Volunteering on the Spine Race

Spine Safety Team Winter 2024

The Montane Winter Spine races take runners non-stop along the iconic Pennine Way in the middle of the British winter. There are 4 distances on offer: the Sprint (46 miles, Edale to Hebden Hey, time allowed 18 hours), the Challenger South (108 miles, Edale to Hardraw, time allowed 60 hours), the Challenger North (160 miles, Hardraw to Kirk Yetholm, time allowed 108 hours) and the full Spine (268 miles, Edale to Kirk Yetholm, time allowed 168 hours). There are also Challenger South and North races for active MRT (Mountain Rescue Team) members, separate races which run concurrently with the non-MRT events.

Spine races are all unsupported, that means runners are not allowed to be paced or receive private support from friends or relatives. There are 5 main race checkpoints along the full course: Hebden Hey, Hawes, Langdon Beck, Alston and Bellingham. At these points runners can access their drop bag, have a meal and sleep. In addition there are several other race support points where runners can rest for a limited time, such as Malham, Tan Hill, Dufton, Greg’s Hut (on Cross Fell), Byrness, and Huts 1 and 2 in the Cheviots. Runners can also make use of any facilities they find en-route and which are available to every other runner in the race, such as shops, pubs and cafes, farm honesty boxes or pop-up support points organized by running clubs etc.

Like all race organisers the Spine race relies heavily on volunteers to make the races happen. Volunteers are required for checkpoints, in the safety and logistics teams and at race HQ. Over the 10 years that the Spine has existed a large army of volunteers has developed, the ‘Spine Family’. I decided last year that I would quite like to join in, and initially put my name down to volunteer at a checkpoint on the Summer Spine. I regrettably had to withdraw my offer as I then became temporarily occupied by a tussle with breast cancer instead. I put my name down again for the Winter Spine and was ‘rejected’ for checkpoint duties as there was a surplus of volunteers. This volunteering lark is becoming popular! Perhaps in part because in return volunteers get an entry into the lottery to win free entry into one of the races the year after. Though for most (and for me too) volunteering is mainly attractive to get an insight into the races, meet lots of like-minded people and do something interesting and hopefully helpful to fellow runners. In November I received an email asking if I would consider being on the Spine Safety Team (SST) for 4 days, instead of on a checkpoint, which I agreed to.

The role of members of the SST is to provide on-course safety cover. This is primarily a vehicle-based and outdoor role and therefore the organisers look for volunteers with an appropriate level of physical fitness and outdoor experience. The primary task of the SSTs is to monitor runner progress and welfare at pre-determined locations such as road heads, or to sweep the course in sections. It may also involve going onto the course to offer assistance to a runner who has called out for help as they are unable to continue, or who has become stationary for an extended time and is not contactable by HQ. This could require a substantial hike from the nearest vehicle access point, carrying a large pack (the hill bag) and the team grab bag, in all weathers and often in darkness, hence fitness and outdoor hill/mountain experience rightly being classed as essential. I would add to this that you also need to be able to deal with being out (and not moving) in very cold conditions. I am not keen on the cold at all, but I did manage, simply by wearing a very large amount layers, more than I have ever worn I would say. For long stints I was wearing 3 bottom layers (thermal leggings, normal leggings, walking trousers) and 9 top layers (vest, thermal base layer, long sleeved t-shirt, fleece jumper, 2 fleece jackets, 3 winter jackets). Buff around my neck and 2 hats, 2 pairs of gloves/mittens. Hand warmers. I found waterproof socks kept my feet the warmest, even if there was no need to wear them to keep feet dry.

Nearer to the time I was sent more detailed information and various documents to study. Also an extensive kit list, about as comprehensive as the list for those running the race! I learnt there are about 10 safety teams and I had been allocated to SST10, working near the front end of the race, starting at the Tan Hill Inn and moving further north every day. (I ended up in Byrness as my furthest point). That much I knew in advance. I attended an on-line briefing session which was helpful, and  joined a WhatsApp group for our team of 8 people led by coordinator Clare Holdcroft (who, as I was to find out, has run several of the Spine races, has volunteered many times and is also an active member of the MRT in Buxton, and is therefore exceedingly experienced, as well as lovely and a joy to work with), and waited for January 15^th, when I would be expected at the Tan Hill Inn at 2 pm for a briefing, ready to start our shift at 3 pm.

The SST movements are dynamic depending on the pace of the race and where the runners are, and deployments are decided on a day-by-day basis. Each SST coordinator liaises with the other SSTs and with race HQ, and your coordinator is your first and constant point of call as a team member. They also organize the SST accommodation and ensure the food supplies are kept topped up. It truly resembles a military logistical operation.

I duly arrived at the Tan Hill Inn on the Monday just before 2 pm.  I had just missed the leading men on the full Spine coming through around 1 pm.  The full Spine Race had started on Sunday at 8 am from Edale and the Challenger North that Monday morning from Hardraw, also at 8 am. There was a steady stream of Challenger North runners coming through at Tan Hill, with the odd full Spine runner (at the front end of the race) mixed in.

Our team of 8 was divided into 3 sub sections A, B and C: 2 groups of 3 and 1 of 2. I was allocated to section C with Chris and Gordon. Our shifts would be from 4 pm to midnight every day, with an additional hour at each end to drive to and from our deployments. Other safety teams covered from midnight to 8 am, and from 8 am to 4 pm, so the rest of the time would be our own. In the mornings we could have a bit of a lie-in (after going to bed around 1 am), then go for a run or a walk, or just chill out, read a book, or compulsively watch the Spine race trackers and social media feed. We would have our main meal of the day together as a team around 1 pm, then be told where we would be deployed to that afternoon and get ready to set off by 3 pm after studying the maps and sat nav route options. I soon realized we were very lucky with this shift as it gave us our time off in daylight. I then discovered that an even bigger stroke of luck had befallen me: Gordon had a campervan! And not just any campervan, a very large and well equipped van, and with 4 wheel drive. This was definitely a butter side up day for me.

Our first deployment was to Clove Lodge by the Blackton Reservoir, north east of Barnard Castle. We were slightly worried about the possible condition of the road to the reservoir (which actually turned out to be fine). The cold snap had started and icy patches were appearing on minor roads. We located a car park at the end of the adjacent Hury Reservoir on the map and decided to leave the other 2 cars (neither Chris or I have 4 wheel drive) there, and just take the van to Clove Lodge. We parked up as the sun was starting to set and a steady stream of runners on the Challenger North, and a few at the front end of the full Spine, passed us during our shift. It was easy to see the runners approaching as we could see their head torch lights in the distance for at least 5 minutes before they reached us. All runners were fine, as was to be expected so early on in the race. Most were keen to just move on past us, some briefly stopped to put some extra layers on, it was bitterly cold. We discovered that there was a pop-up tea and refreshment stop in the open barn at Clove Lodge Farm. Some runners already seemed to know about this, but most did not (apparently it was new this year) so we could tell people that refreshments were only 100 yards away which brought happiness to many!

As far as elite runners go, we met Eugeni Rosello Sole (winner of the 2013 Spine), who asked to come into the van in order to put another layer on. We gazed with some wonder at the small size of this pack, like many runners at the front of the race he seemed to have incredibly light and packable gear. He did have a minor kit explosion all over the van floor and didn’t seem too organized, and with hindsight perhaps a little confused, but we put it down to the language barrier at the time. He asked if he could have the (my) bag of crisps that was lying on the table and almost before I had said ‘of course’ he was already hoovering them up! Good thing I don’t really care about crisps, anyway, his need was definitely greater than mine. A trio of Challenger North runners arrived shortly afterwards and commented that they had run with him and that he had seemed a little dazed. The next day we found out he had retired at 4 am that night. He was followed by Dougie Zinis, who was to finish 4^th eventually.  The other elite encounter that evening was with French legend Claire Bannwarth, (who would go on to finish as 1^st woman, successfully defending her 2023 win). I was totally star struck! At midnight we could stand down and after picking our cars up from the other car park Chris and I drove to the Kingsway Centre, our accommodation for the night in Middleton in Teesdale. Gordon was staying in his van in the area and would meet us the next day for our lunchtime meal. The road to Middleton had some nasty thick icy patches on them, where momentarily all my 4 wheels lost any meaningful contact with the road. It was a little unpleasant and it did increase my anxiety levels about the whole winter driving situation. We had been warned the car park at Kingsway was full and to park in a car park at the end of the road, which we did manage to locate. These things are not hugely difficult, but in the dark in the middle of the night in an unknown town or village they are an additional complexity. Parking in most of these small villages is difficult, and in several locations along the course, as I learnt from the roadbook we had been given, the relationship between the race and the locals is somewhat sensitive, especially when it comes to parking space, and to noise created by shutting boots and car doors at all hours. Anyway, once successfully parked up I managed to carry my massive hill bag (55L rucksack) and overnight duffle bag (70L) to the hostel to have a cup of tea with the rest of the team and then go to bed. Women from another SST were already sleeping in the dorm we were in, so it was a matter of getting organized with your stuff before going into the room in order to be able to be as quiet as possible. Shortly after 8 am women from the next shift were coming in to sleep so it was a matter of taking your stuff out again in order not to disturb them later with your kit faff. That was all fine and I had a good night’s sleep. Otherwise the Kingsway Centre was not a highlight in terms of accommodation. A badly converted church now used as an outdoor adventure hostel, it is rather run down, badly maintained and icy cold. The showers looked so unappealing that I decided to go without and just had a perfunctory ‘wash’ with some baby wipes. Someone got locked inside the toilet when the lock packed in and had to be rescued, getting very cold in the process of waiting. We were glad to leave Kingsway behind us. Not before I had been out for a short but nice run through the fields and back along the river Tees. It had started to snow, as forecast, at about 11 am.

After a meal of pizza and salad we were informed our Tuesday deployment was to the Walltown Visitor Centre car park, near the start of Hadrian’s Wall just outside Greenhead, and then we would sleep at the Greenhead Hostel. We studied maps to decide on the best roads to drive to Greenhead. Satnav is a marvelous thing, yet as we all know it has a nasty habit of sending you down any random tiny road it just takes a fancy to. Awkward enough normally, but definitely undesirable with the snow coming down heavily now. We cross checked with the OS map/app to assess the gradients of the minor roads and decided on our route. To get to Greenhead from Middleton you have to get to Alston first, which claims to be the highest market settlement in England, a title it shares with Buxton. Cross Fell, the highest point on the Pennine Way, lies just to the west of the road we travelled. That same afternoon runners were held at the Dufton checkpoint for a time as conditions on Cross Fell were deemed too hazardous due to blizzard conditions. Thankfully the main road to Alston had been ploughed and gritted and though it was wise to drive carefully in our little convoy there was nothing too tricky to deal with. And once down on the other side we were surprised to find there was hardly any snow at Greenhead and the minor roads were fine, phew! We reached the car park at Walltown and parked up. Yet again we were able to make our base in Gordon’s van and see the runners approach. The visitors centre was closed but the toilets were open. During the evening many runners would spend some time in there to have a rest and cook a meal (all runners have to carry a small camping stove, gas canister and mug). I think there was quite a Spine party going on in the toilets 💃🕺.  At one point we spotted some head torches approaching from a random direction, Gordon went out to see if he could help but they turned out not to be runners and quickly scuttled off without much explanation. Dogging? Even if that were my pastime this would not have been my preferred night for it that’s for sure 😊 We never found out but we did see them come back after an hour or so and drive off.

As darkness fell so did the temperature and the car park became covered in sheet ice in places. Whenever we saw one or more runners approaching we would go out and show them the safest way across the icy tarmac and onto the grass, but unfortunately one runner did take quite a tumble which I felt really bad about. When our coordinator Clare came to visit we managed to write a large warning sign and attach it with cable ties to the entrance gate, which hopefully helped to prevent further accidents. We dealt with 2 Challenger North runners who retired from the race that evening, the first one suffered from severe shoulder pain and decided to call it a day at our location so we let him sit in the van until he could be collected by the broom wagon. The second one was a call out, a runner who was about 5 miles up the course from us along Hadrian’s Wall and could not move any further due to leg issues, but had sensibly managed to make it to the nearby road and was waiting for us in a lay-by. Until then she had been the leading woman in the Challenger North race. Chris and I went to collect her in the car and dropped her off at Race HQ at The Sill just along the same road. It made me feel quite sad seeing people’s race dreams end in this way, but obviously with these incredibly tough races there will always be a high rate of attrition.

At midnight we were relieved by another SST, and we drove the short distance to the Greenhead Hostel. No parking issues here, and the hostel was lovely and warm and generally in much better condition than Kingsway, with good showers too! In the morning I decided against a run as the roads and pavements were pretty icy, instead I went for a walk up to Hadrian’s Wall with Chris and with Linda, the only other woman apart from Clare and myself on our team. A foggy start made way for a beautiful sunny day with blue skies and hoar covered trees, it was truly stunning. We cheered on lots of Spiners. Rice and veggie chilli for lunch which was lovely, despite the rice having come out so sticky you could have repaired Hadrian’s Wall with it according to one of our team 😊. Well, if you haven’t cooked it you are not allowed to complain! Linda had kindly done the rice, in my experience it’s difficult to cook rice of an unfamiliar variety, for lots of people, in an unfamiliar pan on an unfamiliar and unresponsive electric stove. We all had a good laugh about it and anyway it tasted fine once you mixed the chilli into it.

We were told our Wednesday shift would be at Horneystead Farm and we would sleep at Bellingham. The pit stop at Horneystead Farm is a legendary institution on the Pennine Way, about 5 miles south of Bellingham. The farmer, Helen, has been providing Spine racers with her famous broth and cups of tea for many years. She keeps a log with the names of all who come through and knows just about every runner. You can see her here in one of the Spine race daily video updates. (If you watch the video, my club mate and friend Ritchie Williamson appears just before Helen and I absolutely love his dry wit: ‘kids, if you’re watching this, this is fun! remember, it’s fun’).

When we got to Horneystead I was pleased to see a runner I know from my Punk Panther ultra family, Johnny Iqbal Robun, and I was delighted to see he was in very good spirits (and went on to successfully finish the Challenger North). Later that evening lots of runners came through we had seen that morning during our walk on Hadrian’s Wall. We based ourselves at the pit stop, we were lucky that the heating had been fixed just that morning. I say heating, but this was one radiator in an open farm building. Still, it made it just marginally warmer than outside. However, it was very busy with a constant stream of runners coming through so there was no real space for us ‘inside’, and we spent most of our time standing outside or at the gate looking out for runners approaching and guiding them in. It was so busy that Helen opened up a second barn to accommodate all the runners. It was very cold so we decided to rotate between the 3 of us, with 1 person sitting in the van for 30 minutes to warm up again. We kept that going for a while until we became quite busy first with a runner who decided to DNF, and at the same time we received a report from other runners that there was someone with breathing problems further down the course. Chris and I set off to walk towards this runner leaving Gordon at the farm. I was wearing my walking boots, which is recommended in such cold conditions as your feet will stay warmer than in running shoes. However, the grip on my boots does not compare to that of my trail running shoes and you have much less ankle flexibility. With the ground frozen solid and icy I found it very difficult to descend what was quite a steep slope. Learning point: if I do this again I definitely need some different footwear that is both warm(ish) but also safe and effective. I decided we didn’t need me falling down at this point so Chris went on to the bottom of the little valley and I waited halfway up the slope for him to return with the runner. It was clear to us both that they needed assessment by a medic as their breathing was compromised. After messaging Clare and speaking to HQ on the phone we were instructed to collect the medic from the Bellingham CP. We took the other runner who had DNF’d to Bellingham and returned to Horneystead with the medic. Following assessment this runner also sadly had to accept that their race was ending at this point. Chris took them and the medic back to Bellingham, and stayed there as our shift was almost at an end. Gordon and I followed after a short while having been relieved by 2 members of SST8.

Elite encounters: well my teammates who had been at Horneystead the night before had seen both Jack Scott and Damian Hall come through. Apparently Helen had no oat milk for Damian’s tea ☹ so this is now on the shopping list for next year! He had to have it black instead. I met Mark Potts (who finished 8^th in the full Spine) who was having a really good day and said he felt great. He decided to stay outside and remain standing up whilst eating something in order not to get too comfortable. Huge kudos. I mean, I do that too in a race, but we are talking 215 miles in! We had a quick chat about how he had helped a struggling runner in the blizzard near Cross Fell (and for which he had received a Good Samaritan time credit). I had missed Lucy Gossage who had come through just after 3 pm, but I did get to see Hannah Rickman (who eventually finished in 2^nd place despite arriving at Kirk Yetholm after Lucy, as she had also received a time credit for taking time to help a runner in distress). She sat down briefly and we had a quick chat about race vests, as I marvelled at how she had all her mandatory kit into a 15L pack. Hannah also said she felt really good. I was in awe! Helen was excited about the prospect of Eoin Keith, Elaine Bisson and Nicky Spinks coming in around 2 am, and said she was going to stay up to wait for them. Too late for us as our shift finished at midnight.

The SST accommodation at Bellingham was in holiday lodges and very comfortable, with plentiful parking. Linda and I had a room together, and there would be no one coming in the next morning so no rush to leap out of our sleeping bags and pack our kit away. I went for a nice run in the morning along a little circular route one of the team had shown me on the map. The weather was bright and sunny once more.

After baked potatoes with various fillings for lunch we got ready for our next deployment. For Gordon, Chris and myself this would be our fourth and last shift. Some other team members were staying longer, and SST10 also gained 4 members who had finished their duties elsewhere. We were sent to Byrness (‘the last village in England’), where there is an SST base in the village hall, a support checkpoint (maximum stay 30 minutes) and a church where many runners sleep after visiting the checkpoint. Compared to the other possible deployments (like being on a hill side at Chew Green in the Cheviots) this was a relatively cushy option. We were informed that parking at Byrness could be problematic, which it indeed turned out to be. Another ‘sensitive’ situation. With the parking outside the village hall completely full I thought we were clever to park in the small public car park at the end of the road. Until the SST9 team coordinator warned us about being potentially blocked in by a logging truck, which had happened to SSTs before, who had been unable to respond to a call-out. These trucks are absolutely massive. We went on foot to explore parking by the church instead, about a quarter of a mile away. This looked good, enough space for all 3 of our vehicles. On walking back to the car park to retrieve our cars we already saw an enormous logging truck trying to reverse into a space next to Gordon’s van, which definitely didn’t look big enough for it. I sprinted towards him to tell him 2 cars and a campervan would be out of there in just a jiffy. Phew, that was close!

There wasn’t a huge amount to do once we were in place by the church. We spoke to all runners who came up the course heading for the checkpoint, and those heading into or out of the church. At this advanced point in the race there were more and more runners with various physical issues slowing them down. A list appeared in our WhatsApp group of particular runners and their problems (e.g. back issues, feet, hallucinations) so we all knew what to monitor specifically. Some were assessed by the medic at the checkpoint. I was delighted to find that all runners we saw that night managed to successfully finish the next day, sometimes really against my predictions. The levels of resilience, persistence and mental strength I encountered in these runners are just astounding.

Initially we had been told we would be sleeping on the floor in the Byrness Village Hall. It is a nice village hall which has obviously benefited from recent upgrading and looked in good nick, with excellent heating too. Still, a wooden floor is a wooden floor, even with a mat. So the news that there were beds for us back in Bellingham after all was very welcome. However, I had already decided I would rather drive home straightaway, to sleep in my own bed and to miss the morning traffic. So at the end of our uneventful shift (there had been no call-outs) Chris and I drove back in convoy to Bellingham whilst Gordon drove north to find an overnight spot to sleep in the van before heading back to Aberdeen. I had to drop off some gear which I had been lent, had a cup of tea, said goodbye to Chris and to Clare and was on my way around 1 am, and reached home at 4.

It has felt strange to be back at home with the race still going on for 2 more days, I guess that’s called post-Spine blues. Knowing that SST duties, although only needed on the final section between Byrness and Kirk Yetholm, did become more intense as the weather deteriorated and the runners tired almost made me feel I was missing out. Yet at the same time I was ready to go home after 4 days. The length of the stint had not been my request, I was asked if I could help on those dates, and it was probably long enough. Gordon, Chris and I did jokingly wonder if the Spine tries and limit at least some people to 4 days, because if you do 5 or more you get a fleece as well as the t-shirt that everyone gets. We definitely had serious fleece envy! I had a positive experience, I met lots of interesting people and it has been an excellent way to get an insight into how the races work and what the runners go through. I am signed up for the Summer Spine Challenger South in June, so only 5 months to wait for the next Spine fix. I can see now that this is definitely a race that gets under your skin. Would I do one of the winter Spine races? Not sure, but I wouldn’t rule it out!