AIREDALE Hospital doctor Tom Hollins, from Micklethwaite, has won one of the toughest ultra trail races in the country.

The 42-year-old, who is a member of Silsden-based Wharfedale Harriers, came first in the 108-mile Montane Spine Challenger.

And to cap a great event for local athletics clubs, two Keighley & Craven members were also among the finishers in a race in which only just over half of the 82 competitors lasted the distance.

Gary Chapman and Peter Smith, who are both from Haworth, came 12th and 26th respectively.

The remote route, which follows the Pennine Way from the start at Edale, Derbyshire to Hawes in North Yorkshire and includes Haworth Moor, featured demanding terrain, wet and icy conditions underfoot, heavy rain and blizzards – with much of the race being navigated in the dark.

Hollins, who now lives in Ilkley, completed the race in 29 hours and 25 minutes, which was 28 minutes faster than that set by 2015 event winner Ed Catmur.

But the Wharfedale Harrier, who led from about 30 miles in, revealed he had come close to quitting in the latter stages due to injury.

He said: “I was pretty much enjoying it for the first 80 miles but then it became a real hard slog.”

His problems came when he reached higher ground at Fountains Fell and Pen-y-Ghent when his GPS navigation system packed in and then his map blew away.

He said: “I had no form of navigation as far as Horton.

“I know the path over Pen-y-Ghent really well but a blizzard was blowing right in my face.

“Then I slipped and pulled my groin and that really slowed me down.

“I was so cold in Horton I was about to pull out as I was in a lot of pain.

“But the Mountain Rescue team were brilliant. They gave me pain-killers and lots of hot tea and told me to ‘man up!’”.

“I managed to run off my injury and sped up.”

Hollins has become used to running ultras - races over marathon distance - in recent years but not one of this length.

“I’ve won a couple of ultras but I’m not used to being ahead from that early on," he said.

I’m really pleased to win but you are competing with yourself more than anything.”

Less than an hour behind Hollins, Beth Pascall and Matt Bennett took joint second place, arriving at the finish in 30hrs 18mins. Pascall’s time smashed the women’s record by almost 12 hours.

Hollins’ victory entitles him to free entry to next year’s Spine Race – an even longer event, totalling 268 miles and encompassing the whole of the Pennine Way.

British astronaut Tim Peake tweeted his support from space for a colleague running in the competition.

Hollins is keen to take the challenge on if family commitments allow him to.

Otley Athletics Club member Sarah Fuller, who completed the Spine Challenger last year, entered this year's longer race.

Severe weather conditions saw the cut-off time brought forward and meant Fuller was unable to complete the event. Only 24 out of 68 entrants made it to the finish.