everything runners have, pushing them to their absolute limits while navigating frozen trails and battling exhaustion.

Among this year's competitors is Anna Troup from Grasmere, who won the 2025 summer Spine race, and Sarah Perry from Cockermouth, who recently outlasted everyone in The Wrekin challenge in Shropshire. Last year, Kim Collison finished in just under 83 hours, while Lucy Gossage completed the women's race in about 88 hours.

Why This Inspires

The race's growth tells a powerful story about human potential. The inaugural Winter Spine Race in 2012 attracted just 11 starters, with only three reaching the finish line at the Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm, Scotland.

Fourteen years later, hundreds of athletes from around the world now line up for the chance to test themselves against Britain's harshest winter conditions. The event now features seven races of varying distances, making the challenge accessible to more people while maintaining its reputation for being genuinely difficult.

What makes these runners special isn't superhuman ability. They're ordinary people who decided that extraordinary challenges bring out their best selves. They train for months, sometimes years, knowing that finishing isn't guaranteed but growth is.

The race proves that when we set seemingly impossible goals, we inspire others to dream bigger too.