Ultra runners love a bit of suffering, so what could be more appealing than a new race that the organisers are calling their ‘loneliest ultra’. The Montane Cheviot Goat takes place in Northumberland’s wild Cheviot Hills on December 2nd in wintry weather!
Make no bones about it - this is a challenging race. Throughout the 55 mile race the competitors will be spread out and spend large periods of time alone. They will also have to contend with ‘bogs of eternal misery’ and self-navigation. The organisers are expecting a high drop-out rate!
Because of the challenging nature of the race, runner safety is a high priority. There are marshals every 5 miles and the runners wear trackers. But because the majority of the course is accessible only by foot there is only one large checkpoint at the halfway point. Here runners will find a woodburner, hot food and drinks and even sofas! They anticipate that leaving this checkpoint will be the biggest challenge of the race!
Images by Cold Brew Events
The guaranteed misery hasn’t stopped the race from filling up. The first Montane Goat entries have sold out, with 109 athletes (80% / 20% male / female split) ready to test their mettle and see if they are as tough as the Cheviot goats that see out the winter in the region. Well known ultra runners are amongst the herd – Czech competitor Pavel Paloncy has won the 268 mile Montane Spine Race twice previously (2014 and 2015). Carol Morgan, who smashed the women’s Montane Spine Race record this year by 43 hours, as well as placing first woman in the 2017 Dragon’s Back ultra. Finally, Tom Hollins, who having won the Montane Spine Challenger in 2016, went on to pull a dramatic last-minute overtake manoeuvre on frontrunners Paloncy and Eugeni Roselló Solé to claim the lead in the 2017 Montane Spine Race.
Explore the full list of Montane Cheviot Goat entrants
HERE
Follow the race live
HERE
Montane’s head of marketing Terry Stephenson remarked: “The first Montane Goat will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Remote, lonely, perhaps more psychologically testing than anything else…athletes will have to show real fortitude and strength of spirit to overcome it. The Northumberland terrain will be at times achingly beautiful, at others it will feel like the very earth is trying to suck you in. We look forward to welcoming the finishers back at Ingram.”
