WHO ARE WE?
Girls on Hills Ltd was originally founded by Keri Wallace and Nancy Kennedy in 2018. The team now also comprises a number of qualified and experienced female guides.
Meet The Team!
NICKY SPINKS is an Inov-8 athlete and Alpkit ambassador with an impressive list of achievements to her name across trail, ultra and fell-running.
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Nicky has completed ten 24-hour rounds, and has held the record for the ladies Lakeland 24-hour round and all three of the big UK rounds; Bob Graham 18.06, Paddy Buckley 19.02 and Ramsay Round 19.39. In 2016 she broke the record for the Double Bob Graham round finishing in 45.30 hours and in 2018 attempted a Double Ramsay Round but was thwarted by extreme high temperatures, but went on to complete in 55.56 hours.
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In 2019, Nicky’s esteemed running career gained her an entry in the formidable Barkley Marathons, and she now has another entry for next year… watch here!
Nancy Kennedy
FELL AND TRAIL RUNNING:
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Nancy Kennedy is a hill runner with Lochaber AC and has lived in Glencoe for the past 30 years. Nancy has been volunteering with the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team since 1989. She has competed in over 100 hill races in Scotland, and has also raced in other notable events such as the Sierre-Zinal alpine trail race, Snowdon race, Scafell race and has completed the Ben Nevis race six times. She enjoys running all over the world, from the Alps to Yosemite.
In 2019 she raced the Drei-Zinnen in the Dolomites, Italy and in 2020 the Skyrace® des Matheysins.
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Other interests include climbing, wild-swimming and walking the dog. Nancy is an ex-international hockey player, a British Athletics/FRA certified guide and possesses an outdoor first aid certificate. She is also a whizz with Gaelic hill names!
Keri Wallace
FELL, TRAIL AND SKYRUNNING:
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Keri Wallace is a mountain runner, rock climber and freelance writer. She is Summer Mountain Leader (SML) and Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) qualified - and is mother to two little ones! Keri completed her first mountain marathon in 2007 and has since gone on to win several such events.
In 2000, she undertook a multi-stage solo traverse of the Bob Graham, Paddy Buckley and Charlie Ramsay Rounds for charity (over 10 days). In 2018 she represented the UK Skyrunning Team (Mamores VK 2018) and came 12th in the GORE-TEX® Transalpine-Run. Other top finishes include 1st V40 in the Skyline Scotland Glen Coe Skyline, 5th F in the Ben Nevis Ultra, 3rd F in the 2019 Pinnacle Extreme, 7th F in the Cheviot Goat Ultra 2022, 3rd F in the Pilgrim's Ultra in 2023 and 5th F (2nd V40) at the Ultra Tour Monte Rosa (UTMR) 2023. She also completed the Uk & Ireland Skyrunning Series 2023.
Keri holds the female FKT for the Winter Tranter's Round, Glencoe Round, the OKT for the Glencoe Corbetts Round and completed the first Glencoe Classic Rock Round in under 24h with her partner Ben.
Nicky Spinks
Raeanne Miller
EXTREME TRIATHLON AND FELL RUNNING:
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Raeanne mainly uses fell running to train for triathlons in the Highlands at sprint, middle/standard, and longer distances. Last year she achieved a long-term goal, placing 4th lady in the Celtman Extreme Triathlon. Raeanne has also raced many mountain marathons and enjoys fell racing in the Scottish hills.
Her favourite races include the Jura Fell Race and the Cape Wrath Marathon. In 2019 she plans to compete in the Glentress Trail Marathon and the Salomon Ring of Steall Skyrace. Raeanne’s triathlon experience includes the Celtman (4th), Arran Man (2nd), Highland Warrior (3rd) and Ben Nevis Triathlon (2nd).
She is a British Athletics/FRA certified guide and a scientist with a PhD Marine Biology. Last year Raeanne joined a women’s Homeward Bound research expedition to Antactica.
Sarah Macdonald
FELL, TRAIL AND SKYRUNNING
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Sarah Macdonald is a talented runner who represented Scotland as an U16 (hill running) and won the Scottish Hill Running Champs U23. Sarah has an impressive list of wins and podium finishes, including the Half Ben Nevis, Eagle Crag Race, Goatfell Race and Glamaig Hill Race.
She was 3rd Lady in the famous Ben Nevis Race and been part of ladies winning team for 4 years. She has a great deal of mountain marathon experience and in 2015 completed the Glencoe Skyline. Sarah enjoys racing the classic Scottish hill races like Arrochar Alps, Carnethy 5, Stuc a Chroin, Lairig Ghru and Ben Lomond.
Sarah is an active member of the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team, the team medic and a registered nurse. She is a British Athletics/FRA certified guide and recently became a mum! She looks forward to a year of buggy-running and gradually getting back to full fitness on the hill.
Jade Phillips
TRAIL, ULTRA RUNNING AND CLIMBING
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Jade is a trail runner, ultrarunner and climber who explores the mountains! She is a Summer Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor. She has a PhD in conservation of plants and food security (which qualifies her to forage for tasty plant snacks during her runs!) Jade’s time is split across North Wales and the Lake District, but also she loves running the trails in Chamonix. Jade has worked as a race marshal, providing mountain safety support for many epic events including the Glencoe Skyline, Dragon’s Back race and Marmot Dark Mountains.
Earlier this year she won 3rd female in the Pembrokeshire Ultra, part of the Endurancelife Trail Series. Her favourite mountain is Cadair Idris and her favourite day out is the Papillon Arete in Chamonix. Jade also runs her own mountaineering business, Wild Mountain Instruction in North Wales.
Lou Beetlestone
Lou is based in North Wales and is a runner and climber. She holds the Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (WMCI) qualification and has a string of running achievements to her name – including mountain marathon female solo wins in ROC/RAB, OMM and Marmot dark mountains, a Paddy Buckley in 2018 and a Welsh 3000s round in just 8hr15. She was also Welsh mountain running champion in 2016!
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Lou has worked event support/mountain safety for SILVA Great Lakeland 3Day, the Dragon's Back Race and other fell races - so you’re in safe hands with Lou!
Lou works on our trail running and skyrunning courses in Snowdonia, as well as our winter courses in Scotland.
Emma Pearce
Emma has worked in the outdoors for 30 years. She is a Winter Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor - not to mention having qualifications in paddling, sailing, mountain biking and wild swimming!
Emma has been a practicing member of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team since 2004 and has climbed all the Scottish Munros. She has raced the famous Ben Race 15 times and her favourite hill race is the SHR classic Meall a'Bhuachaille!
If she's not up a mountain, you can find Emma somewhere wild, easing aching muscles with swimming and yoga!
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Jess Williams
Jess is a keen mountain runner, climber and skier who has performed at a high-level since she took to these sports at a very young age. She is now a Summer Mountain Leader and a trainee Winter ML and Rock Climbing Instructor, having only turned to outdoor instruction (from a career in science) in the last few years.
Jess ran competitively when she was younger (representing North Wales in cross-country, track and field competitions). She more recently competed in the Salomon Ring of Steall Skyrace in 2022 but most enjoys skiing steep faces or tackling long and technical routes in the mountains solo or with pals.
Jess is happiest when out in the wild and loves sharing her enthusiasm for the outdoors with others!
Islay MacKay
Islay has been running with Lochaber Athletic Club for 17 years, racing cross-country, hill, track and road races - winning various district and national medals. She holds her ML qualification, a BSc (Hons) in Geology and enjoys sharing her excitement for being in the outdoors. She is now studying for a Masters in Environmental Management.
Over the years she has competed in numerous ‘classic’ hill races, such as the Pentland Skyline, Stuc a Chroin, Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis (5 times) as well the LAMM.
When not running she might be found on a shinty pitch playing for Glengarry Women or representing Scotland.
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Rosie Watson
Fell, trail and multi day adventure running.
Rosie is one of our Lake District guides and started off life as an orienteer before moving over to fell running and become a Summer Mountain Leader.
Her biggest challenge was running 4800km from the UK to Bulgaria, interviewing climate and social activists on the way! (see New Story Run film HERE)
Susan Nicol
ULTRARUNNING AND NAVIGATION:
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Susan Nicol is a trail and hill runner, mountain biker and lover of all things outdoors. Susan runs with Lochaber AC and has lived in the Lochaber area for 10 years. She holds a degree in Environmental Science and Outdoor Education.
She is Summer Mountain Leader (SML) and Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) qualified, and is a National Navigation Award Scheme Tutor. Susan has led groups in Scotland and internationally, including the Middle East and Himalayas. She enjoys a wide range of racing experience including skyrunning, mountain marathons and ultramarathons.
Susan’s favourites include the West Highland Way race, Highland Fling, Glencoe and Glentress trail marathons and long Scottish hill races. Susan is also a keen mountain biker.
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Hannah Godden
Hannah is our Operations Manager and face behind our inbox! She is a keen hill runner and climber who holds her summer ML and RCI qualifications.
Hannah loves combining running and scrambling on days out in the hills. When she's not at crag or up a hill Hannah is usually found swimming in one of the local lochs or baking awesome cakes.
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Nicola Mason
Nicola is a Summer Mountain Leader based in the Cairngorms. She has been running in the hills since she was a teenager, only turning to racing later in life.
Nicola won both the Saunders Mountain Marathon and OMM (medium score, both mixed and overall team) in 2017, then the Grampian Mountain Challenge A category in 2018. She has undertaken several long expeditions including walking 580 miles across the Pyrenees as a trainee leader and six week trip through the Canadian Yukon!
She is also a Canoe and MTB Leader and a trainee Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI). When not teaching in the classroom (her day job!) she’s looking to escape up the hills or into the Loch for a wild swim!
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Georgia Tindley
Georgia is an elite skyrunner and all-round mountain athlete. She has competed in the Skyrunning World Series, World Championships and set FKTs across Scotland.
Although based in the Cairngorms National Park, she can often be found exploring Scotland in her van, seeking out thrilling mountain adventures or travelling abroad to compete.
This year Georgia will again be competing in the Skyrunning World Series. Georgia is a Skyrunning specialist at Girls on Hills and is also the face behind our new blog!