Shropshire GP wins four day 268 mile race along Pennine Way
The Montane Spine is dubbed Britain's most brutal endurance race
A GP from Shropshire has won what has been dubbed one of the country's hardest ultramarathons along the Pennine Way.
Jenny Hartley completed the 2026 Montane Summer Spine in just under four and a half days, running 268 miles from Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders, becoming the first woman across the finish line.
Jenny took on the event with humour and determination, having never run more than 78 miles before.
"I'm really proud," Jenny said after crossing the finish line on Thursday, June 18.
"I was really, really scared of it and then sometimes when you worry if something's going to be bad, it is and it was - it was worse!
"Tuesday was awful and I just kept going through everything in my toolkit on how to get through and I did and I'm really proud of that."
The army veteran said she only signed up for the non-stop race four weeks ago, leaving her little time to prepare.
Throughout the run, Jenny said she went through her "toddler checklist" to make sure she was looking after herself by eating, sleeping and drinking enough.
However, the final stretch was special to Jenny in more ways than one.
She said: "My motivation during the race, and the thing that kept me going was thinking of the final hills, the Cheviots.
"From the Cheviots, you can see a range of hills called the Eildon Hills in the Scottish Borders, and I used to live near there, and we laid our son, Struan, to rest in the Eildon Hills a few years ago.
"I knew that when I'd run 260 miles and was at the Cheviots, I'd be able to look over to the west and see the Eildon Hills, and it felt like I was running home towards him for those first 260 miles.
"Once I got there, I knew I could finish, so that was my big motivation that kept me going throughout the race."
More than 700 runners from across the world took part in the 2026 Montane Summer Spine, facing over 10,000 metres of ascent and the mental challenge of enduring hundreds of miles without a proper rest.