I can honestly say this race was one of the best running experiences of my life. It was great to see my Montane teammates, Tasha Brook and Howard Dracup, and to have a proper catch-up. As always, Laura Geere kept us organised and perfectly kitted out.

I felt happy and confident going into the race, and proud to have put together ten weeks of consistent training for the first time since before Cape Wrath in May 2025. I even slept well the night before, which is unusual for me and felt like a good sign.

I set off in the rain like a man on a mission. The original plan was to try and drop the tea drinker himself, Damian Hall. That didn’t work. Plan B was to bore him to death with conversation on the fire track road to Byrness, but that only seemed to make him faster on the steep climb out of Byrness and onto the Cheviots. It was probably the only time I genuinely broke a sweat. Seeing Damian using his poles on that climb made me realise they would have been a good option to carry. The pace stayed strong but playful, with plenty of chatting, and the evening improved as clear skies appeared for sunset after a miserable start. We even called a brief ceasefire to enjoy the moment and grab a selfie together.

The pace dropped significantly on the latter half of the Cheviots when we hit black ice and sheets of ice hidden under surface water around the slabbed sections. My best Bambi-on-ice impressions were on full display. I had mandatory traction aids but chose not to use them. Partly risk-taking, partly because on those surfaces nothing feels particularly effective. The out-and-back to The Cheviot was brilliant, with deep, untouched snow and plenty of slab-hunting. Falling became a habit, and one full face plant into the snow had me laughing out loud.

The fast descents later on showed just how ninja-like Damian is downhill. In the end, Jon Shield and Damian Hall finished the Montane Winter Spine Northern Sprint as joint winners, setting a new course record in a time of 8:06.