Winter Spine

Race strategy

Run easy on the first mountain, then go all out on the second.

• 442m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 555m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 188km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 409km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–0.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 0.7km–6.7km · Plus 1 more climb. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 6.7km–188km · Descent of 442m averaging 8%, descent of 462m averaging 9%, descent of 446m averaging 8%. Plus 3 more descents. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 188km–409km · Climb of 615m, 143km of runnable trail, high point 890m. Plus 1 more descent. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 409km–417km · Descent of 555m averaging 7%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 10732m+. With 25m/km of climbing, the course is predominantly runnable. By gradient, 28% of the distance is uphill, 29% downhill and 43% flat. The longest climb runs 7.9km at an average 7.7% grade (615m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.5km at an average 6.5% grade (555m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 32.0% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 29.8% over 0.3km. Surface: 42% smooth, 41% trail, and 13% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 516.8 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Cross Fell (893m), 272km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Little Dun Fell (842m). The course also passes close to Great Dun Fell (847m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 14.3km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 77 of 100), with 53% of the load in the first half: 6 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 188km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 409km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 19.6–25.1 km · 442 m D−, -8.1% · 392.4 km ahead → control
• #4 · 64.5–68.6 km · 288 m D−, -6.9% · 348.9 km ahead → control
• #5 · 93.5–98.0 km · 265 m D−, -6.0% · 319.5 km ahead → control
• #2 · 144.2–149.5 km · 462 m D−, -8.7% · 268.0 km ahead → control
• #6 · 166.8–171.3 km · 333 m D−, -7.5% · 246.2 km ahead → control
• #3 · 182.1–187.8 km · 446 m D−, -7.8% · 229.7 km ahead → control
• 409.0–417.5 km · 555 m D−, -6.5% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 1 more notable descent not listed: your pace.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from -2°C to 7°C, with around 0°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 58%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 6% of days around this date.

Results

153 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Sebastien Raichon (France) in 95:43:52. Women's winner: Anna Troup (Great Britain) in 106:19:12.