NATHAN Montague wouldn’t exactly describe the Rough ’n’ Tumble race as a stroll through the Wiltshire countryside but for the Swindon Harrier ultra specialist, it must have felt like a short jog.

In his first race of the year, the 34-year-old from the Parks area of Swindon finished a fine third from more than 500 runners in the classic race that was rated among the best 50 in the country by a specialist magazine.

Montague admitted it took him a while to get going but by the closing stages, he was reeling in the early leaders – only for the finish line to halt his progress.

Nonetheless, Montague took great encouragement as 2015 promises to be one of the toughest of his career to date.

“I have got a big year ahead of me,” said Montague.

“I have an entry for the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) at the end of August, which is one of the biggest ultra races in the world and attracts the best runners.

“The UTMB comprises three races and literally attracts tens of thousands of runners. It is massive.

“Then, after that I have managed to secure sponsorship to take part in a stage race across the Kalahari Desert in South Africa with full support. I will be going there to try and become the first UK runner to win the event – so no pressure.

“So they are two biggies for me this year and before then, there will be a lot of races as prepartion.”

It was the first time Montague had run the Rough ’n’ Tumble and he was full of praise for the organisers.

“It is a great race and I really enjoyed it,” added Montague, whose clubmate Simon Byrne finished sixth.

“Next up for me is the 66-mile Pilgrim Challenge on the North Downs at the end of the month (January 31) and then the Thames Trot 50-mile race (from Oxford to Henley) along the river the following week.”