Spine North Challenge 2022

Hannah - Camino Ultra Legend came second female in last week's epic Spine Race - North Challenge.

We became healthily addicted to following Hannah's tracker (aka dot-watching) and we were privileged to be on a small WhatsApp group with some of Hannah's dearest friends - going through the daily mill together.

What Hannah (and all the Spine 2022 competitors) achieved was extraordinary - 160+ miles of continuously racing along the toughest stretch of the Pennine Way - the organisers call this Britain's most Brutal race - for reasons you will uncover when you read Hannah's guest blog post below.

We are so proud of Hannah - she is an amazing, gutsy and resilient athlete but more than that she is inspiring in the way she takes on these epic challenges with heart and kindness. Will we be joining Hannah at the Spine 2023 - 100% x

Build-up

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth

The Spine Race, running the full 268 miles / 431km of the Pennine Way in winter, is one of Britain’s best-known ultras. Having run (and enjoyed!) my first 100-miler at the NDW100 in August 2021, I was looking for a winter ultra for my next challenge. “Not the Spine,” I told everyone; “I’m not a lunatic.” But I was intrigued to see that the Spine had some feisty little sisters – the Challenger, covering the southern 108 miles of the course, and a new race, the 160 mile Challenger North, which covered the rest. Of the two the Challenger seemed marginally less ludicrous – but it had already sold out. So the Challenger North it was to be. 160 miles/260km, 6000+ metres of elevation, a 108-hour cut-off, carrying a whole lot of equipment (including a sleeping bag, mat, bivvy, stove, gas, right down to a compulsory spork). In January. Hmm.