The 2024 Spine Race was one for the record books, with Jack Scott (U.K.) taking redemption for his narrow defeat to Damian Hall (U.K.) in last year’s race, by claiming a decisive win and a new course record. Scott’s time of 72 hours, 55 minutes, and 5 seconds carved 10 hours, 17 minutes, and 18 seconds off Jasmin Paris’s historic 2019 overall course record.
Claire Bannwarth (France) became the first woman in Spine Race history to secure back-to-back wins at the race, and her 92-hour, 2-minute, and 23-second victory also took more than 5 hours off of her winning time from 2023.
The 268-mile race runs the length of the Pennine Way in England, from south to north, finishing in Kirk Yetholm on the Scottish border. It takes racers through some of the most remote parts of the country, in invariably brutal conditions.
Conditions for this year’s race were bright and clear for the first part of the week, but bitterly cold, with a diversion forced due to extreme ice on the course. In the second half of the week, the blue skies gave way to heavy snowfall.
Read on to see the full breakdown of the men’s and women’s races.
Claire Bannwarth greets the wall at the finish of the 2024 Winter Spine Race. Photo: Spine Race/@willbaldlygo
2024 Spine Race Men’s Race
Spine Race enthusiasts will recall that the 2022 men’s race began with a duo of Kim Collison (U.K.) and Damian Hall (U.K.) pushing the pace hard at the front of the race, before both unfortunately succumbed to injury and were forced to withdraw.
This year’s race started in a somewhat similar vein, with Collison taking up the lead from early on. Through the first checkpoint, 44 miles in, the top three were Collison, Konrad Rawlik (Poland, lives in U.K.), and Dave Phillips (U.K.), with the chasing pack not far behind.
Konrad Rawlik on the course of the 2024 Winter Spine Race. Photo: Spine Race/Wild Aperture Photograph
The first shock of the race came when former men’s course record holder and Barkley Marathons finisher, John Kelly (U.S.), retired at CP1, just 9 hours and 27 minutes into his Spine Race journey, due to injury. Over the duration of the first night, the attritional course also claimed strong contenders Pavel Paloncy (Czech Republic) and Simon Roberts (U.K.).
By the second checkpoint at Hawes, 103 miles in, Collison was still in the lead, with 23 hours and 41 minutes on the clock. Hall and Rawlik followed in second and third, about 15 minutes back. Eventual champion Jack Scott (U.K.) came through this point with James Nobles (U.K.), relaxed in joint fourth position, 40 minutes back of the lead.
The end of the second day saw further disruption when, reminiscent of 2022, race leader Collison was forced to retire at CP3 Langdon, 143 miles into the race, leaving Hall to take up the lead.
But before the next checkpoint, the race began to mirror last year’s, as Scott caught up with Hall before mile 156, with the pair sharing some of the trail before Scott pulled away.
Coming into CP4 Alston, around mile 175, with a lead of almost an hour, Scott was fully in race mode — reportedly in and out of the checkpoint “in F1 fashion” and with “razor sharp focus.”
For the near-100 miles that followed, Scott continued to put more distance on Hall — but also, move further ahead of both Jasmin Paris’s overall course record, and Hall’s men’s course record of 84 hours, 36 minutes, and 24 seconds.
After 268 miles, Jack Scott touched the wall in Kirk Yetholm with 72:55:05 on the clock. Damian Hall followed in second, in a personal best time of 82:25:10, also under both previous course records. Konrad Rawlik rounded out the men’s podium in 85:47:12.
An emotional Jack Scott after winning the 2024 Winter Spine Race in a new men’s course record time. Photo: Spine Race/Wild Aperture Photography
2024 Spine Race Men’s Results
- Jack Scott (U.K.) – 72:55:05
- Damian Hall (U.K.) – 82:25:10
- Konrad Rawlik (Poland, lives in the U.K.) – 85:47:12
- Dougie Zinis (U.K.) – 87:48:47
- Orran Smith (U.K.) – 94:48:36
- Rory Harris (U.K.) – 98:41:29
- James Leavesley (U.K.) – 98:41:39
- Mark Potts (U.K.) – 99:38:18
- Esteban Díaz (Spain) – 100:17:29
- G Brian Hutchinson (Ireland) – 103:41:00
Damian Hall smiles in second place at the finish of the 2024 Winter Spine Race. Photo: Spine Race/Wild Aperture Photography
2024 Spine Race Women’s Race
There were fewer attritions at the sharp end of the women’s race, with eventual winner Claire Bannwarth (France) asserting her dominance early on.
At CP1 Hebden, 44 miles in, Bannwarth had already established herself in front, with 10 hours and 56 minutes elapsed. Bannwarth, who won last year’s Winter Spine Race, went on to have a superb 2023 — winning amongst others the Trailcat 200 Mile, the Kodiak Ultramarathon by UTMB 100 Mile, and the Tahoe 200 Mile, as well as placing fifth at the Hardrock 100 and 16th at UTMB.
Hannah Rickman (U.K.), who placed second behind Bannwarth at last year’s Winter Spine Race, and won the 2023 Summer Spine Sprint (on a 46-mile section of the route), followed in second, about 19 minutes back of the lead.
Hannah Rickman on the course of the 2024 Winter Spine Race. Photo: Spine Race
Elaine Bisson (U.K.) entered the checkpoint in third place, just 6 minutes behind Rickman, but took some time to recoup and prepare for the next section. Lucy Gossage (U.K.) was in next, and made a swift turnaround in the checkpoint to emerge in third position, with fell running legend Nicky Spinks among the chasing pack. Crossover athlete Gossage previously competed in triathlon before transitioning to ultrarunning, and has many Ironman victories to her name.
While Bannwarth continued to pull away in front, by CP3 Langdon, Gossage had moved into second position by a margin of 51 minutes.
Lucy Gossage on the way to a podium finish at the 2024 Winter Spine Race. Photo: Spine Race/Wild Aperture Photography
Rickman, however, was later awarded a 1-hour and 46-minute time bonus for a Good Samaritan act. She and another runner (G Brian Hutchinson, who was 10th in the men’s race) reportedly delayed their race to assist a fellow competitor who was suffering from fatigue along on a challenging part of the route, and escorted him to safety.
By CP 5 Bellingham, Bannwarth was now almost 7 hours clear of Gossage in second, who now also had a sizeable lead — of more than 5 hours — on Rickman in third.
Bannwarth eventually touched the wall, victorious, in a time of 92 hours, 2 minutes, and 23 seconds — taking 5 hours and 37 minutes off her previous winning time.
Rickman truly rallied in the later stages of the race, closing in on Gossage. Gossage crossed the line before her, in a time of 106 hours, 5 minutes, and 26 seconds — but the time bonus meant that Rickman was awarded second place in a time of 104:41:46. The close battle and dynamic race for second place made for nail-biting dot-watching, even if Bannwarth’s victory was never in doubt.
Claire Bannwarth on her way to winning the 2024 Winter Spine Race. Photo: Spine Race/Wild Aperture Photography
2024 Spine Race Women’s Results
- 1. Claire Bannwarth (France) – 92:02:23
- 2. Hannah Rickman (U.K.) – 104:41:07
- 3. Lucy Gossage (U.K.) – 106:05:26
- 4. Elaine Bisson (U.K.) – 111:40:56
- 4. Nicky Spinks (U.K.) – 111:40:56
- 6. Vicky Savage (U.K.) – 117:26:10
- 7. Sophie Littlefair (U.K.) – 129:10:37
- 7. Kendra Wedgwood (U.K.) – 129:10:37
- 9. Kerry Sutton (U.K.) – 130:49:02
- 10. Viv Watson (U.K.) – 136:34:31
