New year, new you, new goals. Sound familiar? For many the start of 2025 will be viewed as a reset. A chance to start with revised confidence and hope that training plans can be executed to the full. An opportunity for PB’s to be achieved, and the joy of crushing trails with like minded folk. For Ultra Runners competing in one of our Montane sponsored events, it’s a chance to push their physical limits on one of the world’s toughest races.
Each race included in this list has rightly earned its reputation as ‘one of the world’s toughest’ ultra runs for a number of reasons. Each race also has a particular lure. To some, distance is the draw; pitting themselves against the unyielding elements, omnipresent sleep deprivation and pain to see what they are made of. To others, the appeal is to move through beautiful yet challenging landscapes, experiencing the outdoors as authentically as possible through the strength of their legs and willpower alone.
Widely regarded as one of the toughest ultra marathons in the world and certainly the most brutal race in Britain. 268 miles along the Pennine way in the dead of winter carrying everything you need to run, eat, sleep, and survive. Not for the faint hearted. 2022 saw the 10th anniversary of the spine, with two ‘Challenger’ events covering the southern and northern halves of the original full race, and even a ‘Sprint’ event of (only) 46 miles – ideal if you are starting your journey towards the full Spine!
Low daylight hours are a given, and the potential for snow is always high at this time of year, making the conditions extremely challenging on this exposed and undulating route heading ever-North. Discover more about what you can expect, as well as tales of endurance from previous racers, in our dedicated story behind.
300 miles along the Yukon Quest Trail in the middle of winter. The MYAU is arctic adventure distilled to its simplest form, as competitors pull all their provisions to survive behind them in pulks, braving temperatures down to -50 degrees, and sleeping under the stars. Shorter distances (100 mile and marathon) are available for those wanting a taste of this beautiful yet dangerous environment, though to guarantee your place you need to undergo arctic survival training and pass the organisers scrutiny to make sure you have the chops for such a race.
Interestingly, ‘the world’s coldest ultra’ was initially inspired by a 1000-mile dog sled race that takes in this remote corner of Canada. Learn more about this, as well as the routes highlights in our race origins story.
New for 2024! The Arctic Spine Race is brought to you by the team behind the iconic Winter Spine Race and whisks participants off to the wintery wilds of Sweden. Following the Kungsleden Trail, those taking part will endure a non-stop 293-mile, linear foot race through the Arctic tundra and spellbinding frozen forests. We can't wait to see how the racers taking part get on, taking on this thrilling new test of endurance in one of the coldest corners of the planet...
Don’t let the fact this takes place in summer fool you into thinking it’s any easier than its more famous big winter brother (featured earlier on)! As we all know the Great British Weather is famously changeable and you really can get all elements thrown at you during the early summer months. This makes knowing what to pack all the trickier as torrential downpours are just as likely as the chance of scorching heatwaves…
The summer edition follows the same format as the winter, with 4 ways to take on the Spine, each over varying lengths. Hear from former race finisher Ed Harris on our podcast to discover more about the challenge that awaits those eager to take this on…
The ‘Ultra Tour of the Lake District’. The 100 is one of the UK’s true ultra-racing icons, with its 100(ish) mile course takes in the whole of the Lakeland fells, looping through some of the most eye-wateringly dramatic scenery the Lakes have to offer. The 50 starts half-way along the loop, with both finishing at Coniston. It is still not for the faint hearted, with typically around 50% of competitors not crossing the finish line.
En route, racers are cared for by various checkpoints, including the now legendary Montane Checkpoint at Kentmere. Tune in to this special live podcast recorded at the 2022 event for a flavour of the weekend...
