It's time to talk about the Montane Summer Spine Race 2024!

Those who attended this year's race will know it looked a lot like a winter one. Conditions were extremely difficult and the athletes who did well this June can quite rightly say they completed a race as tough in its own way as any January edition. Among those brave runners were Chris Cope and Mel Sykes.

Chris and Mel arrived at the start line of this year's Summer Spine Race and Summer Spine Challenger South respectively, with a slightly higher mountain to climb than most people around them. Chris has type 1 diabetes which he has managed, to great success, since his teens. Mel was returning to the Pennine Way for the second year in a row having experienced a very serious incident between races, an incident described by Mel herself as finding out 'her brain was falling out'.

In this episode both Chris and Mel chat with Will about their experiences out on the Pennine Way and about the conditions they overcame in order to achieve Spine Race success.

The Jungle Ultra is Beyond the Ultimate's 5 day, 230km journey deep into the rainforests of Peru. Runners arrive in the historic city of Cusco, are escorted over the rugged Andes Mountains, and begin their journey in the Manu National Park, one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet. The area is beautiful but the terrain and the climate alone give this event a reputation for arguably being the toughest race on the BTU roster.

Stage 4 in particular is notorious as possibly the hardest stage of any BTU race.

In this episode, Will catches up with the winner Ben Harrison plus two more Jungle legends in the form of Jemma Harding and Mark Reilly. The trio recount the highlights, the challenges and their tips for success in such extreme environments.

Mark was running for Reverse Rett, a charity looking to cure Rett Syndrome, a severe neurological disorder which effects his daughter. Learn more here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mark-reilly

Jemma was running for Rock2Recovery, a charity that supports the armed forces, veteran, those working in the emergency services, and all their families who are affected by stress. Learn more here: https://sportsgiving.co.uk/sponsor/activity/a-5-day-230km-ultra-marathon-through-the-amazon-jungle/jemma-harding

Congratulations to Noora Hintsa, the winning Female athlete at Jungle Ultra 2024. Noora was unfortunately ill at the time of recording but we will feature her in a future episode!

Each year since 1986, in Frozen Head State Park Tenessee, a race has taken place that teeters on the brink of being impossible to finish. An enigma of an event that eschews marketing, GPS tracking, and largely even race fees, and has a reputation as a serious contender for the title of toughest race on Earth.

In this episode, we talk to 3 runners who recently put in outstanding performances at the event. John Kelly was already one of the tiny group of people to ever finish the race and this year joined the even smaller group of those to finish it 2 times or more. Jasmin Paris put in the best performance by any female athlete in the history of the race, and Damian Hall managed to get all the way out onto loop 4 in his first-ever Barkley.

We also have Keith Dunn, master of Barkley Twitter, the only link between the race organisation and the outside world, chatting with Will about how he came to be such a big part of the event.

If that was somehow not enough, we also have another Radness Update from Adam Kimble, our man in America, who is here to talk us through some of the bigger US races and his journey to running the Badwater 135 in 2024.

Learn more about the Barkley Marathons by listening to our interview with Barkley Marathons creator and Race Director Gary Cantrell aka Lazarus Lake: https://bit.ly/EE36_LazLake

Image of Keith courtesy of Alexis Berg

Kristina Madsen of Denmark was a highly decorated ultra-runner and a holder of multiple FKTs already when in February she became the first woman to be the overall winner of a BTU Global Race Series event. Kristina won the Ice Ultra, BTU's 230km, 5-day race across the ice and snow of Swedish Lapland, where temperatures regularly drop as low as -40°c. In this episode, we chat with Kristina about her historic win and about what it takes to be successful when running in the Arctic.

If that wasn't enough, we also catch up with Karl Alvarez, who came 2nd in the same race and is currently part way through an attempt to complete all of BTU's races within a year.

You'll also find a Race Director's Round-Up of the Ice Ultra from Kris King, and a brand new regular feature we're loosely calling the Adam Kimble Radness Update where fellow BTU RD and professional ultra-runner Adam Kimble, brings you an enthusiastic update from the world of endurance achievement!

The Montane Winter Spine Races 2023 begin on Saturday 15th Jan, and in honour of this EPIC event, we thought we better make an EPIC podcast.

Welcome to our Spine Race Special.

Over the festive period, whilst many people were packing in mince pies and wrapping presents, the runners about to take part in #BritainsMostBrutal race were busy thinking about the 268-miles of non-stop racing waiting for them in the new year. And that's just those on the full-length edition. Across all 5 race classes, there were over 500 runners passing a nervous New Year thinking about the Pennine Way. This seemed like the perfect time to call them up and try and distill a little of that pre-race tension into a special edition of Everything Endurance.

In this episode, you'll find past podiumers, record holders, and Spine legends. There are short interviews with Anna Troup, Damian Hall, Ellie Eccles, Eoin Keith, Elaine Bisson, James Leavesley, Sharon Gayter, and the legendary Bobby Cullen. We talk through their motivations, their approach to preparing, their tips for first-time Spiners and more.

Obviously, we couldn't cover all the runners we wanted to across all the races. Check out the Ultrarunning Sam podcast though as Sam has also been interviewing Spiners recently and picked up a couple of people we weren't able to: https://www.youtube.com/@ultrarunningsam

For ease, here are the time-stamps of each interview:

06:15 Anna Troup

28:50 Damian Hall

46:10 Ellie Eccles

01:03:09 Eoin Keith

01:19:33 Elaine Bisson

01:34:25 James Leavesley

01:42:12 Sharon Gayter

02:07:08 Bobby Cullen - Apologies for the slightly lower sound quality during this interview.

  

Sabrina Pace-Humphreys is an ultra-runner, a mother and grandmother, a founding member of Black Trail Runners, and now the published author of 'Black Sheep: A story of Rural racism, Identity and Hope'.  Sabrina will shortly be toeing the line at the Summer Spine Race 2022.

In an episode, Will and Sabrina chat through her whole journey from starting out as a runner in 2009, to her first contact with ultra-running, the creation, and reason behind the creation, of Black Trail Runners, and her preparations for the Summer Spine Race. 

We learn what helped motivated Sabrina to begin this running journey and why she thinks so many others could benefit from starting on a fitness journey of their own.

Cover photo --> Roxanna Barry

Helen Murray is the producer and host of the wonderful InsideTri Show and, along with husband Richard Brown, recently completed the Highland Ultra, our brutal 125km, 3-day race around the West Highlands of Scotland. In this episode, we talk through their experiences in the Highlands, their transition from Tri to Ultras, the lessons they've taken from ultra-running, and the triathlon wisdom that helped them along the way.

Listen to Helen's own episode on the Highland Ultra and you'll learn how you can get a discounted entry for next year's race: https://www.insidetrishow.com/episode/highlandultra

Everything Endurance is back after a busy few months of putting on epic events. Will returns with a guest who has made a habit out of appearing on podiums of high profile Ultra races over the last year or so, the indomitable Simon Roberts.

Simon Roberts spent the race-free period of the pandemic honing his skills, doing his homework, and generally transforming himself into a race-winning-machine.

In this episode he talks Will through his first footsteps into ultra running and how about his experience of winning the Dragon's Back, The Montane Spine Challenger - North, and the Cheviot Goat.

We also introduce our new charity partner: https://www.bigmoosecharity.co/

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all you listeners!

In this shorter episode, Will and Kris end the year with a long-overdue Christmas catch-up.  A chance to talk about the harder parts of running a global race series during a pandemic, but also to talk through the positive things that have happened in that time including the Highland Ultra, the Summer Spine Race, and Will finally finding the time to rewatch every episode of Lost.

As a special little Christmas gift, Kris has set up a discount code for all listeners to use in the BTU Store.  For 10% off just enter EVERYTHINGENDURANCE10 at the checkout.

https://store.beyondtheultimate.co.uk/

See you in the New Year, everyone!

Will

4 years and 76 episodes have gone by since we last spoke to today's guest, ultra-runner and coach Robbie Britton.

Robbie has wracked up a successful running career in which he has run across countries, run 24hr events for Team GB, win the BTU Ice Ultra, and support some seriously talented runners through his elite coaching.  Now he's taken that knowledge and refined it into 1001 Running Tips, a running guide with something for everyone.

In this episode, Will and Robbie talk through some of the tips to be found within and reflect back on 4 years of chatting to awesome adventurers.

Grab 1001 Running Tips here: https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/books/running/1-1-running-tips/

Learn more about Robbie: http://robbiebritton.co.uk/

On 14th October, Tom Garrod started the 253mile Lon Las Cymru Ultramarathon, a grueling race from the north to the south of Wales.  When he reached the finish line, he turned around and raced back to the start alone - all to raise money for Kings College Hospital in memory of Mark Thornberry, a well-known fellow ultra-runner who sadly passed from liver cancer last year.

17 years earlier, Tom was diagnosed with stage IV testicular cancer and given a 5% chance of survival.  In this episode, we hear all about his story of defying those odds and the journey afterward that led him into his amazing achievements as an ultra-athlete and his efforts to raise awareness of testicular cancer.

Learn more at https://bustinyourballs.org/

Donate to his Double Lon Las fundraiser here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/doublelonlascymru4thorners

Please Note - COLOURFUL LANGUAGE WARNING - there are a few expletives in this interview.

Pedal4Parks was an 'eco-adventure' in which Isaac and 4 fellow adventurers cycled from Orkney to the Scilly Isles, visiting as many of mainland Britain's National Parks as possible on the way, and interviewing people involved in projects which will help to regenerate these precious green spaces and find ways for all of us to live more sustainably in the future.

The result was a unique feat of endurance and a documentary which is being shown this weekend at COP26, the UN Conference on Climate Change.  Watch here at 9:30am on 6th November: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJlvsGJAR8NsiyLzuBf_cQg

In this episode we talk to Isaac about his early days in adventure and the challenges he and his team faced in planning and executing the Pedal4Parks project.

Learn more about Pedal4Parks here: https://pedal4parks.co.uk/

Listen to Mind the Green Space podcast here: https://pedal4parks.co.uk/podcast/

The Knoydart Peninsula is a serious contender for the most beautiful spot in the UK. Remote and tranquil, it's nestled in the West Highlands of Scotland, surrounded on one side by sea-lochs and stunning views across to the Isle of Skye, and on the other by a series of rugged Scottish mountains. The scenery is as beautiful as it is difficult to move through. It's just as well there's a beautiful view to reward the runners at the top of every one of those monster climbs.

 In this episode, Will talks to three runners who recently completed the Highland Ultra, Beyond the Ultimate's three-day, 125-km race around that beautiful corner of Scotland. Among the trio of guests are our two winners, both of whom came into this event with very little experience of races of this kind.

There is plenty of useful advice and inspiring positivity from all of these guests so settle back and let them tell you how they came to conquer the Highland Ultra against the odds. If you've signed up for a similar challenge, if you have a mountain in your sights or a massive race to prepare for, and you are starting to worry that you may have bitten off more than you can chew, then listen to this episode and you'll feel like you can do anything.

Aum was running in support of Richstone Family Centre - an organisation dedicated to treating and preventing child abuse and trauma.

Entries for Highland Ultra 2025 are now open. Learn more and enter HERE.

Just over a month ago, Doug Zinis headed up into the Lake District peaks and took on a double Bob Graham Round.  The Bob Graham is a 66 miles (106 km) route with 26,900 feet (8,200 m) of ascent which Doug would need to complete before turning around and returning on the same route to his start/finish point in Keswick.

Doug managed this feat in 45hrs and 3 minutes, a new fastest known time for the challenge.  In this episode we chat to Doug about taking up running at 28, his recent journey into ultra-running and the planning and support that goes into this kind of challenge.

We also have a windswept update from Kris King up in Knoydart preparing for the Highland Ultra.

We know Nick Butter already as the Man who Ran the World (ep34). Today he is the Man who Ran Britain having recently completed a record-breaking 5200+mile run around the coast of Britain.

After initially setting out to run the equivalent of 200 marathons in 100 days, Nick had to battle through injuries and obstacles to complete his mission in 128 days.

We'll hear all about those trials and tribulations as well as the joy of so closely exploring Nick's home country. We'll also hear all about the 196 Foundation, the new charity project Nick was publicising out there on the trail.

Learn more at: https://www.the196foundation.com/

Beth Pascall has a glittering running CV full of course records and podium placings and has established herself over the last few years as one of the top ultra-runners on an international scale.

In this episode, Will and Beth talk through Beth's early days as a runner, her approach to training, her motivations, and her journey to grabbing herself an epic win at the world-renowned and hugely competitive Western States 100.

Grab a free Ultramarathon Nutrition Guide from our friends at Resilient Nutrition here--> resilientnutrition.com/pages/how-to-fuel-and-ultramarathon-the-ultimate-guide 

 

Anna #SuperTrouper Troup appeared on this podcast just 3 episodes ago but in that short time she has grabbed a win at the Lakeland 100, and more recently, a record for being the fastest woman to run the Pennine Way.

Anna covered the 268mile national trail in 72 hours and 46 minutes, which is more than 1.5 hours faster than the previous female fastest time set by Sabrina Verjee last September.

Grab a free Ultramarathon Nutrition Guide from our friends at Resilient Nutrition here--> resilientnutrition.com/pages/how-to-fuel-and-ultramarathon-the-ultimate-guide 

Dubbed the 'Ocean Sheroes', this team of 4 set off from San Francisco in May as part of the Great Pacific Race, a 2700 miles rowing race ending in Hawaii.

The team, comprising Bella Collins, Mary Sutherland, Lily Lower, and Purusha Gordan, arrived in Hawaii 35 days later as the fastest women to ever complete the trip.

In this episode, Lily and Purusha chat to Will about the reality of a month of hard rowing on a boat which Will describes as being 'about the size of 3 or 4 sofas lashed together.'

The Ocean Sheroes took on this challenge to raise money for the SeaBin Project.  Learn more and donate to the cause here: https://oceansheroes.com/the-charity/

Grab the Resilient 'Weekender' Package, perfect for whatever this weekend's adventure is: https://resilientnutrition.com/collections/resilient-nutrition/products/weekender

Jay Worthy is an endurance athlete and podcast host on a mission to inspire people into adding a little more adventure to their lives and is a great advocate for the mental and physical benefits of time spent engaging with nature and taking on physical challenges.

In this episode, Will talks to Jay about his own journey into a life of adventure before unpacking how you can add a little adventure to your days.  We challenge you to listen to this episode and not want to strap on some trail shoes and head for the hills!

Listen to 28 Summers here: https://28summers.com/

Grab the Resilient 'Weekender' Package here: https://resilientnutrition.com/collections/resilient-nutrition/products/weekender

Eoin Keith has a lengthy and illustrious running CV which includes many podiums, as well as course and even world records.  He recently added a Montane Summer Spine Race win and Course Record to that list.

In this episode, Will and Eoin talk about his recent run along the Pennine Way, about the differences between winter and summer racing, and about Eoin's journey from golf courses, to mountains, to the world's biggest ultra races.

 

Anna Troup had an excellent 2019, clocking up 5 wins in 12 months.  Then came an injury and a worldwide pandemic to slow things down.  That is until the Montane Summer Spine Race 2021 in which she managed to return to racing with a win and a new course record in one of the toughest races on the planet.

In this episode, Will and Anna talk through her journey to the finish line of the Spine Race, starting with her journey into running, her preparation for the race, and the events of her 80hr charge along the Pennine Way.

The Montane Spine Race has earned itself the moniker of Britain's Most Brutal as year after year runners have pitted themselves against 268 miles of non-stop racing along the iconic Pennine Way National Trail.  The self-sufficient race offers an expedition-like experience to those brave enough to take it on.

Phil Hayday-Brown is one of the co-founders of the event, and with just a week to go before the 2021 Summer Spine Races, we chat about how the race came to be, just why it is so tough, and why people keep coming back, again and again, to try and earn themselves a Spine Race medal.

 

John Kelly is an exceptional ultra-runner with a habit of being very successful at running outrageously long distances in difficult conditions.  It's little surprise then that his latest effort to break the record for running the Pennine Way resulted in him setting a new fastest time, having covered the 268 miles in 58:04:53.

John originally broke this record in 2020 only to see it smashed again by Damian Hall a week later.  We chat about how he beat his first time by more than 6hrs (and Damian's by more than 3!).

There's also a bonus interview with Dr Nicki Lygo who crewed both John and Damian's Pennine Way attempts and just got back from crewing for Damian as he successfully broke the Coast to Coast record. 

Support Nicki's End Duchenne JustGiving fund here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/endduchenne

Cover Images www.steveashworthmedia.com

 

We're back in Arctic Sweden for the 2nd episode in a row, but this time we're exploring the Ice Ultra, a 5-day race across the ice and snow of Swedish Lapland. There are no skis or sledges here, but snowshoes and backpacks. Competitors carry everything but their sleeping bags and camp clothes on their backs throughout, so your ability to select and manage the right kit is a big factor in whether you end up a finisher or a shivery DNF.

In this episode, Will speaks to the 2 winners of the race, and another runner who maximised their time on the course a little more, and digs into the choices they made that carried them across the snow.

Those runners are 1st male and overall winner Alex O'Shea, a record breaking Irish athlete more commonly known as the Running Fireman, 1st female Tarryn Gordon-Bennett of South Africa,  and Sia Kindberg who ranks among the most infectiously positive people to chat on this podcast.

Whether you're planning a cold adventure of your own and are looking for detailed advice, or you're curious about what running 230km in the Arctic might feel like, this is the episode for you.

Support Sia's charity page here: https://www.mycause.com.au/p/313604/on-an-ultra-mission-to-rebuild-my-childhood-school-ban-bua-yang-thailand

If you're interested in taking on the Ice Ultra you can learn more and enter here: https://www.beyondtheultimate.co.uk/race/ice-ultra/

In 2011, avid climber Steve Bate found out he was losing his eyesight and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Though initially rocked by the news, it led Steve to realise that he wanted to make every moment of his life count and he wasn't going to let his condition get in the way.

Since then his journey has taken him up the face of El Capitan making him the first visually impaired person to solo 'El Cap', and then to joining the Team GB Paralympic Cycling team with whom he has now won multiple gold medals and set a world record.

Will and Steve talk about his journey to being a world-beating cyclist and about his upcoming attempt to set a world record for cycling from Cairo to Cape Town.

Learn more about Steve and his adventures at: https://www.stevebatembe.com/

 

In 2008, at the age of 36, Alex Flynn discovered he had Parkinson's Disease, a degenerative, chronic, and currently incurable neurological condition which, over time, robs sufferers of the ability to move.

Nevertheless, Alex entered the MDS the following year only for circumstances to leave him lost, alone, in the Sahara.  Still, Alex continued, eventually conquering the MDS and going on to complete his own '10 Million Metre' challenge, covering 10,000km over the next few years all in support of Parkinson's charities.

He is now preparing for another hard year of racing and mountaineering followed by an attempt to be the first person with Parkinson's to reach the top of Everest.

In this episode, Will and Alex chat about carrying on in the face of adversity, and finding new purpose when your whole life has changed.

Learn more about Alex and his adventures at: https://www.alexflynn.co.uk/

If you are interested in supporting Alex's Everest challenge you can contact him at alex@alexflynn.co.uk

Tobias Mews is an Adventure Athlete, Journalist and Author with more races under his belt than he can count.  A multi-disciplinary adventure, he has run, swam, cycled and generally challenged himself all over the globe.

He has published 2 books, '50 Races to Run Before you Die' and 'GO!' his guide to getting outside and challenging yourself.

In this episode, Will and Tobias talk about the positive attitude he developed during his time in the military, his journey into a life of adventure and how and why we should all be heading outside and challenging ourselves with new adventures.

Learn more about Tobias at: https://www.hardastrails.com/

Learn more about the Highland Ultra: https://bit.ly/3gcBnip

Grab exclusive Resilient Nutrition products: https://bit.ly/3agIJxy

 

In Part 3 of our series of podcasts with Greg Potter, we continue our deep dive into nutrition with a look at how, what, and when to eat to be best prepared to perform.

We talk through how to train your gut in the few weeks before an endurance challenge to minimise the risk of in-race digestive problems ('danger-pants'), we look at the days before the event and explore carb-loading, before getting into race-day fuelling, and the different needs of the body in extreme environments.

Greg Potter is co-founder of Resilient Nutrition and wrote his PhD about circadian rhythms, sleep, nutrition, and metabolism.

You can find Resilient Nutrition's line of Elite Long Range Fuel at store.beyondtheultimate.co.uk  

Stu Westfield is an expedition leader, Race Director, and the man who oversees the safety of all the competitors taking on #BritainsmostBrutal endurance event, the Montane Spine Race.

Whether you are signed up for a Spine event or just looking forward to getting back into the hills after lockdown, this episode will arm you with some of the basic skills you'll need to keep yourself safe so you can get the most out of whatever adventuring you have planned.

From planning to selecting what kit to take with you to spotting and combatting hyperthermia, this episode has plenty for anyone with outdoor exploration in mind.

To learn about the new Spine Race events and Training Weekends head to: https://thespinerace.com/

Learn about Ranger Ultras events and Stu's 1-2-1 Spine Training events: http://rangerultras.co.uk/ 

Contact Will at: will.roberts@beyondtheultimate.co.uk 

Greg makes his 2nd appearance on the podcast in a month as we bring him back to help build on our earlier podcasts about nutrition.

In episode 40, Kris King talked us through the basics of nutrition so listeners could build a healthy attitude to food and habits which can help achieve our training goals. But, when should you eat particular foods in order to improve performance? What is RED-S and how can it be avoided? What supplements should I be taking? Is Beetroot Juice really useful!?

In today's episode, Greg digs deeper looking into nutritional timing, micro-nutrients and supplements, and RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport).

Greg Potter is co-founder of Resilient Nutrition and wrote his PhD about circadian rhythms, sleep, nutrition, and metabolism.

During her first-ever skydive, something clicked in Holly's head. 

That sudden rush of adrenaline started a journey that would see her become the first woman to jump from a plane next to Everest at the height of the summit (see cover image!), participate in the first Mongol Derby horse race, climb Everest as a mountaineer, and set up the conservation charity, How Many Elephants.

In this episode, Will chats with Holly about falling out of planes at inopportune moments, being swept away in a stampede of wild horses, and spending nights in the field with anti-poaching units in South Africa and Zimbabwe. 

To support Holly's conservation charity, head to howmanyelephants.org

Greg Potter is co-founder of Resilient Nutrition and a renowned expert on the effects of sleep and nutrition on health.  In this episode, we take a deep and detailed dive into what sleep is for, the problems caused by poor sleep, and how to get better sleep.  At a time when most of us have experienced a lot of disruption in our day to day routines, we look at how all of us can get the benefit of more and better rest, as well as sleep tactics for those training and racing.

Greg Potter has worked with medal-winning athletes, world record-setting rowers, and even the US Special Forces, and has a self-confessed passion for helping people to live happier and healthier lives.

Resilient Nutrition, the company he co-founded in 2020, make tasty nut-butter-based products enhanced to boost stamina, keep you calm and alert, and bolster resilience.  Their brand new range of Elite Long Range Fuels is ideal for endurance athletes or anyone with adventure ahead of them, and can be found exclusively in the BTU store: https://bit.ly/ResilientNut 

Matt and Ellie are the founders of Summit Fever Media and have carved a niche for themselves as makers of excellent adventure films.  They're often to be found deep in the wilderness, pointing cameras at athletes carrying out amazing feats of endurance.  This summer was no exception.

Their latest film, Totally FKT, is out now and tells the story of John Kelly and Damian Hall's exploits on the Pennine Way as they each took on and broke a record which had stood, solid, for 31 years.

As well as the film, Will chats to Matt and Ellie about what goes into covering races and challenges in extreme environments and why they've chosen to make a life out of telling inspirational adventure stories.

You can buy Totally FKT here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B08P3K5GM9/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

Cover Image: Steve Ashworth

Beyond the Ultimate first encountered Nick Watson in Kenya during the first For Rangers Ultra in 2018.  Through his passion for adventure and enthusiastic nature, Nick quickly established himself as a part of our extended family.  We were over the moon then when he came to us with a plan for an epic new race in the UK.

Now we are all looking forward to April next year when we get to journey to the remote and wonderful Knoydart Peninsula in the West Highland's of Scotland for the first Highland Ultra.

In this episode, our founder and Race Director Kris King chats with our newest Course Director Nick Watson about the race he dreamed up and about what goes into bringing an event like this to life.  

Learn more about the Highland Ultra.

The Montane Arctic Spine is a non-stop, 293 mile (472 km) foot race along the Kungsleden Trail in Arctic Sweden. This race captures the full self-sufficient, expedition-style feel of the Spine Race as we know it, but transported into the bitter cold of the Arctic.

This year's event was the first ever edition of this race which is the first of it's kind. Athletes pull all of their kit behind them on pulks as they carve their way along the trail on backcountry skis, or snowshoes. Conditions were extremely tough with temperatures dipping below -30°c on the first day and not rising above that point throughout the rest of the race. Snow was deep enough in places that our pioneering entrants had to plough their own route through the terrain.

After 48hrs of racing only 2 athletes remained. Both went on to put in outstanding performances and both were well deserving recipients of the first-ever Arctic Spine Race finishers medals.

Those athletes were Ed Sellon and Kev Leahy who was crowned our winner.

in this episode you'll hear about their experiences in the Arctic, and a wealth of tips on how to survive whilst racing in this environment.

If you're interested in entering the event in 2025 then click the following link and register your interest today: www.thespinerace.com/race/arctic/arctic-spine

In the episode we refer to a playlist of music that Kev was listening too out there in the snow. You can find that here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/60rLcr908ONMoXrvLJ9rIa?si=10ea5bc0facd460b

 

 

 

 

 

Against a backdrop of the Covid_19 pandemic and the slew of race cancellations it led too, a few runners have managed to salvage the spirit of competition and a number of epic achievements from the clutches of what could have been a very quiet year in trail/ultra-running.

There can be few claims to greater success this year than Damian Hall's.  He has just grabbed his 3rd record of a busy summer after a nail-biting 14hr charge along the South Wales Traverse.

We cover this, his year as a whole and also the upcoming film 'Totally FKT' which documents Damian and John Kelly's exploits on the Pennine Way earlier this summer (see episodes #42 and #44).

In a special feature, Will also chats to Matt and Ellie Green of Summit Fever, the film-makers behind this amazing documentary which premieres on Sunday 22nd November at Kendal Mountain Festival 

Learn more at: https://www.summitfevermedia.com/pennine-way-fkt

Cover Images: (c) innov8/Dave Macfarlane

Kristian Morgan is an ultra-runner, coach and podcast host with his sights set on breaking massive records.  After covering over 1000 miles of the Appalachian Trail last year as part of the support team for Belgian runner Karel Sabbe's FKT, Kristian was intent on taking on the same challenge himself, until Covid scuppered his plans.

With the hunger for an epic challenge already in him, and with some close ties to the iconic South West Coast Path here in the UK, Kristian decided he'd make an attempt at breaking Damian Hall's already impressive record.

After running an average of 60 miles per day, on around 4 hours sleep a night for a total of 10 days, 12 hours and 6 minutes, Kristian had has record.  In this episode we hear about his earlier adventures and about his experiences running along Britain's beautiful south west coast.

You can find Kristians Podcast here: https://www.kristianultra.com/podcast

And learn more about his coaching services here: https://www.kristianultra.com/onlineruncoaching

Support his Appalachian Trail FKT attempt here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/appalachian-trail-speed-record-attempt

 

Three letters have dominated ultra-distance running this year and those three letters are FKT. As the pandemic put paid to most runner's plans, their thoughts collectively turned to other outlets for their competitive natures and records began to fall on a near-daily basis.

In Broken, Ally Beaven takes an entertaining look at just why 2020 was so unusual for long-distance running. With his interest in Fastest Known Times (FKTs) piqued, Beaven immerses himself in the scene. His summer becomes one of spending hours in the hills feeding, cajoling and generally trying to keep alive the runners he is supporting, as well as following the dots of live trackers in the middle of the night and endlessly refreshing his Twitter feed as records tumble around the country.

Who looked the most knackered? Who took on the biggest challenge? What is Ally willing to draw in the signed copies? These questions answered and more as Will and Ally chat through the ups and downs of putting this amazing book together.

N.B. this episode comes with a slight colourful language warning!

Pre-order at https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/books/narratives/broken/

 

Kris King is a Race Director and adventurer with a history of fastpacking style adventures, multi-stage races, and even a 31-day running tour of the UK, he has tried and tested a multitude of backpacks on the trail over the years.

What should you consider when choosing the right backpack?  How should you approach packing it?  How can you avoid chaffing and rubbing whilst running/hiking with your pack?

All these questions and more, such as what's the weirdest thing you've seen a runner pack for a race and where does a bald man stop washing his face, are answered by Kris and Will in this latest episode.

This year, John Kelly became a Spine Race winner and broke a Pennine Way FKT which had stood for over 30 years (setting a record which was rudely broken a week later by Damian Hall!).

As if this wasn't enough achievement, he also recently completed his 'Hartley Slam' project by completing the Grand Round.

This monstrous endeavour saw John take on all 3 UK grand rounds (the Paddy Buckley, Bob Graham and Charlie Ramsay) consecutively, whilst cycling the distances in between.  Each of those runs are around the 100km mark with stacks of ascent, and the rides between are around the 300km each!

John Kelly was fundraising throughout the Hartley Slam for the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.  Read all about their work and donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hartleyslam

Cover Background Photo: @the_phbalance 

On weds 2nd September at around 5am, adventurer, ultra-runner and coach Donnie Campbell finished a record attempt that had taken him 31days and 23hrs to complete.

He had summited all 282 Munros (Scottish mountains over 3000ft in height), completing the entire journey under his own power.  He covered almost 900 miles on foot and the same on a bike whilst enduring enough ascent to climb Everest 14 times.  In doing so, he beat the previous record by over a week!

In this episode we chat about his epic journey from forming the idea, through planning the monster logistics, to tackling a serious contender for the most epic record of this summer of FKTs.

Donate to Donnie's fundraiser for the British Red Cross here ---> https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/donniecampbell84

Learn about the Virtual ForRangers Ultra ---> https://beyondtheultimate.co.uk/ultra/virtual-for-rangers-ultra/#!/2020

In July, a group of passionate runners formed an organisation with the aim of increasing inclusion, participation and representation of black people in trail running.  That group called itself Black Trail Runners.

In this episode we chat to 2 of those runners, namely 'Marathon Marcus' Brown and Sonny Peart about their own passion for running and outdoor sports, their experiences on the trails, and about what can be done to tackle a lack of diversity that leaves many people missing out on the physical and mental benefits gained from running and other outdoor sports.

Follow BlackTrailRunners on instagram---> https://www.instagram.com/blacktrailrunners/

Contact them at ---> blacktrailrunners@gmail.com

Hear Marcus' 'A Runner’s Life' podcast ---> https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-runners-life/id1504303593

Learn about the Virtual ForRangers Ultra ---> https://beyondtheultimate.co.uk/ultra/virtual-for-rangers-ultra/#!/2020

 

 

We promised you a third installment of our series on training for endurance events/ultra-running with our very own Kris King, and here it is!

Why should runners worry about strength training? Is strength work actually good for runners? Are there any exercises every runner should do? What role can strength training play in the prevention of injuries? All these questions and more are answered as Will and Kris are reunited for another episode of Everything Endurance.

Alongside Kris King's role as Race Director for Beyond the Ultimate, he is also an experienced fitness coach with a track record of helping athletes to prepare for epic feats, including training Will from being an overweight kebab enthusiast with a morbid fear of running into an ultra-runner capable of a top-10 finish at the Ice Ultra, in under a year.

Carla Molinaro is an elite ultrarunner and coach with a glowing CV.  After the cancellation of all her races this year, Carla began training for a world record attempt under lockdown in South Africa, where she could only run up and down a 100-metre driveway.

Nevertheless, on 28th July she set a new women's world record having run the 874-mile/1400km length of Great Britain in 12 days and 30 minutes.

We chat to her about preparing for a world record under lockdown restrictions, and about the grueling 12 days of hard running it took to reach her goal.

Steve Hill is a teacher first and foremost, but he's also an adventurer and endurance athlete who has won multiple awards for his inspirational work with youngsters and an MBE for his charity work too.

Each year he takes on another epic endurance challenge to inspire his next class of pupils.  He shares the whole journey with them teaching them along the way that if they aim high, dream big and never give up they can achieve anything.

We chat to Steve about the message he delivers to his pupils and about being an ultra-runner who 'gets his money's worth' out of his adventures.  In a change to our speedier, record-breaking guests of late, this is a chance to hear from a runner more likely to be toward the back of the pack enjoying every inch of the trail.

You can learn more about the Team Hill Charitable Trust at www.stevehillmbe.com/team-hill-charitable-trust/

 

In this special 'extra' episode Will chats with Jenny Hall who has just returned from completing Desert Ultra 2023, her first ever ultra-distance event.

Jenny is the Marketing Manager at BTU/Spine Race and she signed up to the Desert Ultra less than a year ago having never taken part in an event like it. In that short time, Jenny turned herself into a succesfrul ultra-runner and grabbed a finisher's medal under incredibly tough conditions in Namibia this November.

This interview represents a unique opportunity in that Will went through almost the same journey a few years ago, going from a standing start to finishing the Ice Ultra in less than 12 months. In this episode the pair discuss Jenny's experiences in Namibia and also mine into what you can expect if you sign up for a massive challenge of your own. In this thorough and frank conversation, the pair cover the challenges involved from fitting in training, researching kit, understanding nutrition, completing the race itself, and also managing the emotional come-down that hits some people afterwards.

If this episode helps a single runner to find the confidence to work towards their own epic adventure, or to overcome their own imposter syndrome then Will and Jenny will both be happy...

 

Damian Hall is a Runner, Coach and Journalist with a stunning CV, including podiums and top-10 positions at the Spine Race, the Dragon's Back and the UTMB.  He also holds a number of FKTs already including the 630 mile South West Coast Path.

On Friday 24th of July he grabbed himself another record in the shape of a Pennine Way FKT, a record which had stood for little more than a week after John Kelly's incredible performance (see episode 42).

In this episode we talk through his preparation for the record attempt, his time out on the trail and the work he has put in to making sure that the challenge was carbon neutral.

Adam Kimble is an American Ultra-Runner and Coach with an impressive and growing CV.  He is also a Race Director with Beyond the Ultimate, a motivational speaker, and a serious contender for friendliest human on earth.

This Lake Tahoe resident recently set a new Fastest Known Time for the Tahoe Rim Trail, a 171-mile route through alpine terrain in California with over 8000 metres of climbing.  This was Adam's 2nd attempt to take the record from it's previous owner, one Kilian Jornet.  You may have heard of him.

In this episode Will and Adam chat about his first attempt last October, his training and preparation since, and the amazing 37hrs and 12 minutes he spent on the trail breaking the record last weekend.

Since the planets ultra-runners have been unleashed from easing lockdowns around the world, they've been channeling their pent up energy into record-breaking feats of running.

In this special midweek episode, we chat to one of those runners,  John Kelly, for the 2nd time this year.  What earns him his exalted status as the only person ever to appear on this show twice in the same year?  Breaking the Pennine Way FKT, that's what.  A record which had stood for 31 years before he came along.

John covered the 268 mile long Pennine Way, the national trail running from Edale in the Peak District to Kirk Yetholm across the border in Scotland, in just 2 days, 16 hours and 40 minutes, beating the previous record by a margin of just over 30 minutes.

We chat through John's data-driven approach to his epic challenges and talk about how this latest achievement fits into his plan to run the Hartley Slam in 2020.

John Kelly is fundraising throughout the Hartley Slam for the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.  Read all about their work and donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hartleyslam

At 3am on Saturday 11th July, Kim Collison set off from the quiet darkness of a small Lake District village with a running record in his sights that had stood for more than 20 years.  24hrs later he had returned to the start of his challenge having reached the top of 78 Lakeland peaks.  In all, he covered 175km (109 miles) with 11,890m (39,000ft) of ascent.

Kim Collison has been a prominent figure in British ultra-running for some years now,  who's accolades including being British Trail Running Champion in 2014, wins at the Lakeland 50, Lakes in a Day and Arc of Attrition races among others, and a Winter Bob Graham record which he bagged in December last year.

In this episode, Kim talks us through his journey into running, the things that keep him motivated, and the highs and lows of 24hrs of running through some of the UK's lumpiest terrain!