Runner beats 268-mile race record by 10 hours

Jack Scott beat the previous course record for the Spine Race by more than 10 hours

A man from Staffordshire has set a new course record on one of the world’s toughest ultra-marathon events.

Jack Scott completed the 268-mile Spine Race in just under 73 hours, beating the previous course record set by Jasmin Paris in 2019 by more than 10 hours.

He completed the challenge with less than an hour’s sleep during the whole race.

This, he said, included a half-hour sleep at a base, a four-minute power nap on Hadrian’s Wall in the snow and a number of 90-second micro-naps.

The Spine Race is an annual challenge, widely regarded as one of the toughest endurance races in the world.

It begins in Edale in Derbyshire, and finishes in the village of Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders.

Runners must race non-stop, and complete the course within 7 days of starting.

Scott told BBC Radio 5 Live: “When you really push the boundaries and you’re right on the limit, you’ll try anything.”

“It’s not really something you can train for, it’s more of a mindset, I suppose.”

Endurance runner Jack Scott completed the 268-mile Spine Race in a time of 72 hours, 55 minutes and 5 seconds

He said the run was the scariest he’d experienced, with hallucinations and sleep deprivation taking a toll as he ran through the darkness.

He believes it was worth the risk, however.

He said: “I think we’ve all become too settled, too secure and too reliant on gadgets and gizmos.

“Sometimes you have to rip the band aid off and go out and do something extreme to make yourself feel human and connected with yourself.”

Mr Scott also spoke about his battle with a gambling addiction and how running helped.

He said: “Running offered me a way out of gambling and for some time they sort of went hand in hand, until I grew and I learned as a man and my running developed.”

He added: “Sometimes when I’m out there and it’s hurting, I just think I can’t be harmed because I’ve been through so much mental turmoil, with no good come of it.

“When the opportunity is there and you’re doing something you love like running, you sort of feel like it’s a blessing, just grit your teeth and find your way through it.”