Search
shop

Triathlon star raising funds and spirits with INCREDIBLE display in Britain’s ‘most brutal’ ultrarunning race

She was third on her debut last year and now former top triathlete Lucy Gossage is right in contention for the win at the Winter Spine Race.
News Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Lucy Gossage, the multiple Ironman-winning triathlete, is in with a real chance of winning the Montane Winter Spine Race, billed as ‘Britain’s most brutal’ ultrarunning race.

As well as all her Ironman successses, the remarkable Gossage also triumphed in two of triathlon’s most extreme endurance events – Patagonman and Norseman.

And she showed last year that she could translate those talents to ultraunning with a fabulous Spine Race debut when finished a superb third behind defending champion Claire Bannwarth and previous podium finisher Hannah Rickman.

Gossage is an NHS oncologist and raised over £30,000 last year for the MOVE charity, which aims to ‘use physical activity and exercise to improve the lives of people with cancer’. She is doing so again and the fundraising link is here.

‘Why’ Lucy returned to the Spine Race

A shocking twist after last year’s race provided the ‘why’ for a return – read more about that here – and meant she headed back to the 2025 renewal looking to “find closure”.

The runners this year have so far been hit with almost every type of challenging weather.

The 268-mile race up the Pennine Way from Edale in the Peak District to Kirk Yetholm on the English-Scottish border started at 8am on Sunday at which point the ground was frozen and covered with huge amounts of snow.

The majority of that has now melted but that has led to deep bogs and even the threat of flooding which has meant organisers have rapidly had to put diversions in place to ensure runner safety. And added into the mix are wind gusts of up to 70mph.

But Gossage has so far taken it all in her stride and seems to have been smiling throughout. She moved into second place in the first 24 hours as Robyn Cassidy opened up a lead of over 90 minutes in the women’s race.

But overnight on Monday that gap started to close and by checkpoint 3 at Langdon on Tuesday morning it was down to just 10 minutes.

Later on Tuesday, Cassidy and Gossage were running together – and phoning ahead for sausage sandwiches in Dufton by the sounds of the video below!

Here for the women’s race

Nikki Bartlett, a great friend of Gossage’s and fifth in the IRONMAN World Championship last year, is looking after her social channels and posting regular in-race updates like the one above.

That underlines the Spine camaraderie, something which was in evidence long before this year’s race when many of the leading female contenders took part in a three-day recce together.

Gossage and Cassidy now have just under 100 miles to go and if they can make it to the finish then the title looks set to go to one of them as they are currently more than six hours ahead of third-placed Nikki Arthur.

At checkpoint four shortly after 5pm on Tuesday, Gossage had moved in front on her own – just under 15 minutes ahead of Cassidy, though it looks like both were planning to get a bit of sleep there.

We’ll be posting frequent updates on our sister site RUN247 and you can also follow the live tracker here.

Lucy Gossage Montane Winter Spine Race 2025 Photo credit: The Spine Race
Lucy Gossage is relishing the challenge [Photo credit: The Spine Race]
Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
Hayden Wilde bike supertri Boston 2024 photo credit supertri
Premium10 ways to make your road bike faster and more aero for triathlons
Kristian Blummenfelt photo credit: PTO Canadian Open
PremiumIs your gut health impacting your performance? The untapped potential of good gut health for triathletes
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
PremiumHas triathlon reached peak performance? Tri experts and legends on how much faster triathletes could get
latest News
Triathlon superstar Hayden Wilde to make shock comeback at London T100
Lionel Sanders wins 70.3 St George 2025 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘Intimidating’ to go into Worlds after four months off – but Lionel Sanders up for the challenge
Georgia Taylor-Brown Alex Yee Super League Triathlon Malibu 2021
Triathlon’s most decorated Olympic duo now honoured by their former University
Olav Aleksander Bu Photo credit: Roj Ferman | Surpas
Top triathlon coach Olav Aleksander Bu says it’s all about the team after Uno-X bag first Tour de France win
Danielle Lewis (USA) takes the win in Lake Placid.
IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025: Date, start time, how to watch and who’s racing
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...