Sarah Porter Pulled From 2026 Winter Spine Race Event Following Death Threats

January 13, 2026

On January 11, 2026, the Winter Spine Race organization made an announcement on social media about one of the participants in the 108-mile Winter Spine Challenger South race: “Sarah Porter, who has been fundraising for charity … has now been withdrawn from the race due to safety concerns.” Porter, from the U.K., was pulled from the course on the recommendation of the race director Phil Hayday-Brown after only 30 miles of racing when the organization became aware of death threats toward her.

When contacted, the race organization explained, “On Saturday the 10th we made the difficult decision to remove one of our participants from the race following a personal safety threat, we have been working with all the relevant authorities and believe there is no wider threat to other participants on the course. We understand that this is disappointing for the runner in question, but the safety of all our participants is always our primary concern.” I.RUN.FAR