The 29-year-old ultra-runner conquers bitterly cold conditions in mid-winter endurance challenge, Adrian Stott reports

Jack Scott has won the 2024 Montane Winter Spine Race after covering the 268 miles of the Pennine Way from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders in a record time of 72hr 55min 5sec. This is over 10 hours inside Jasmin Pariss time of 83:12:23 from 2019.

All the competitors had to contend with sub-zero temperatures at night and close to zero temperatures in the day, but that didnt deter Scott. Runner-up behind Damian Hall last year, he powered over the final section of the Cheviot Hills to obliterate the previous mark.

The 29-year-old from Staffordshire, supported by Inov-8, was always near the front of the race. Last years winner, Hall, along with the experienced Kim Collison, American John Kelly and Edinburghs Konrad Rawlik, traded the early lead. Kelly was an early casualty, turning an ankle before 50 miles had been reached.

At Hawes Checkpoint (116 miles) Collison led in 23:51 after almost 24 hours of running with a 15-minute lead on Rawlik and Hall. Scott seemed to be going through a bad patch and was 25 minutes behind them. Despite reaching the Langdon Checkpoint in the lead at 155 miles, Collison dropped out there with an issue. Hall was next to reach Langdon, 20 minutes ahead of Scott, who was moving well again and closing.

Over the exposed section, including High Cup Nick to Dufton, Scott continued to close on Hall. Both reached Dufton after 40hr 42min of running but the momentum was now with Scott.

He didnt linger long at the checkpoint before heading off to attack the next challenging section up over Cross Fell, the highest point of the course. By Alston Checkpoint at 186 miles, he had opened up a gap of almost an hour on Hall and over three hours on Rawlik, with Doug Zinis now fourth.

From there, Scott massively extended his lead to the finish with an extraordinary display of committed running.

A small but enthusiastic group welcomed him at the finish in the small border village of Kirk Yetholm. He seemed to saunter across the line, looking tired, but as if he was just finishing his long weekend run. Then, in race tradition, he continued across the road from the village green, to touch the wall of the Border Inn.

Scott, who slept for less than an hour throughout the entire race, said: This race meant everything to me, it was all I was focused on. I had a once-in-a-lifetime type of run and Im so happy. I just felt like I had another gear almost the whole race, apart from the bit near Malham Tarn (80 miles in) when I felt bad due to the fast early pace and almost dropped out. After that, I slowed the pace, recharged, then pushed again when I felt better, chasing down those in front.

Once I was on my own in front I just kept going. I was running scared, not knowing what was happening behind me. I hallucinated other runners catching me up. So scared of being caught, I made myself run as much as possible and took only small rests.

I remember sleeping for 30 minutes a bit earlier in the race at the checkpoint in Langdon, then later beside Hadrians Wall when I asked a member of the public to watch over me and wake me up after four minutes. I then had 10 minutes sleep sitting against a fence on the final section over the Cheviot Hills when I set my alarm to wake me up.

Scott, who works part-time in the construction industry, first began running in his early 20s, using it to help him overcome a gambling addiction. Now five years clean, his results at ultra-marathon races have elevated his status, as has his work to promote GAMSTOP, a platform that allows people to self-exclude themselves from online gambling.

I just wanted to win the race, he added. That was the goal. The record is fantastic, Im not sure I can quite believe it.

Hall finished runner-up in 82:25:10 to also beat Pariss course record. He was also two hours quicker than his 2023 winning time.

Rawlik, with previous completions of multi-days like the Dragons Back, down the length of Wales, as well as being a previous winner of the classic 60-mile Fellsman race, was third in 85:47:12.

Returning champion Claire Bannwarth of France successfully defended her womens title finishing fifth overall in 92:02:23 more than five hours faster than her 2023 winning time.