James Nobles: The Montane Winter Spine Q+A

James Nobles is an ultra-mountain runner and #TeamMontane athlete based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. He is a runner in the morning, a public health researcher by day, and a dad the remainder of the time.

With recent running achievements including winning the 2022 Montane Dragon’s Back race and finishing runner-up in the 2023 Montane Cheviot Goat, James has enjoyed great success since venturing into the ultra-running world in 2019.

Why did you enter the Spine Race?

“I saw the photos from the 2023 race and decided that I wanted to get a frozen beard photo of my own. Obviously, the main issue there is actually being able to grow a beard, so I’ll probably have to wait till the 2040 race for that. I might be able to muster a Jack Scott’esque moustache for next year’s race!

In all seriousness though, I love the challenge of the Montane Winter Spine. 268 miles, in the middle of winter, over some of the most inhospitable terrain that this country has to offer. It’s a chance to go deep within yourself, which might sound like a bit of a cliché, but it’s not the type of opportunity that comes around often.”

What training is required to prepare for a 200+ mile race?

“I started training properly for the Montane Winter Spine in June. I had 3 training blocks within that. The first was to get my V02 max as high as I could, so lots of speed work and volume. The second block was more focused on retaining the aerobic capacity but also getting stronger; I brought in the gym work here and the heavy(ish) weights, as well as the good old hill sessions.

And then the final block, which was a short 3 week one, was the fine tuning ready for the race. I focused on removing any niggles, ramped up the volume, and did some big back-to-back days with the Montane Winter Spine pack on.