This Monster is as far removed from 100mile ultra runs as a 1k fun run is to a Marathon.
Only ten of us made it to the finish carrying full packs for 7 days over the toughest trail in the UK. The 2013 Spine race is the toughest in the UK. Continuous 20hr + runs with short (average 4hr) sleeps sometimes in a bivi bag in the snow . Self navigation on invisible tracks covered in snow. Bogs ,Mountains Fell and forest.
On the last day some of us ended up on the Cheviot Ridge at night -8c and a 65mph full blizzard. Pure fight for survival for our team of 5. 7hrs to fight 10k through deep snow to a mountain refuge hut.
Whatever you road runners do. beware straying into the Ultra Section Of The Forum. Your life be changed forever!!!!
And no this is not boys own fantasy ,it happened last week.
Comments
Finally finished my race report and it is almost as long as the race.
http://dartmoordogrunner.blogspot.co.uk/
Due to a high number of pre race drop outs for various reasons there are places now available on the 2014 Spine and the Spine challenger.
If you are a bit of a head case and have Mountain Marathon/orienteering experience and can run ultras then this is one race you will never forget!
If you are interested then Email the organizers through the Spine Race Website
Contary to all the hype you don,t have to train all year for this race. The pace has to be slow and your training to finish this race happens over the first few days of the race. (Just don,t cock up the first 115miles!)
It took two years to write and is still average but if you have time you can read the road to the spine race and its prequel I didn't publish last year.
http://madmansreturn.weebly.com/