Are YOU running the Spine? How not to fail at the first hurdle

 It happens every year. A load of people pay an insane amount of money to race up the Pennine Way in the dead of winter. There are those at the front, who might complete in 85-100 hours, there are those that will come in a fair way behind, some will test the cut offs to breaking point, others will try, and ultimately come unstuck due to conditions.... and a few will barely make it even 15 miles from the start before quitting.

What possesses people to consider starting a 268mile race, believe they can do it, or at least, do justice to the starting price, and yet barely even get 1/16th of the way. And, if you are one of those who is on the startline in January, how can you stop yourself from being one of those that crash and burn before the race has barely begun?

Having raced the "fun run"(Challenger), being on local MR and now a Race Safety Team this year, I suppose I have a couple of observations that might be of use to anyone attempting this for the first (or maybe even second) time.

 

1) know your navigational kit. You should know this by now- it's a non-marked course. You should either know your way, or be able to follow your gps device very easily- and know how it works. There was one racer who ended up bailing pretty early because his GPS was "playing up". Having looked at it, he had it zoomed out to the point where you could see Birmingham AND Bolton- so effectively half of the country- and was still trying to micronav across Kinder with it. It didn't go well.

Know how it works!

Know how your GPS works, and be able to follow it. 

2) Know, and have practiced in your kit. These are long old races. There really isn't any excuse to get 20k in and start complaining of blisters because you are in shoes or boots you haven't worn before-or there is a new piece of kit that isn't working like you expected it to. You might be about to spend the best part of a week in virtual perpetual motion. If you haven't practiced with your kit, or you aren't sure about how something is going to blend with everything else you have- you are about to make a fairly painful and expensive trip that is going to end up being cut short. 

Practice with your kit!

3) Don't underestimate the first section across Kinder and Bleaklow. It isn't the highest part of the race. It probably isn't the boggiest part of the race, but the terrain here doesn't pull punches just because it is at the beginning of the race. It's easy to get turned around and mistake somewhere for somewhere else. ,The Pennine Way isn't always the biggest of the paths around. The people watching your trackers are just sitting there waiting to see if you end up firtling your way to a trig point un-necessarily. If you can, recce it. If you can't, at least virtual recce it on Google earth or something- but make no mistake, it isn't an easy start to the race. 

Kinder and Bleaklow. Not innocuous.

4) It's a LONG way to CP1. 40 miles, if I remember rightly. Ever travelled that far, with ALL your gear, while navigating- in the dark- in a oner before? Don't kid yourself... this is not a trail run which is laid out for you to bimble along from CP to CP. If you aren't prepared, you won't even get there.