Run247 columnist Kirsty Reade is in Chamonix, due to run The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. Ahead of the race she caught up with fellow British competitor Nicky Spinks
There is a fantastic British contingent out at the The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc this year and we at Run247 have had a lot of fun catching up with them (keep an eye out for our video of Robbie and Jez). Nicky Spinks, fell running legend and holder of the Bob Graham, Ramsay and Paddy Buckley Round records, is running for the first time this year and we're really looking forward to seeing how she gets on.
We caught up with Nicky in Chamonix and she told us how she wanted to give UTMB a go because friends had told her all about the atmosphere out here and it seemed like a must-do race. She's done some great preparation, doing the Ramsay Round in May, the 10 Peaks Extreme in July and plenty of long fell races like the Long Tour of Bradwell. Nicky's a farmer so she finds training difficult to fit in during the week but makes up for it at weekends.
The UTMB is a big goal for Nicky this year and as a fell runner she's a bit under the radar for organisers but definitely up there with the favourites in our book at Run247! She's targeting a sub-30 hour finish and her dream goal would be a spot in the top 20 women. All of us at Run247 have our fingers firmly crossed for a strong run.
I asked Nicky for some top tips and her best gear choices are her inov-8 race pack and inov-8 Race Ultra shoe (HERE), which she is a big fan of.
Nicky is sponsored by My Race Kit (www.myracekit.com), who are the ultimate one-stop-shop for ultra runners in need of kit (and aren't they always?) and they give her valuable support on races like this, where kit is so important. She's probably not using poles, but was a bit undecided on this one!
Nicky's advice for runners who are thinking about doing one of the UTMB races is to train on the hills as much as possible and to get strict on the eating. She'll be taking crisps, mini cheddars, sachets of fruit purée and, my personal favourite, Tunnocks wafers with her!
Go Nicky! All the very best from all of us at Run247!
Find out more about Nicky Spinks and her achievements here: www.runbg.co.uk
Kirsty Reade
I’d describe myself as borderline obsessed with running, racing, reading about running, and watching others run so hopefully I’m fairly typical of Run247’s visitors. I tend to do longer races, particularly off-road marathons and ultras, but am pretty much a fan of any distance. I'm passionate about helping runners of all levels to improve through running communities I'm involved in, such as Underground Ultra and Free Range Runners.
