Selby: Humberside Police officer completes 268-mile Winter Spine Race

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Kendra WedgwoodImage source, Handout
Image caption,

Kendra Wedgwood took part in this year's Winter Spine Race

A mother from North Yorkshire has completed a 268-mile (431km) endurance race in "freezing" weather conditions.

Kendra Wedgwood, 43, from Selby, finished the Winter Spine Race along the Pennine Way in just over 129 hours.

Starting in Edale, Derbyshire, and ending in Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders, participants must complete the challenge within 168 hours.

Mrs Wedgwood, an officer with Humberside Police, said she only began running five years ago.

"It was absolutely freezing," she said of the challenging weather conditions.

"The minute you stepped outside in darkness hours your water bottle instantly froze.

"That was on base level, so when you went up into the mountains it got colder and colder."

The detective sergeant said it had been a contrast to when she began running.

"I started running 5k and that felt a long way to me, so everyone can do it," she said.

Image source, Handout
Image caption,

Weather conditions during this year's event were challenging

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

Mrs Wedgwood said hallucinations were not uncommon among participants "due to sleep deprivation", but she had avoided them.

She said she ran about 80% of the distance and walked the remainder.

This year's winner in the women's category was Claire Bannwarth from France and Jack Scott from Staffordshire won the men's race.

Mrs Wedgwood came joint seventh in the women's category.

She said she had received a lot of support from her family, including her son and two stepchildren.

"I enjoyed every second of it, it was absolutely brilliant," she said.

She said she was looking forward to the next challenge.

"The next natural step for me is to go to the Arctic and see what my little body can do out there," she said.

Image source, Handout
Image caption,

Mrs Wedgwood completed the race in just over five days.

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