INOV8 athlete Tom Spencer has begun 2026 with a bang, recording some big results in Europe and the UK.
In April, he headed to the south of Spain to take on the Calamorro Skyrace - lining up against a strong international field in the Skyrunner World Series.
The youngster, who took the overall win in last year's U23 World Series, delivered a composed performance across the 20-mile (32km) course, finishing in 2hr 52min to take third place.
The result comes just two weeks after Tom took the win in the Coledale Horseshoe fell race, holding off tough competition in the Lake District fells to top the podium.
We caught up with Tom to talk through the race, the shift from the Lake District fells to the Mediterranean mountains, and what’s next in 2026.
A great performance at the weekend saw you take third place at the Calamorro Skyrace - how did the race go?
It was my first race as a Skyrace as a senior, so I wasn’t sure how I’d cope over the longer distance. I got a solid start but was slow scrambling up the first climb and loose rocky descent that followed and slipped to 9th.
My legs seemed to wake up for the second and third climbs, and I was in 3rd at the final major summit. Marcos Villamuera quickly caught me again on the descent, leaving another 30secs to claw back on the little climbs in the rolling 5km to the finish. I overtook Marcos again and held strong to finish in 3rd.
How does it feel to stand on the podium on the international stage?
I’m very pleased with the result, and I’m happy that I’ve been able to do well amongst the seniors, having raced the U23 category last year.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep up the current good form.
The result comes just a few weeks after your win at the Coledale Horseshoe fell race - how different are the two races, going from the Lake District fells to Mediterranean mountains?
One race comes with hail and one with shining sun!
In some ways, they were quite similar, with fast runnable sections, sections of loose rock underfoot, and sections such as the Crag Hill of technical downhill.
European races tend to be all marked and on path, which is definitely not the case on the fells. It means the European races tend to be a lot faster, a different type of technical racing.
How has your training been since we last caught up in October, after you took the overall win in the U23 Sky Running World Series?
Training has been the same as always, with as much time in the hills as possible - around the constraints of my PhD work and of course the weather!
It’s been a very wet winter in Scotland, so I’ve not got out for as many big days as I’d hope, but now the days are getting longer, the weather will hopefully allow for some fun days out.
What other key events have you got on your race calendar in 2026?
Next up is the Uphill Only trial at Skiddaw, for GB selection at the European Champs. It’s been a bit of a bogey race in the past, so hopefully this might be the year!
After that, I’ll be continuing with the Senior Skyrunner Series, as well as returning to the U23 Series across Europe.
I’ll also be racing at ETC and Sierre-Zinal, with the remaining free weekends (and odd Wednesday night) filled with local hill races where I can.
What have been your go-to INOV8 kit picks?
The TRAILTALON SPEED for dry races and the MUDTALON SPEED for when it’s wet and muddy.
My trusty waist pack is used for every race that needs kit to be carried, and usually has the STORMSHELL inside.
Photos: Steve Ashworth @steveashworthmedia / UrrielluVisual @urruelluvisual
