Montane Winter Spine Sprint South · Intermediate · 12 weeks
Get to the start line of the 46-mile Winter Spine Sprint ready to push through one long winter night to Hebden Bridge.

The Sprint South is 46 miles of the Pennine Way from Edale to Hebden Bridge, in the depths of winter, with an 18-hour cut-off. You start at midday on Saturday and run through the afternoon, the evening and into the small hours of Sunday, almost certainly finishing in the dark. It is a single continuous push with no sleep, over boggy southern moorland in the cold, and this 12-week plan prepares you for exactly that.

Who it is for. Runners taking on their first Winter Spine Sprint who have finished a marathon or a 50k, hold a base of around 30 to 45 km a week, and are ready to learn night running and the demands of carrying a winter pack. If that is you, this plan will take you from a solid running base to confidently covering 46 winter miles in one push.

What you get.

12 weeks of structured training through Foundation, Build, a race-specific block and a taper, with deload weeks so you arrive fresh.
Every session targeted by percentage of threshold heart rate and RPE, so the effort is right whether you train by feel or by data.
A progressive pack-carriage plan from nothing to race weight of around 6 to 7kg of full mandatory winter kit.
Night running built in early, because the Sprint finishes in the dark, including an optional Friday night run and a long run timed to finish after dark on tired legs.
The centrepiece: a four-hour race simulation that starts in daylight and runs on into the night with your full kit, navigating in the dark and fuelling through the small hours, so race day holds no surprises.
Bog and moorland terrain practice, sensible cross-training and "treadhill" options if you are short of hills, and a race-execution brief waiting for you on the start line.
Pairs with. Add the matching HP3 Spine Strength bolt-on (Home or Gym) to build the load-carriage and descent strength the plan calls for. The running plan leaves the strength days open and points you straight to it.

Going further. This plan will get a well-prepared runner to Hebden Bridge. If you want it tailored to your life, your terrain and your limiters, the next step is a personalised HP3 plan or one-to-one coaching, and your built-in strength testing will show you when that is worth it.

Please note. This is a training plan, not a substitute for mountain competence. You are responsible for your own navigation, kit and winter skills, and should train within your limits. Please read the full disclaimer before you begin.