John Kelly leads the Montane Spine Race at the end of it’s fourth day by a staggering margin and looks certain to win a race he has led since we left Edale on Sunday. The former Barkley Marathons winner has picked up his pace on the final day setting a blistering pace and arriving in the Cheviot Hills whilst no other runner was beyond CP5, more than 30 miles/50km behind him. Click for more info on Team Montane Spine Race Day 5 Elsewhere, there was heartbreak for two runners who
John Kelly leads the Montane Spine Race at the end of it’s fourth day by a staggering margin and looks certain to win a race he has led since we left Edale on Sunday. The former Barkley Marathons winner has picked up his pace on the final day setting a blistering pace and arriving in the Cheviot Hills whilst no other runner was beyond CP5, more than 30 miles/50km behind him.
Elsewhere, there was heartbreak for two runners who until today had looked certain to take their place on the podium.
Around 14:00, bad luck struck a leading runner in the form of Jayson Cavill (GBR). Montane Athlete Cavill, had been pressing John Kelly hard throughout the day yesterday and left CP5 in Bellingham just 20 minutes behind the UK based, US runner. However, tendonitis he’d been nursing since day two flared up badly reducing his speed to a crawl. “I don’t want to put myself on the cheviots, crawling in the cold and some poor sod have to come and rescue me” said Yorkshire based Jayson when he reached safety in Byrness.
Race Director Scott Gilmour had this to say of Cavill’s race, “Jayson has shown his world-class calibre over the last few days. He is an immensely strong runner who we know we'll see on many a podium in the future”.
Returning winner, Eugenie Rosello Sole was also forced to retire at around 04:00 this morning. His battered feet required the collective effort of the medical team to get strapped up, squeezed in and ready for him to move on. It didn’t prove enough though and his pace dropped below the point where he was able to stay warm and safely continue.
Eugenie is an amazing athlete and larger than life character who we have no doubt will go on to major wins in the future. We hope to see him on the Pennine Way again soon.
This means that Spine veteran Eoin
Keith is now in 2nd position as he heads into the final section
ahead of Simon Gfeller (SUI), Wouter Huitzing (NED) and leading woman Sabrina
Verjee (GBR), all of whom are currently at CP5 in Bellingham.
Further down the course, the Spine
Race finish line is still a long way away and dozens of brave runners are
enduring wind speeds on high ground that leave them navigating through the
night on their hands and knees.
