Home » Courses » Winter Trail and Mountain Ultra Running Training Weekend 2025
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An immersive weekend of ultra mountain training in the middle of The Montane SPINE country, with expert coaches and elite runners.
£475 | Friday/Saturday Evening Meal | Saturday/Sunday Breakfast | Location - Kirkland Hall Holiday Cottages | 14 to 16 November 2025 | Montane Endorsed Course
Instructors/Coaches: Charles Sproson and Chris Wright
Athletes in attendance: Louise Goddard & Tom Hollins - both ultra distance experts
Your winter ultra journey starts here: we’ve teamed up with Chris Wright, Tom Hollins and Louise Goddard to create an immersive weekend of winter running, skills and training that will prepare you to tackle races such as The Montane Spine, The Montane Cheviot Goat, UK Rounds like the Bob Graham, Paddy Buckley or Charlie Ramsay with confidence. Expect two jam packed days of running skills with expert coaches, opportunities to learn from seasoned ultra runners, evenings talking ultras and swapping stories.
All based out of our luxury accommodation at Kirkland Hall Holiday Cottages.
We 12 beds [8 singles and 4 doubles**] based in luxury holiday cottages at Kirkland Hall.
So you have comfort, but we will put you through your paces 'on the hill' to replicate races such as The Spine etc.
Anyone considering taking on winter trail, mountain and ultra events - the list is none exhaustive, so think:
Anyone entered into the races above or date set for a UK Winter Adventure
We are collaborating with running coach Tim Piggot of HP3, who has offered to support attendees with bespoke training plans for e.g. the Spine race.
This is not included in the course fee, but we can link you up with Tim to discuss your individual needs should you so wish.
Tim is a sports physiotherapist with an amazing story of recovery, university academic and endurance coach, with over 20yrs experience working with beginners through to international & Olympic athletes from a multitude of sports. Coupled with nutrition coaching (Precision Nutrition 1), Strength & Conditioning, British Triathlon level2 and British Athletics Coach in Running Fitness, he can help you return to, or realise your potential.
His area of expertise is working with athletes who have been struggling with illness or injury and returning them to peak performance, particularly the longer distance events.
Course opens at 17:00 - Meet and Greet with coffee/Tea and introductions
Friday evening;
Saturday morning/Afternoon;
Indoor session going over;
Fitness training
Clothing and Equipment
Food and Hydration
Navigation - theory
Saturday evening/night;
Outdoor session covering;
Navigation - practical
Journey on the Pennine Way
Set up a Bivi and make a brew/food
Head back to Kirkland Hall
Food at Kirkland Hall Holiday Cottages - think hearty meat or vegan chilli and rice
Sunday morning; [early start]
Indoor and Outdoor sessions covering;
Morning Run
Breakfast to get us all set - Vegan & Meat options
Walking/Running with Poles session
Pacing and movement over different ground with packs loaded
Personal Admin
Sunday Mid morning to Mid afternoon;
Journey to Greg's Hut
Familiarise yourself with the route
Practice skills on the move
Chat about mindset etc on the move
Sunday afternoon [15:00];
De-brief back at Kirkland Hall Holiday Cottages
Course closure 16:00
This is an extensive winter kit list, you will need all of this for events such as The Montane Spine and Cheviot Goat, any winter UK rounds in the mountains and recce's you may do, so it is an investment for sure.
Let us know if you are struggling for kit, as we do have 'some' supplies to lend.
Leki/Black Diamond Poles available to use
Kahtoola MicroSpikes and KTS Steels Crampons available to use
Please be aware we WILL be moving at slow speeds at some points during the day & night - Think SPINE PACE: please account for this in your clothing selection. Check the weather forecast in advance of the training weekend and come prepared.
Please drop Charles and email if you are unsure about any of the above. [charlie@mountainrun.co.uk]
Charles Sproson is the head of Mountain Run and has a wealth of winter mountain experience under his belt. Whilst he did not complete The Montane Spine in 2014, he did recce the whole route and made it to Houghton in Ribblesdale in the event and suffered a knee injury causing him to stop. Charlie realised The Spine was not his favourite terrain and never made it back. However, Charles is a winter junkie and has spent many many hours in foul winter conditions hanging off belays, racing on skis and training through the winter on the Lakeland Fells for more than 20 years
Read more about Charles here: https://mountainrun.co.uk/abou...
Chris Wright is a freelance Outdoor Instructor and the founder of Mountain Mastery UK. Chris has a wealth and breadth of leading in the mountains, both UK and further afield. An ex secondary school teacher, Chris has actively used his Summer ML for the past 30 years and Winter ML for 15 years. His leadership role with youth expeditions has taken him as far afield as Svalbard, Kyrgyzstan and Malawi, in addition to many personal trips to Ecuador and Nepal (including the Original Everest Marathon 2019) plus many Alpine Mountaineering adventures. Chris is a qualified Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and is often seen guiding on Skye's Cuillin Ridge.
With an earlier career as an academic and Science PhD, Chris has a good knowledge base and keen practical interest in human physiology and biochemistry, understanding the theory behind training, nutrition and performance. He switched from pure classroom teaching to the outdoors in 2009 after studying for a PGCE in Outdoor Education at Edinburgh, and becoming an advocate for Kurt Hahn's Experiential Learning, and has never looked back.
Chris started running Mountain Ultramarathons in his 50s and is no stranger to pushing himself to his limits, having passed the notoriously hard Parachute Regiment selection test in his late 30's, serving in the 4th Battalion reservists. Since completing his first Ultra in 2012, the Lakeland 50, Chris has gone on to complete the CCC (2014) and the prestigious UTMB in 2018. More recently, having previously volunteered on the safety team, he was a finisher in the Winter Spine race in 2023, and claimed a top 20 spot in the Winter Challenger North 2024. Chris knows what it takes to 'get it done'. He is currently in training for a Bob Graham attempt.
Chris professes to be 'an ordinary bloke' who is self taught through reading volumes of information, and experimenting with his own training and racing. His mantras include: 'its never too late' and 'you never know what you can or can't do until you try'.
Louise Goddard is a highly accomplished long distance fell and mountain runner with a long list of accolades, and no stranger to the Spine race. She was 13th overall in Spine Sprint and 7th lady in the 2023 Summer race and 3rd lady (7th overall) in the 2024 Spine Northern Challenger Winter race.
As part of her preparation for the winter event 2024, she was 3rd lady in the Montane Cheviot Goat and is attempting the South and North Sprint in Summer 2025.
Prior to entering the Spine events, she was a volunteer, gaining valuable insights to the race.
Louise represented GB in Duathlon (running and cycling), was 7th in Europe (in Copenhagen) in 2018 and Silver medallist in the World Championship, Long Distance event (Switzerland) in 2019. She is currently an England Masters marathon runner.
More recently, Louise has been a member of the panel at a Montane/Spine workshops online, championing women in long distance events and drawing on her race and training experience to encourage participation in the Spine and other multi-day and winter events.
Louise is still winning races at 58yrs old, and brings a wealth of first-hand experience to this weekend workshop. As well as giving a short talk, she will accompany the runs over the weekend, dispensing invaluable tips and advice.
Tom Hollins has a wealth of experience with regards to ultra running and is somewhat of an icon at The Montane Spine event. He has podium finishes under his belt on all Winter Spine distances , including 1st places in the Challenger South [2016] and the Full Spine [2017], 2nd place in the Challenger North [2024] and Sprint South [2025].
Tom's accolades stretch far beyond the Spine series, which include the infamous Barkley Marathons; a double solo Bob Graham round, and most recently, he set an incredible FKT for a supported solo Winter Wainwright round in just over 8 days, which is utterly phenomenal.
What Tom doesn't know about winter adventures on foot is probably not worth knowing.
No doubt, Tom will enrich the weekend enormously, dispensing his invaluable practical tips and anecdotes.
66 miles. 42 Lake District Peaks. 8,200m ascent. 24 hours to finish. If you’re looking for a serious running challenge, look no further. Have you got what it takes to complete a Bob Graham?
56 miles. 24 summits. 8,600m ascent. 24 hours to finish. Charlie Ramsay’s classic Scottish round is not for the fainthearted. Have you got what it takes?
62 miles. 47 summits. 8,500m ascent. 24 hours to finish. The ‘Welsh Classical’ is the newest of the UK rounds, and rumour has it this one is the toughest of all. Could you complete a Paddy Buckley?
If you’re training for a long ultra, or if you just want extra peace of mind before you head into the hills for a long day out, sound night-navigation skills are a must.
Decoding the Bob Graham Round; This is a 2 to 2.5 hour in depth seminar about everything you need to know to plan/organise your Bob Graham Round to how to train in your own area. If you are serious about doing a BGR, then this session will charge you with everything you need to know and more.
The Lake District National Park is home to some of the most technical, scenic, challenging and rewarding running country in England, and we can't wait to share it with you.
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