On January 11, 2026, the Winter Backbone Race group made an announcement on social media about one of many members within the 108-mile Winter Backbone Challenger South race: “Sarah Porterwho has been fundraising for charity … has now been withdrawn from the race on account of security issues.” Porter, from the U.Okay., was pulled from the course on the advice of the race director Phil Hayday-Brown after solely 30 miles of racing when the group grew to become conscious of dying threats towards her.
Sarah Porter was pulled from the 2026 Winter Backbone Challenger South race after security threats. Picture courtesy of Sarah Porter.
When contacted, the race group defined, “On Saturday the tenth we made the troublesome determination to take away one in every of our members from the race following a private security risk, we’ve been working with all of the related authorities and imagine there is no such thing as a wider risk to different members on the course. We perceive that that is disappointing for the runner in query, however the security of all our members is all the time our major concern.”
The race group additionally confirmed, “We liaised with the police and native authorities once we grew to become conscious of the scenario.” iRunFar has reached out to native authorities and is awaiting a response.
Fundraising for Afghan Ladies
Porter was utilizing the race as a fundraiser for supporting younger girls in Afghanistana trigger she has been concerned with for a very long time. Exterior of working, Porter is the founder and CEO of InspiredMinds, an AI know-how firm that lobbies for know-how for use in a optimistic, democratic method in low- to middle-income nations. In 2017, as a part of her work, she was launched to the all-girl Afghan robotics workforce that was initially unable to compete at a world robotics competitors within the U.S. after being denied visas. Via Porter’s work, the younger girls had been finally in a position to journey and compete. Porter stayed in contact with these girls, and earlier than the autumn of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, to the Taliban in 2021, grew to become instrumental in evacuating them, their households, and associates to security. Her work expanded from there, and she or he’s at present concerned in serving to girls in war-torn nations past Afghanistan.
Porter continues to be fairly new to ultrarunning, having solely been racing for the previous 18 months. And whereas working could also be new, taking precautions to guard herself is now comparatively customary for her. Sadly, due to her work in supporting these girls and different oppressed teams, threats towards her security often occur. Nonetheless, that is the primary time she’s handled them within the context of a race.
Sarah Porter on the 2026 Winter Backbone Challenger South course earlier than being pulled from the race. Picture courtesy of Sarah Porter.
The choice to make use of the Winter Backbone Challenger South race as a fundraiser was made with an abundance of warning and superior planning to make sure security. She has a safety workforce and likewise had a bodyguard close by always alongside the course. Porter labored intently with race director Hayday-Brown forward of the occasion, and highlights that he actually wished to assist her in racing. When she first approached him, she mentioned, “I’ve seen that that is referred to as ‘Britain’s most brutal race’ and given the brutality that’s taking place to girls around the globe and the work that we do, it feels so acceptable.” She noticed that it drew many parallels to the ache, endurance, and resilience that girls are struggling below oppression. Porter is fast to level out that you just can not ever evaluate one thing to the extent of what these girls expertise, however for a fundraiser, it felt like a great match.
Porter is upset at not with the ability to end the race. When she acquired the decision from Hayday-Brown telling her that they wanted to get her off the course, Porter remembers it solely as a blur, excessive on caffeine and reeling from the powerful circumstances she’d endured to date. Porter understands that had she saved a decrease profile, she could have been in a position to end the race with out threats, however she additionally is aware of that with a view to get the media consideration and assist the fundraiser deserved, she needed to share her try publicly, and as such, make herself susceptible to threats.
Trying Ahead
A couple of days later, Porter is recovering from the expertise, each mentally and bodily, however she says it hasn’t shaken her. Whereas Porter could not have had the prospect to complete the Winter Backbone Challenger South race, she doesn’t plan to cease her fundraising efforts for Afghan girls. She additionally doesn’t plan to allow them to get in the best way of her greater targets.
She has extra path and mountain working races arising this yr and one thing to indicate: “I actually must go on the market now, not only for myself, but in addition for the women that I’m supporting, and end one thing massive, and I’m not going to cease till I try this now. I’m hell-bent on it.”
Sarah Porter bundled towards the weather on the 2026 Winter Backbone Challenger South. Picture courtesy of Sarah Porter.
And he or she passionately needs extra individuals to talk out and struggle for the various injustices on the planet: “You possibly can, as a person, have an enormous impact. You simply have to know the place you stand and be ready to face up and struggle for it.”
You possibly can donate to Porter’s fundraiser right here.
