A non-stop, 160 miles race along the iconic Pennine Way.
The Montane Summer Spine Challenger North is a non-stop, 160 mile race along the Pennine Way from Hardraw to Kirk Yetholm. For those who have completed the Challenger South, this gives you an opportunity to take on the Northern section of the full race route. The trail crosses some of the most beautiful and difficult terrains in Britain including; the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian’s Wall, and the Cheviots; finishing at the Scottish Borders. This race is open to those who wish to test themselves and compete in a truly demanding race. Tiredness, fatigue and sleep deprivation are all to be expected. To finish you must be prepared and willing to push yourself harder than ever before.
Please note, following a review of athlete completion times at the 2023 event, the time limit for the race has been revised to 90 hours with a reduction of six hours in the checkpoint cut off times. Please see the FAQs below for further information.
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Race Details
- Start: Hardraw, North Yorkshire, UK
- Start Time: 08:00 June 16th 2025
- Distance: 160 miles
- Time Limit: 90 hours
- Finish: Kirk Yetholm, Scottish Borders
- Finish Time: 02:00 June 20th 2025
- Daytime Temperature: 5°C / 25°C
- Night-time Temperature: 0°C / 10°C
- Total Ascent: 5,290 metres
- Total Descent: 5,591 metres
- Daylight Hours in June: 19 hours
- Places Available: 100
Get your Race Information Pack
Find out everything you need to know about The Montane Summer Spine Challenger North by downloading our free race information pack. It includes all the details about the route, checkpoints and some tips from the experts.
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What's Next?
Ready to take on The Montane Summer Spine Challenger North? See who is already on the race roster, download your race information pack or take a closer look at the Pennine Way.
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Testimonials
Simon Roberts
There's a respect for this course. You can't compare it to anything because of the non stop aspect. You get to have a 30 minute kip on Hadrian's Wall! I really wanted to test myself and that's what the Spine Race does.
Montane Winter Spine Male Challenger North Winner 2022
Testimonials
James Leavesley
The Spine is a great course, and I've enjoyed it every time I've done it. There is a great family vibe on the race and you are looked after like kings at the checkpoints!
Montane Summer Spine Male Podium 2022
Testimonials
Tiaan Erwee
It's got the name "Britain's Most Brutal" and it absolutely is! But it's the volunteers that make this race work. It's an amazing Spine family and that's the reason why everyone keeps coming back.
Montane Summer Spine Male Winner 2022
Race FAQs
This isn’t a beginner friendly race. We want you to be safe out there and experience of similar challenges will make you safer.
Firstly, you must be aged 21 years or over at the time of the race.
If you have run an ultra over 60 miles, or have previously completed The Montane Challenger or The Montane Spine, then this will qualify you for the race.
If you don’t meet these criteria, your experience can be drawn from various sources and is not limited to ultra or multi-stage events. Mountain marathons, adventure races, orienteering events, fell races, expeditions or challenges like the Bob Graham Round or similar are are looked on favourably. Long distance walking is also extremely beneficial and you may find yourself doing a lot of this! The more a challenge features mountainous terrain, cold, moorland and elements of navigation the better. Mountain Leaders, Winter Mountain Leaders, Mountain Rescue Team members, mountaineers, active and former Armed Forces personnel will likely all have the experience necessary, too.
We are also very happy to advise those who feel they don’t yet have the experience level required, on what races, challenges or experiences they could do to gain entry.
SUMMER SPINE CHALLENGER NORTH RACE RULE UPDATE:
As the Montane Spine Race continues to evolve, we regularly monitor and review race rules and regulations.
When developing the Challenger North we employed the cut offs used in the full spine as a starting point for the inaugural event. After an analysis of the race this year we find that those in the Challenger North are understandably fresher, so making them quicker, hence the change.
After careful consideration, the summer 2024 cut-offs have been reduced by six hours and the race time limit will be 90 hours. The cut off times will be as follows:
Checkpoint 1: 18 hours
Checkpoint 2: 44 hours
Checkpoint 3: 70 hours
Checkpoint 3.5: 76 hours
Finish: 90 hours
To put these timings into context, the new cut-offs would have impacted on just Seven athletes at the finish line (No one was affected at any of the main CPs and the five over the cut-off at the 3.5 monitoring station were all within about 30 minutes). At the finish, two were only 9 minutes over, five between three and four hours. 82% of participants finished. The new cut-offs would reduce this to 61% which is in line with the Challenger South and full Spine.
These are not changes we have made lightly but feel the new times present an appropriate challenge and one we will continue to monitor.
We would always recommend that every runner purchases appropriate insurance to cover your participation in a Montane Spine event and the costs of your entry fee, should you not be able to take part.
The race has enormous infrastructure costs, most of which are fixed and committed up to twelve months in advance, which unfortunately prevents the option of a full refund. We want to be as fair as possible though, so while your entry fee includes a non-refundable deposit, if you notify us 100 days before the race, you will get a partial refund. Please read the T&Cs before you make your payment.
At each of the check points (Middleton-in-Teesdale, Alston and Bellingham) Spiners are offered hot meals (both a dinner-type meal, such as pasta, as well as porridge), hot drinks, somewhere to sleep (we recommend ear plugs and sleeping masks), toilets, showers (Alston and Bellingham), medical staff, weather updates, race information and ample encouragement from friendly, helpful volunteers.
The Spine races are unsupported events. But you are welcome to utilise cafes and pubs along the route for sustenance and shelter. There’s some history of Spiners being offered sustenance by locals, which is a nice touch and very difficult to police, so we deem that to be fine. What’s not okay though is pacing, receiving planned support or having a private support vehicle follow your progress.
The total cost for The Montane Summer Spine Challenger North is £595.
To secure your place, you can either pay in full when you enter or pay a deposit of £250. The remaining £345 will be due 100 days before race start. See below for the payment schedule.
Payments can be made online via your debit or credit card.
Payment schedule
To secure your place in the race, you will need to make a deposit payment of £250 on entry. The remaining fee is due 100 days prior to race start. Alternatively, you can pay in full when you enter.
You can use your debit or credit card to make your payments online. Stripe Payments handles the steps between you providing your card information and learning that the payment has been accepted. Some of the world’s largest companies, including Amazon and Shopify, use Stripe.
Deposit on entry
Pay a £250 deposit in order to secure your place.
100 days to race start
Remaining £345 is now due.
Official sponsor
