The 2025 Winter Spine Race in England is entering its closing stages, and while many are still bravely battling their way to Kirk Yetholm, on the Scotland border, the fast folks at the front of the race have already completed their journey and are just beginning to process the past few days.
The Winter Spine Race travels 268 miles from south to north on the Pennine Way — the trail known as the spine of England — and takes in some of the country’s wildest and most beautiful terrain. The race is largely self-supported, and competitors must carry everything they need for the week. There are checkpoints along the way where athletes can rest, but the clock does not stop, so sleep comes at a premium.
Conditions this year were particularly harsh, with heavy snow underfoot and a number of weather-related diversions implemented to protect the runners’ safety.
This year, the competitive end of the race saw many familiar names and returning Spine Race veterans. In the men’s race, Kim Collison (U.K.) took it out hard, as he has done in previous years, but managed to hold on this time to take victory in a time of 82 hours and 46 minutes.
In the women’s race, Robyn Cassidy (U.K.) led the charge early on, before Lucy Gossage (U.K.) caught up, eventually leaving Cassidy behind to take the win in 87:41.
Read on to see how both races played out.
Lucy Gossage, elated at winning the 2025 Winter Spine Race. Photo: The Spine Race
2025 Winter Spine Race Men’s Race
Kim Collison is no stranger to the Winter Spine Race start line, with this his fourth running, but remarkably this is his first time making it to the finish — and he made it there before anyone else. This is testament to the all-or-nothing effort that Collison has always given this race.
The 2020 winner and former men’s course record holder John Kelly (U.S.) led the charge in the men’s race into Checkpoint 1 Hebden, around 42 miles in, in 8:21 elapsed. Collison was just a couple of minutes behind him, with Spine Race regular Eugeni Roselló Solé (Spain) hot on his heels in third. Roselló Solé won the race in 2013 and was second in 2017. He also has a number of Spine Race DNFs (did not finish) to his name, including a devastating DNF in the 2019 race, less than four miles from the finish, while leading the men’s race behind Jasmin Paris.
By the second checkpoint, Hawes, mile 104, Collison had taken the lead with 25:23 on the clock, and took the time for a short sleep in the checkpoint. Roselló Solé — now in second — was chasing hard, arriving to the checkpoint 22 minutes after the leader.
Behind them, Tiaan Erwee (South Africa), Sam Skinner (U.K.), and Dave Phillips (U.K.) worked together in joint third place, with Kelly about 25 minutes back from the chasing pack.
While Collison maintained his dominance through the next section, changes took place behind him. Roselló Solé succumbed to another DNF after Tan Hill, 120 miles in, and Kelly overtook the trio of Erwee, Skinner, and Phillips to move into second — an hour and 50 minutes back from the leader by Checkpoint 3 Langdon, 143 miles in.
It was on the next section that Kelly received a 26-minute time penalty, which was later relaxed to 13 minutes, for failing to follow a weather-related diversion at Cauldron Snout. The penalty was relaxed when it was deemed that it was a genuine and understandable error, and the 13-minute penalty that remained was just the time it was thought he would have saved by skipping the diversion.
By Checkpoint 4 Alston, 175 miles in, Collison was still well out in front, but with Kelly having reduced the gap to 55 minutes. About 75 minutes later, Phillips and Erwee followed, still running close together, although Skinner had fallen further back.
There followed an immensely challenging 36 miles to Checkpoint 5 Bellingham, 211 miles in, much of which leader Collison navigated during the night. He said at the checkpoint that it felt “endless” with constantly undulating, rocky terrain. With a two-hour, 20-minute lead over Erwee, who had moved into second, he could afford the time to stop in the aid station for a little sleep. Kelly was just three minutes back from Erwee at this point in third, with only another another 10 minutes separating him from Phillips in fourth — so the second and third podium spots were still there to be played for.
However, it became increasingly clear that the 2025 Winter Spine Race men’s event belonged to Collison. Arriving into Byrness at 227 miles, he was quoted as having said, “this is my year,” and proceeded after a quick stop to take on some hot food and refill his water. The wild crossing of the Cheviot Hills was now all that stood between him and the finish.
The race behind him continued. Facing into the Cheviots, it was Phillips in second, two hours back of the lead; Erwee in third, 36 minutes back from Phillips; and Kelly in fourth, another 24 minutes back.
There were triumphant and emotional scenes at the Border Hotel finish line when Kim Collison arrived on Wednesday evening, in 82 hours and 46 minutes — the third fastest Winter Spine Race time on record — finally reaping the rewards for his many years of experience — and perseverance.
Behind him, the remaining podium positions were unchanged since Byrness. Dave Phillips arrived in second place in 85:58, with Tiaan Erwee closing out the podium just seven minutes later. John Kelly ultimately finished fourth in 87:55.
Kim Collison finishing the 2025 Winter Spine Race. Photo: @willbaldlygo/The Spine Race
2025 Winter Spine Race Men’s Results
- Kim Collison (U.K.) – 82:46:32
- Dave Phillips (U.K.) – 85:58:05
- Tiaan Erwee (South Africa) – 86:05:09
- John Kelly (U.S.) – 87:55:32
- Max Moberg (Sweden) – 89:52:48
- Clarens Olsson (Norway) – 92:36:12
- Sam Skinner (U.K.) – 94:31:14
- James Leavesley (U.K.) – 98:09:39
- Harry Firth (U.K.) – 98:55:59
- Dougie Zinis (U.K.) – 100:00:59
The relief is palpable, as Dave Phillips reaches the Border Hotel, after placing second in the 2025 Winter Spine Race. Photo: @fellsidephotography/The Spine Race
2025 Winter Spine Race Women’s Race
In the women’s race, Robyn Cassidy (U.K.) was the early leader. She set an aggressive pace and was already some 43 minutes clear of then second-place Hannah Rickman (U.K.) at Checkpoint 1 Hebden, around 42 miles in. Rickman placed second in both the 2024 and 2023 Winter Spine Races, and won the 2023 Summer Spine Race on the same route. Lucy Gossage, last year’s third-place woman and multiple Ironman-winning triathlete, followed in third — just shy of an hour back from Cassidy in front.
Cassidy reached Checkpoint 2 Hawes, mile 104, in 28 hours and 49 minutes elapsed, still with a comfortable lead, where it emerged that her friend and training partner Rickman had unfortunately retired from the race. This left Gossage as lead chaser, who was still a little under an hour back of the lead coming into Hawes, but had picked up about five minutes on Cassidy since the first checkpoint. Behind her, the gap to Nikki Arthur (U.K.) in third was more than four hours.
By Checkpoint 3 Langdon, 143 miles in, Gossage had closed the gap on Cassidy, and the two were well clear of the chasing pack. When Gossage caught up, the two paired off to work together for a long section of the course, as Spiners are wont to do — seeing it as them versus the course.
Behind them at Langdon, there was some reshuffling of positions as Sarah Perry (U.K.) moved straight through the checkpoint and into third place while Arthur took a rest stop.
The two leaders covered the next 32 miles as a team, stopping to rest together, and moving up through the overall placings in the process. They parted ways at Checkpoint 4 Alston, 175 miles in, where Cassidy decided to stay for an hour’s sleep in the checkpoint while Gossage chose to press on, opting for a trail-nap instead.
That was the last the two were to see of each other until the finish, as Gossage pushed on relentlessly. By Checkpoint 5 Bellingham, 211 miles in, she had increased her lead to almost two hours to Cassidy, who now had a gap of 11 hours and 30 minutes to Arthur, who had since reclaimed third position.
Eventually Lucy Gossage touched the finish line wall at the Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm in a time of 87 hours and 41 minutes — the third fastest women’s time on record.
Robyn Cassidy followed in 94:31, taking a well-deserved second place after her brave run, where she led for more than half of the race.
Nikki Arthur rounded out the podium in 103:36, and Sarah Perry took fourth in 115:07.
Lucy Gossage has a well-earned sit down outside the Border Hotel, after winning the 2025 Winter Spine Race Photo: @fellsidephotography/The Spine Race
2025 Winter Spine Race Women’s Results
- Lucy Gossage (U.K.) – 87:41:38
- Robyn Cassidy (U.K.) – 94:31:43
- Nikki Arthur (Isle of Man) – 103:36:59
- Sarah Perry (U.K.) – 115:07:52
- Laura Swanton-Rouvelin (U.K.) – 120:16:11
[Editor’s Note: We note all the women who have finished at the time of this article’s publishing. As more women finish, we’ll update this section.]
