Rebecca Devereux – Mum, Vet, Trail Runner, and 3rd Place Finisher at the Montane Winter Spine Sprint
- xtinecruzat
- Jul 1
- 4 min read
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by the incredible Rebecca Devereux — a dedicated mum, a vet, and a passionate trail and ultra runner. Rebecca shares her journey into endurance running, her training highs and lows, and what it took to place third in one of Britain’s most brutal races — the Montane Winter Spine Sprint, a 46-mile challenge across the rugged Pennine Way in the depths of winter.
We dive into Rebecca’s approach to training and mindset, how she balances family life with her love for the trails, and her growing involvement with Black Trail Runners, a community breaking down barriers in the outdoors.
From road marathons to alpine trails, Rebecca’s story is one of resilience, preparation, and quiet determination — whether she’s running through snowstorms in spikes, racing in the Swiss Alps, or supporting others in their running journeys.
If you’re looking for inspiration to start your own trail running adventure — or just want to hear how someone juggles it all and still finds joy in the challenge — this episode is for you.
🎧 Tune in now and get ready to be inspired by Rebecca’s grit, humour, and heart.
We first spoke with Rebecca December 28th 2023 - Listen to this episode here - Rebecca Devereux - Active member of Black Trail Runners (BTR)
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Show notes
Who is Rebecca
Mum, vet, and an ultra runner
3rd place in the Montane Spine Race (Winter Race)
Speaking with Rebecca on the TGP - December 28th 2023
The beginning of 2024
Training for the London Marathon
Her first road race
The difference between training for a road race compared to a trail race
What race day like
Running to Heart Rate
Craving salt 30k in
Wearing a running vest?
Magical moments and the stand out bits
Recovery after the marathon
Racing in Switzerland and wanting to be back in the mountains again
Race strategy for UTMB Eiger and dealing with the killer climbs
Taking a nasty fall and hurting her ankle
Losing her confidence on the downhill sections
Heart rate and effort
Wanting to involve her family in the racing
Being a beacon runner
BTR and having a 35% increase in members
Hosting taste days and working with different partners
The Spine Race….
Could I do this?
Getting on the waiting list…
Being encouraged by Sabrina Pace-Humpreys
Winter Spine Sprint - 46 miles along the Pennine Way
Peak Divide ONEr - 75 miles - during the day, a social run.
Running in the bad weather
Running better in the wet and cold compared to running in the heat
Planning race strategy and training with her coach - Sam Village
Living on the course and being able to do recce runs
Planning and preparing for all eventualities
Being a prepper to help deal with anxiousness
Hill sprints and hill repeats
Snow….
Anything else that could have been done to prepare for the race
Shorts in winter….
Needing to believe in herself and her choices
Silence the noise - silence anything that is going to affect you in a negative way
Wearing spikes for running in the snow
Having a goal of finishing the race
Having the right mindset for when the racing is going slow due to the slow
Having the aim of keeping moving forward and not getting frustrated with the speed of the race
Being confidence on navigation
Catching up with the main group
Getting into flow and everything feeling right
Ambassador for TORQ Fitness UK
Having a caffeine hour
How the conditions helped her
Making the right decisions and grinding it out
The full Montane Spine Race (268 miles)
Challenger South - 110 Miles…
Having a massive respect for the race and not feeling ready to take on the full spine race
Plans for racing in 2025
Running with 7 women from Black Trail Runners
How to connect with Rebecca and Black Trail Runners
Final words of advice for other women who are on their trail running journey
“Turn up, do the sessions, and if you are consistent you will make progress”
The importance of preparation.
Social Media
Instagram: @rebecca_runs_wild
Black Trail Runners - Campaigning charity promoting inclusion, participation & representation of people of Black heritage and people of colour in trail running
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/273210547440261
Instagram: @blacktrailrunners
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