Kim Collison wins Montane Winter Spine race
With record-breaking feats, some of the most punishing conditions the race has ever seen and countless stories of perseverance, the 2025 Montane Spine Race has come to a close.
Spanning 268 miles from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders, the race took place from January 11-19, testing the endurance of 537 athletes from across the globe.
This year, participants faced extremely cold, sub-zero temperatures and icy, treacherous terrain along the iconic Pennine Way. In total, 313 athletes crossed the finish line.
The pinnacle event of the Montane Spine Race, the Full Spine, commenced on January 12. Along the 268-mile course, competitors faced not only extremely cold but also a punishing total ascent of over 10,700 metres along the Pennine Way.
Kim Collison claimed the overall victory in a time of 82:46:32, the third-fastest time in race history. Having set off at 8am on Sunday, he led from early on and held off his rivals as he crossed the line shortly before 7pm on Wednesday.
Collison was the winner of the Swiss Peaks Trail 360 last year and has also triumphed in the Northern Traverse and Arc of Attrition in the past but his journey from Edale to Kirk Yetholm has been longer than most. His triumphant win was the culmination of four years of setbacks and DNFs in his previous three Winter Spine attempts.
Lucy Gossage won the women’s race in 87:41:38, finishing an outstanding fourth overall, with Team Montane athlete Robyn Cassidy finishing second in the women's race with a time of 94:31:43.
Gossage has not long transitioned from duathlon and triathlon to ultra running, where she now has a first and third place in back-to-back Winter Spine races.
The race also featured the Challenger South and Challenger North challenges, which tested participants over 106 miles.
The Challenger South race kicked off on January 11 from Edale, with competitors facing -9°C temperatures.
James Allen took victory as the men's champion with an impressive 34:39:43. Alice Kershaw won the women’s race in 43:14:45, cementing her place as one of the race’s top performers.
On January 13, the Challenger North set off from Hardaw as it presented yet another brutal test for the ultra-runners.
Paul Grundy claimed victory in the men’s race with an overall time of 48:03:07, which included a 38-minute penalty due to a navigation error. Nicky Spinks triumphed in the women’s race with a time of 56:49:55.
One of the most unforgettable moments came from Cleo Bishop-Bolt, who was the third woman in the Challenger North. Amidst the exhaustion of the race, Bishop-Bell found herself helping a stray dog she encountered along the trail and after crafting a makeshift lead, she escorted the dog to a remote refugee hut.
Meanwhile, the 46-mile Spine Sprint race, which also started on January 11, tested competitors over a shorter but no less gruelling course.
Paul Brennan took the top spot in the men's race with a time of 9:26:48, while Hannah Bruce claimed first place in the women’s race, finishing in 12:53:40.
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