Chris Cope: Victory at Montane Summer Spine Race

After his brother became an Ironman in 2018, Chris Cope from Nottingham set out to accomplish something equally impressive in good-natured sibling rivalry. At 35 years old and working as a GP, Chris decided to pursue endurance sports when his annual appraisal came around. 

His venture into the Ironman triathlon qualified him for the KONA World Championships in Wales. He succeeded at a double Ironman through the brutal yet beautiful Snowdonian landscape. 

The peace and tranquillity of the mountainside sat well with Chris. After falling out of love with the swimming aspect of an ironman, he decided ultrarunning was the next natural step in his journey. 

Having been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 14, Chris understood that his journey would not be like most people’s. Nevertheless, he was determined that this wouldn’t stand in his way. 

The Montane Summer Spine is a 268-mile footrace up the Pennine Way, beginning in Edale and travelling north to finish in Kirk Yetholm. Known as Britain’s most Brutal race, Chris was enamoured by the challenge and set his sights on completing it.

“Obviously, it’s possible because people have done it, but could I ever do it? Especially being type one diabetic, it just adds that little bit of extra amount of planning. I wouldn’t say difficulty because you can do it as long as you plan for it; it’s achievable, but it certainly adds that extra dimension. So to have finished and to have won it is just mind-blowing.” 

Having competed in races like the Montane Dragon’s Back Race, Chris was prepared for the leg pounding. However, the overnight, continual racing was a new challenge. Before the Montane Spine Race, he had only traversed for around 24 hours. Therefore, this was a whole new aspect to consider when taking on this challenge. 

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“You definitely have to break it into sections because it is impossible to think about the full 268 miles; it’s just more than ten marathons. I had a crib sheet with all the different sections on my predicted paces and what I had to do at each section where I could pick up water. So, I planned to the nth degree as much as I could. Of course, you’re thinking on your feet because things always change during the race.”

Setting off from Edale at 8 am on June 16th, Chris was welcomed by blue skies, which quickly turned grey in good old British Summer fashion. After a particularly wet introduction to summer, the route was boggier than normal, adding another level of challenge. 

Chris ran the first few sections with Jon Shield, an exceptional ultrarunner who has won races like Beyond The Ultimate Highland Ultra, Arctic Ultra and Jungle Ultra. Chris recalled a moment when they were unsure what kit would be most suitable for the challenge while ascending Jacob’s Ladder. 

“It was just throwing it down at times, the flagstones like nothing I’ve ever known on Kinder Scout before, which I know that area fairly well. Two years ago, I was training up there for the Dragons Back; it was a dust bowl then. It was just a bog. People were dropping out of the Sprint, left, right and centre, trying to push over the flagstones, which kept giving way, tripping into bogs.

“I mean, ultimately, it’s a challenge, isn’t it? This is meant to be Britain’s most brutal for a reason, and we don’t go there for an easy walk in the sunshine. But it was another level of what I was expecting.”

Not only was he battling the weather, but Chris’ blood sugar dipped for the only time during the race. Through these first low moments, Jon was an excellent cheerleader, providing support while they traversed the section. To his hilarity and delight, Chris’ brother Matt began shouting for John in a brotherly fashion at Stoodley Pike.