Pavel Paloncý and Eugeni Roselló Solé still jointly lead the 268-mile MONTANE® Spine® Race overall. While Carol Morgan leads the women's race from Helene Dumais. The MONTANE® Spine® Race is a 268-mile/431km footrace along the Pennine Way, England's oldest and generally thought to be toughest National Trail, in winter.
After 180 miles/290kms of the 2017 MONTANE® Spine® Race, Pavel Paloncý (CZE) and Eugeni Roselló Solé (ESP) jointly lead, despite a two-hour gap between them this morning.
Paloncý and Roselló Solé arrived at check point (CP) three, Middleton-in-Teesdale, 142 miles/228kms into the race, at 2:16am.
Paloncý was on his way again before 5am, after both a 75-minute sleep and pausing to serve a 30-minute, stop-and-go penalty, for shortcutting the course the previous night.
After serving an identical sanction but sleeping for three hours-plus, Roselló Solé was on his way along the Pennine Way just before 7am.
Last year's race winner and course record-holder Eoin Keith (IRL) arrived at the Middleton-in-Teesdale check point shortly after Roselló Solé's departure.
Keith rested there for two hours before leaving, but lost considerable time on the front two during the day. Roselló Solé meanwhile whittled his two-hour gap behind Paloncý down to just 10 minutes by the time they reached CP5, at Alston.
Both are now resting here as the Spine Race heads into a third night.
In the women's race, Carol Morgan (IRL) continues to extend her lead over Helene Dumais (CAN) to more than 40km. Sarah Fuller (GBR) is third.
Morgan, who as a nurse is accustomed to making decisions when sleep deprived, has moved up to joint fifth overall, with Paul Nelson (GBR).
There have been 24 retirements so far.
The MONTANE® Spine® Race continues through the night...
CURRENT RACE LEADERS:
MONTANE® Spine® Race (M): Pavel Paloncý (CZH)/Eugeni Rosello Sole (ESP)
MONTANE® Spine® Race (F): Carol Morgan (GBR)
RACE WINNERS:
MONTANE® Spine® Challenger (M): 28:00, Dominic Layfield (US)
MONTANE® Spine® Challenger (F): 37:53, Sarah Davies (GBR)
MONTANE® Spine® MRT Challenge (M): 33:40, Alasdair Cowell (GBR)
MONTANE® Spine® MRT Challenge (F): 58:18 Ella Corrick (GBR)
LIVE TRACKING & LIVE LEADERBOARD:
