As mentioned in the previous page, the Montane Spine Race is one of the most challenging and arduous endurance races. Manx runner Orran Smith completed the 268 mile race in brutal weather conditions in only 5 days and raised an astonishing £11,287 for the Isle of Man MS Society Group.
After recovering from his endeavours, Orran shared a few thoughts with us “I was thinking of doing the Spine Race anyway and when I came across a post from my friend Chris Sheeley telling of his battle with MS and it all seemed to come together at the same time”. His old friend Chris had written about the various challenges that living with MS brings. “Chris’ post was somewhat distressing, as he described his day-to-day struggles living with MS. Having not seen Chris for some time prior to reading the post, the image of him in my mind was of someone fully engaged with life, smashing life and being his funny self.”
“I felt guilty having known Chris so well and yet being unaware of his challenges with MS. I sent him a message asking him how he was and just to let him know he’d been in my thoughts. I wanted to help in some way, but was unsure how best to do so. And then I thought, I’m doing the Spine Race anyway, so why not do it as a fundraiser for the MS Society. I didn’t really have a target in mind as to how much to raise and I was astonished with people’s generosity and ended up raising over £11,000.”
“The training was brutal. Running throughout the winter, to build stamina in tough conditions. I would normally get up at 2 am, run for three hours and then have a few hours sleep before getting ready for work.”
“The psychological aspect is just as important as the physical aspect. During the race, I would say to myself ‘this is going to come to an end and the pain in my legs is going to end’. But there’s so many people with MS who don’t know when they are going to have flare ups, or whether they were going to get worse and if they do, when that will be. As my legs were getting tired and sore, I would tell myself ‘I am in control and I can put one foot in front of the other.’
“Despite the hardships of the race, the positive impact of the 15-20 weeks of training leading up to the event are evident – building a great deal of physical and mental strength, adopting a really healthy diet during an extremely unhealthy time of year, engaging in regular strength training, and forming connections with like-minded individuals. The race, although incredibly painful, fosters a strong sense of place in the world and camaraderie with fellow racers, and the post-race reflection brings about a great deal of gratitude, pride, and a deeper appreciation for your life and the people you get to share it with.”
When Orran returned home, he said he found it difficult to accept the amount of praise he received, “It just didn’t feel right. There are people struggling with all the time with MS. I did not do it for praise, I did it to raise awareness of people with MS some of who are suffering everyday.”
Thanks should also go towards those supporting him, such as his partner, Nikki, his daughters and all the fundraisers.
Derek Patience, Chairman of the Isle of Man branch of the MS Society said, “Every step taken on a sponsored walk or cake baked for the charity raises precious funds and helps the branch to continue to provide vital services to those affected by MS in the Isle of Man.”
“Orran’s achievements are absolutely flabbergasting. Having MS can be hard, sometimes very hard. However, we get tremendous support from family and friends and we receive wonderful care from the MS Health Professionals here, plus we meet so many thoughtful and kind people who raise funds for us in all sorts of different ways. However, I don’t think anyone has ever come anywhere close to matching Orran’s incredible, mind-boggling achievement in running and completing the 268 mile Montane Spine race in absolutely horrendous conditions in only 5 days. He is obviously a tremendous athlete, with incredible mental strength. More importantly though, he is a truly remarkable, generous and thoughtful person.”
