Hotel Cristina general manager completes training before winter mountain marathon
The general manager of the Hotel Cristina, Steve Hayes, has recently completed his training ahead of his latest challenge, The Spine Race, which is a 268-mile, non-stop, 7-day winter mountain marathon across the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales in England. Steve attended the Mountain Spine Race training weekend on 9th & 10th November to test equipment, food, pacing and to meet fellow challengers before the event takes place in January 2014. The Spine Race covers a trail between Edale and Kirk Yethlom, and the training weekend involved a 42-mile race to simulate the number of miles required per day to complete the race in January.
‘It was a demanding exercise that also included a six hour walk/run in complete darkness to test my navigation skills. The tough weather conditions also allowed me to check the suitability of my race equipment before the real race in a few month’s time.’ The Spine Race follows a number of other challenges that Mr Hayes has accomplished in recent years. In October 2012, he completed the English Channel Swim Challenge in 17 hours and 47 minutes. The encounter involved a 21-mile swim from Dover to Callais and raised over £4,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.