Mountain Adventure Holidays
The OMM
48 hours of wild weather, 2,400 mountain athletes, add a very wet BBC film crew and you have the ingredients for this years OMM - The Original Mountain Marathon! I am just in from the hills of Highland Perthshire having spent a wild weather weekend Producing, The Adventure Show for BBC Scotland. Wet boots, wet trousers, wet rucksack, wet gloves, wet everything ! The OMM has the reputation of being the UK's toughest mountain marathon. Two days in the mountains with an overnight camp, with all competitors carrying absolutely everything they need to survive on the mountain and camp!
This year the Elite class was won by Duncan Archer, and Shane Ohly in a total time over the two days of 10:56:53. That's two consecutive mountain marathons over 48 hours in horrendous weather, wind, wet, wild. The event wasn't without controversy when the leaders on the first day, and the favourites to win the whole event, Steve Birkenshaw, and Jethro Lennox were disqualified after 'dibbing' at the wrong checkpoint! They were allowed to set off this morning after being given a time penalty but right now we are still unsure as to whether they will eventually be disqualified once the Officials have finished deliberating. Steve and Jethro ended up today in 4th position in 11:06:32. Plenty of debate as you can imagine as to whether they should have been disqualified outright, or given a time penalty - it's all to be decided!
Absolutely, impressed by how 'light' some of the competitors were going. Many using Terra Nova Laser Photon tents at 720 gms, obviously a popular model as the campsite was full of them. But if you are going to run over 85 km in two days in very rough mountain terrain then you want to be light, light, light!
Do you think Steve and Jethro should be disqualified or given a 'pass' to stay in the race? Interested to know.
Lindsay
PS The OMM will be on The Adventure Show on BBC 2 Scotland in the New Year.