Summer's over, the unexpected Indian summer is over, rain is surely on the way and with it, mud. Lots of mud. Good time to get the cross-country season underway then!
The Brook's Westward cross-country league runs from October through to March 2012, with races all over the counties of Devon and Cornwall. The first round took place on Sunday in Redruth and four Harriers made the trip south.
In the men's open race there were 113 runners and Jamie Palmer led the Harrier's contingent home in a time of 30.57, good enough for 39th place, 3rd V/40 and bagging him 262 points towards his end of series total (5 races of 6 to count).
Next home was the ever consistent Hugh Marsden, running 31.42 for 46th place and 4th V/50; this earned him 255 points towards the end of season totals. Rounding off the Harrier's performances was Jim Wyatt who clocked 43.08 for 109th place and 192 points. Despite this solid run, this was only good enough to bag him 7th place in the over 60s; a category which looks like it might be particularly competitive this season, as those that were part of the 80s running boom refuse to hang up their trainers and restrict their exercise to a brisk walk to the pub!
In the women's race the competition was just as tough, with internation runner Annabel Gummow winning the race in a sizzling time of 16.47. Dawn Teed was the sole female representative for Exmouth and she finished in 43rd place in a time of 24.19. This earned her 58 points (out of a possible 100) towards the series tally.
Well done to all the Harriers and good luck for round 2 which takes place on November 6th in Newquay.
Exe-rated runners!
The successful Harriers team, en masse, at the Erme Valley Relays, July 2013
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Monday, 10 October 2011
Dave and Adam place 3rd and 4th at Eden
The Eden Project in St. Austell, Cornwall, provides a unique venue for a tough marathonOnly two Harriers made the intredip voyage south into unknown territories across the border, i.e. Cornwall, for the annual Eden Porject Marathon and Half Marathon events, held on 9/10/11. However, it is most definitely quality and not quantity that matters here as Dave Stone and Adam Miller did the club proud, placing 3rd and 4th in the marathon and half marathon respectively.
For Dave, this is the second time that he has tackled the 26.2 mile hilly, multi-terrain course that starts and finishes against the dramatic back drop of the Eden Porject biomes in St. Austell. It is also the second time that he has placed 3rd at the event too! In 2009 he just managed to dip in under the 3 hour mark, running 2.59.55 to clench the 3rd spot. This year he improved his time to 2.53.44 to place 3rd overall and the top V/40. Dave will surely be pleased that two years on and he is churning out faster times and has not lost any of his fitness. It also shows that standards in running are generally improving across the board as his time from 2009 would have only been good enough for 6th place in this year's race.
If you are still not impressed enough by this performance, I should add that Dave had also taken part in the tough Royal Marine's Commando Challenge on Woodbury Common the day before and was even contemplating going on to run in round 1 of the Brook's Westward Cross Country league, held in Redruth, immediately after the marathon. There is only one word for this: NUTTER!
There were 314 finishers and the race was run by Peter Roper from Poole AC in a time of 2.43.12.
Meanwhile, at the same venue in the half marathon, Adam Miller put in a very strong performance on what is also, like the marathon, a tough, hilly multi-terrain course. Having lived in St. Austell for 25 years, I can confirm that the terrain around Eden is anything but flat, and the mud on some parts of the course will have further slowed the runners. Nevertheless, Adam ran an amazing race which was good enough to bag him 4th place out of 946 finishers! Adam posted a time of 1.23.33, just 3 minutes behind the winner, Andrew Moreton of Kent AC. Those Killerton 5k leg sharpeners have clearly paid off!
Both Harriers thoroughly enjoyed the course and the venue and they particularly praised the post-race pasty and pint that was included in the entry fee. With free entry to Eden after the race for runners and their supporters also included, this is a fun, friendly and good value for money family event. ...Harrier's mini-bus outing next year, anyone?!
A satisfied duo: Dave and Adam after the race, dining out on their satisfying results and even more satisfying post-race pasty and pint!
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Calling all club members: marshalls needed for the Bicton Blister!
Terry Oldham, race director of the Bicton Blister and Blister Lite races that Exmouth Harriers are staging on Sunday 27th November, has asked me to put the following call out to ask for assistance in marshalling the race.
There are a range of tasks available that all need to be covered in order for the race to run smoothly, and the main message is that it's first come, first served as far as the allocation of tasks is concerned. So if you have a specific role in mind, get your shout out to Terry in pronto!!
The job of a marshall is an important one and your help is vital to making sure that the runners have a worry free run (save for the sand, pebbles the size of cats, mud, gorse, hills, more hills etc).
Last year was a huge success for the club financially and for the runners on the day, and having a clearly marked course and well marshalled on the day will be essential to having another successful event this year. The Exmouth Cadets did a great job for us last year, but it is up to our club to ensure that the key points on the route are clearly defined and there is NO chance of anyone being sent the wrong way.
It is also very important that the road crossings are marshalled by both cadets and our own club members as we need to take responsibility for ensuring that these crossings are safe both for the runners but also the cadets. It is a delicate matter, on occasions, getting cars to stop and or slow down so having sufficient numbers on the crossings helps to achieve this.
So how does it all work?
1) You contact me to confirm that you will be available on the day and for the duration of the event. You will need to allow for getting to your marshall point, for the duration of the event, and for getting back again (if you are on one of the out of the way sections of the route). So, allow for 3 – 4 hours of your time.
2) If you agree to do this I ask that you do it. It is always difficult to make last minute changes over the course on the day given its length and character. So, if you know that you are no longer available on the day prior to the day please let me know immediately. We are all volunteers and I understand that ‘things happen’, but just let me know so that I can try and make alternative arrangements.
3) I will allocate a place on the course for you to take responsibility for. If you know the course then that will be a quick conversation and I will know that you can find your spot. If you do not know the course, then we can meet to discuss, or we can do a Bicton run on a Sunday, which is a usual occurrence in late October and early November to go round the course and I can actually show you where you will be.
4) I will give you a large reflective bib with marshall on it. Whoopee! My intention is that I will do this before the day (see 2 above) and will expect you to be at the marshall point on or before 10.45 am on the day. I ask that you text me to confirm that you are in position (no sniggers there) to avoid having hundreds of phone calls to my mobile all at the same time. I will take your mobile number prior to so that I know who is texting me! This way I hope to avoid everyone going to the start area and then back out again.
5) You will then direct the runners and or report back to me if there are problems eg runners in difficulties, etc.
6) You can go home when the ‘sweeper’ arrives. For those who do not know, the race will have one or two ‘sweeper runners’ who follow the last runner (that’s how you know they are the last runner!) so the race is officially over. Once they have gone through then either go home or come down to the finish area to see the prize giving and have a cup of tea.
We all know how much of a boost a cheer and a clap from a marshall can give you when you are struggling in a tough race, so smiley, cheery marshalls with loud booming voices make ideal candidates for this post. Is this you? File your CV and application form to Terry today, and you could spend a glorious morning on the delightful Woodbury Common admiring these views....
There are a range of tasks available that all need to be covered in order for the race to run smoothly, and the main message is that it's first come, first served as far as the allocation of tasks is concerned. So if you have a specific role in mind, get your shout out to Terry in pronto!!
The job of a marshall is an important one and your help is vital to making sure that the runners have a worry free run (save for the sand, pebbles the size of cats, mud, gorse, hills, more hills etc).
Last year was a huge success for the club financially and for the runners on the day, and having a clearly marked course and well marshalled on the day will be essential to having another successful event this year. The Exmouth Cadets did a great job for us last year, but it is up to our club to ensure that the key points on the route are clearly defined and there is NO chance of anyone being sent the wrong way.
It is also very important that the road crossings are marshalled by both cadets and our own club members as we need to take responsibility for ensuring that these crossings are safe both for the runners but also the cadets. It is a delicate matter, on occasions, getting cars to stop and or slow down so having sufficient numbers on the crossings helps to achieve this.
So how does it all work?
1) You contact me to confirm that you will be available on the day and for the duration of the event. You will need to allow for getting to your marshall point, for the duration of the event, and for getting back again (if you are on one of the out of the way sections of the route). So, allow for 3 – 4 hours of your time.
2) If you agree to do this I ask that you do it. It is always difficult to make last minute changes over the course on the day given its length and character. So, if you know that you are no longer available on the day prior to the day please let me know immediately. We are all volunteers and I understand that ‘things happen’, but just let me know so that I can try and make alternative arrangements.
3) I will allocate a place on the course for you to take responsibility for. If you know the course then that will be a quick conversation and I will know that you can find your spot. If you do not know the course, then we can meet to discuss, or we can do a Bicton run on a Sunday, which is a usual occurrence in late October and early November to go round the course and I can actually show you where you will be.
4) I will give you a large reflective bib with marshall on it. Whoopee! My intention is that I will do this before the day (see 2 above) and will expect you to be at the marshall point on or before 10.45 am on the day. I ask that you text me to confirm that you are in position (no sniggers there) to avoid having hundreds of phone calls to my mobile all at the same time. I will take your mobile number prior to so that I know who is texting me! This way I hope to avoid everyone going to the start area and then back out again.
5) You will then direct the runners and or report back to me if there are problems eg runners in difficulties, etc.
6) You can go home when the ‘sweeper’ arrives. For those who do not know, the race will have one or two ‘sweeper runners’ who follow the last runner (that’s how you know they are the last runner!) so the race is officially over. Once they have gone through then either go home or come down to the finish area to see the prize giving and have a cup of tea.
We all know how much of a boost a cheer and a clap from a marshall can give you when you are struggling in a tough race, so smiley, cheery marshalls with loud booming voices make ideal candidates for this post. Is this you? File your CV and application form to Terry today, and you could spend a glorious morning on the delightful Woodbury Common admiring these views....
Brooks' Winter 3k series gets underway
It's that time of year again already: the night's are drawing in, luring yourself up off the sofa to go for that post-work run becomes more of an effort, you can't find your headtorch and the illuminations on the Exmouth prom have long since failed to thrill you, so what are the alternatives? Well, there is always the Brooks Winter 3k series, held on the first Monday evening of every month throughout the winter at the Exeter athletics arena.
Monday 3rd October saw the staging of round 1 of the series and two Harriers took up the challenge. The number of races depends upon the number of entrants and the races are graded based on predicted finish times, meaning that everyone gets a competitive but not soul destroying race! There were fewer competitors taking part in this opening round than normal, doubtless due to the event coming on the back of a busy weekend racing wise in the region. That said, there were still enough runners - spanning all ages from the under 13s to the 70+ - to be able to stage 5 seeded races.
John Perratt, this time running in Exmouth colours, went in the D race and clocked a very respectable 7th position, finishing in 13:17. (Not bad considering John is a V/70 competitor!!) John was happy with this effort, it being on a par with lasts seasons' times. Dave Eveleigh can be very proud of his opening round efforts. He placed 7th in the C race and his time was a whole half a minute quicker than his best time of 12:53 for last season.
Monday 3rd October saw the staging of round 1 of the series and two Harriers took up the challenge. The number of races depends upon the number of entrants and the races are graded based on predicted finish times, meaning that everyone gets a competitive but not soul destroying race! There were fewer competitors taking part in this opening round than normal, doubtless due to the event coming on the back of a busy weekend racing wise in the region. That said, there were still enough runners - spanning all ages from the under 13s to the 70+ - to be able to stage 5 seeded races.
John Perratt, this time running in Exmouth colours, went in the D race and clocked a very respectable 7th position, finishing in 13:17. (Not bad considering John is a V/70 competitor!!) John was happy with this effort, it being on a par with lasts seasons' times. Dave Eveleigh can be very proud of his opening round efforts. He placed 7th in the C race and his time was a whole half a minute quicker than his best time of 12:53 for last season.
Monday, 3 October 2011
Exmouth hosts the BMAF 10k road championships!
Start of the BMAF 10k road race in Exmouth, with Tony Hatchard leading the Harriers out of the bottle-neck start!
On an unseasonably hot Sunday October 2nd, our quaint little seaside town of Exmouth played host to the British Masters Athletic Federation (BMAF) 10k road running championships. This was a nationwide championship event open to any master's level runner; i.e. only those over 35 years old need apply!
This event proved to be an unexpected challenge for marshals when the glorious weather caused an influx of vehicles and day-trippers to the town. Thankfully great work by the Exmouth Air Training Corps and the patience of most motorists enabled the athletes to complete the race in safety, with those in cars suffering only minimal delays.
A dozen Exmouth Harriers toed the start line here, of a total field of 228 finishers. In the heat of the day, navigating his way around cyclists, buggies, dogs, small children and a whole manner of other obstacle that lay in ambush for the competitiors on the seafront, the outstanding 'home' performance of the day came from Ray Elston who was 158th in 47:47, placing him as 3rd man over 70. Well done to him!
Dave Stone as ever led the Harrier's contingent home in a respectable time of 35.03 for 16th place overall and 4th male over 40, though a mere 17 seconds shy of placing 3rd in that category. Dawn Teed had a strong run to clock 49:47 to finish 172nd and 6th woman over 45 while Roger Rowe, 105th place, timed at 41.41, was also 6th in his category (Men Over 65), a catgeory which proved to be fiercly competitive on the day, drawing out the crème-de-la-crème of veterans from the South West and beyond.
Tony Hatchard and Dave Stone pushing on along the sea frontMick Allen was 8th male over 70, taking 52:22 for 189th overall, again highlighting the calibre of the super-vet ranks that had been tempted out of their hiding places for the UK championships. However, Ray, Roger and Mick can all congratulate themselves as their collective performance in the V/65+ team category earned them the gold medal! Well done indeed!
Our male vet 65+ team of Roger, Mick and Ray (apologies to Ray on behalf of the photographer - Ellie's Mum - as she could not get a photo of you as you were tucked in behind a group of taller runners!) scooped the gold medal in their category!
In the over 35 men’s category Tony Hatchard was 9th (37:06, 46th overall) and Scott Jordan, unable to match his awesome new PB set in Woodbury last week but churning out another solid performance nevertheless, was 11th (45:22, 139th).
Dawn Teed and Hugh Marsden are usually to be found running off-road; it's a small wonder they didn't file a pre-race request for the route to be diverted onto the beach to avoid the traffic!
In the V/40 category, Mike Musgrove, nursing an achillies injury, was 10th (38:21, 61st place overall) with Richard Bishop following him into 11th V/40 (41:12, 98th). Our male V/35-44 team of Dave, Tony and Mike ran themselves into a bronze medal position. This is also a hotly contested age group so they should be very chuffed with that performance!
Not only did Mike Musgrove and Richard Bishop have to cope with uncharacteristicly hot conditions, but also with an unprecedented volume of traffic along the route!
In what proved to be a very competitive male V/50 categroy, Hugh Marsden had to settle for 15th man over 50, his time of 38:17 giving him 60th place overall; though perhaps if this race had been held on the beach or on some mud instead of the tarmac, Hugh would have felt more at home!
Nigel Dupain was 21st man over 55 (48:38, 166th) and rounding off the proceedings, Les Turner was 15th over 65 male (58:50, 217th).
Many of the runners decided to stay on in Exmouth and make the most of this Indian summer by having a picnic on the beach or a paddle in the sea after!
Despite the heat, Scott Jordan still manages to look cool in his reflector shades... how does he do it?!!
The lesser spotted Dying-Dave; looks as though he's coughing up a lung as he crosses the finish line!
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Double victory for the Harriers at the Woodbury 10k
On Sunday 25th September an impressive turn out of Harriers - 17 of the royal blue blighters in total - descended upon the nearby village of Woodbury for the Woodbury 10k race. Following an undulating, though not massively hilly, route that skirts around the village, this race is a charity event aiming to raise money for Christian Aid and their on-going project of improving living conditions in rural Kenya.
Being literally on the doorstep of Exmouth and Sidmouth, the race turned into a bit of a mob-match between the two respective running clubs. Though Exmouth easily triumphed on the day with victory in the men's race going to our Dave Stone in a time of 35.42, and top spot in the women's race to our own Caroline Pleaseance, clocking 42.11 for 9th place overall.
After Dave there trickled in a steady stream of Harriers, with Mike Musgrove heading them up in 5th position in 39.42, over 2 minutes and 2 placings down on his time from last year unfortunately; am sure Mike will be a bit disappointed with that, but we all have off days! Someone who clearly wasn't having an off day was John Garrity, hot on Mike's heals, in 6th place with 39.48; again John is exhibiting continual improvement since taking up competitive running only earlier this year.
After Jon came Richard Bishop in 7th place with 40.31, shortly followed by the first of a large Dupain contingent, Chris running 40.54 for 8th spot.
Then came Caroline racing to an impressive victory in the female race. She was being chased along by Scott Jordan who had a terrific race for 10th place in 43.56 and bagging a massive new PB in the process, knocking an incredible 7 minutes off his previous 10k best!
The friendly rivalry between Scott and Emma Dupain continues and on this occasion Emma had to settle for 2nd place to Scott and also a useful 2nd place in the women's race with her time of 44.36 - just 1 second slower than her time from last year, talk about consistency!
There was then a gap until the next Harrier, John Lambert, rolled in, in 16th place and in a time of 46.25. This also earned him a tidy 1st place in the V/50 category. Nigel Dupain continued John's success by having a strong run taking him to 22nd place and 1st V/60 in 47.26.
Ben White, also a Dupain in all but name, followed on in 48.09 and 26th place. Then came a bit of a gap before the Mason's cruised home, with Stan clocking 53.55 for 39th place and wife Joan snapping at his heals, just two places behind in 54.07.
Nicola Kelly was next, easily finishing in under the hour in 57.07 and 60th spot overall and she was being chased down by a block of three Harriers with Les Turner heading up the chase in 58.09 (63rd), then Alison Wilkinson in 58.43 (64th) and rounding off proceedings for the Harriers, Lisa Broad, 59.00 and 65th. There were 88 finishers.
This meant that all 17 Harriers completed the course in under the hour. Well done to everyone!
Being literally on the doorstep of Exmouth and Sidmouth, the race turned into a bit of a mob-match between the two respective running clubs. Though Exmouth easily triumphed on the day with victory in the men's race going to our Dave Stone in a time of 35.42, and top spot in the women's race to our own Caroline Pleaseance, clocking 42.11 for 9th place overall.
After Dave there trickled in a steady stream of Harriers, with Mike Musgrove heading them up in 5th position in 39.42, over 2 minutes and 2 placings down on his time from last year unfortunately; am sure Mike will be a bit disappointed with that, but we all have off days! Someone who clearly wasn't having an off day was John Garrity, hot on Mike's heals, in 6th place with 39.48; again John is exhibiting continual improvement since taking up competitive running only earlier this year.
After Jon came Richard Bishop in 7th place with 40.31, shortly followed by the first of a large Dupain contingent, Chris running 40.54 for 8th spot.
Then came Caroline racing to an impressive victory in the female race. She was being chased along by Scott Jordan who had a terrific race for 10th place in 43.56 and bagging a massive new PB in the process, knocking an incredible 7 minutes off his previous 10k best!
The friendly rivalry between Scott and Emma Dupain continues and on this occasion Emma had to settle for 2nd place to Scott and also a useful 2nd place in the women's race with her time of 44.36 - just 1 second slower than her time from last year, talk about consistency!
There was then a gap until the next Harrier, John Lambert, rolled in, in 16th place and in a time of 46.25. This also earned him a tidy 1st place in the V/50 category. Nigel Dupain continued John's success by having a strong run taking him to 22nd place and 1st V/60 in 47.26.
Ben White, also a Dupain in all but name, followed on in 48.09 and 26th place. Then came a bit of a gap before the Mason's cruised home, with Stan clocking 53.55 for 39th place and wife Joan snapping at his heals, just two places behind in 54.07.
Nicola Kelly was next, easily finishing in under the hour in 57.07 and 60th spot overall and she was being chased down by a block of three Harriers with Les Turner heading up the chase in 58.09 (63rd), then Alison Wilkinson in 58.43 (64th) and rounding off proceedings for the Harriers, Lisa Broad, 59.00 and 65th. There were 88 finishers.
This meant that all 17 Harriers completed the course in under the hour. Well done to everyone!
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Run RAB-bit, run RAB-bit, run run run!
Run RABbits, run RABbits, run run run,
Go climb that mountain just for fun fun fun!
No, I haven't gone mad, this little ditty is just to set the theme of the weekend of 24th/25th September, in which 9 Exmouth Harriers made the long trek up to Bethesda in North Wales to participate in the RAB Mountain Marathon. Amongst them was Terry Oldham who has written the following report which gives a real 'flavour' of the event and what our intrepid 9 Harriers had to tackle over the two days!
‘What you doing here then?’
'Taking part in a Mountain Marathon', I replied.
‘Where’s that going to be then?’, was his next question.
‘On a mountain, isn’t it!’, his friend interjected.
Well, the local teenagers wandering around the Dyffryn Ogwen school playing field in Bethesda, North Wales, as it was turning rapidly into a camp site, may not have been the brightest buttons in the box, but I could not deny that mountains play a role in a mountain marathon. And at the RAB Snowdonia Mountain Marathon on the 24th and 25th September, 2011, that role was as principal lead.
My exchange with them occurred while I was trying to erect, (no sniggers there!), David Backway’s tent, in a gale blowing down from the mountains that form such a dramatic backdrop to Bethesda. However, at 9 pm, it was dark, it was raining, I had never seen Dave’s tent before, and I was trying to engage a group of teenagers in conversation made difficult by their strong Welsh accents. I could see that this weekend was going to be about challenges.
For those that are not familiar with the sport, this is essentially a giant orienteering course played out over two days with an overnight camp in the middle. All competitors have to carry all that they need for the camp, including food, and return to the finish with their kit (minus the food!).
So, add to that a course that can take you over 26 miles on each day, with an extraordinary amount of climb, then this is something not to be taken lightly. It has to be said that the elite runners are usually the only ones who cover this sort of distance. For those classed as ‘standard’, then the average mileage is about 13 to 15 miles each day. It will come as no surprise that I was in the ‘standard’ class.
There were a large group of Harriers at the event, with Bob Keast, Paul Champion, Sue Wilkins, Dave Backway, Katie Comer, Lorraine Gilson, Jon and Lorraine Croome, and me, Terry Oldham, all on the start line on the Saturday. The weather on the Saturday morning had not improved much from the overnight strong winds and rain showers, so a challenge indeed.
Lorraine Gilson and I formed one team and we were joined throughout the event by Dave Backway and Katie Comer who formed another. Dave and Katie were new to the sport and so wanted to see a master at work. Why they were running with me I am not sure.
It is difficult to describe the terrain and the competition, and so I hope that there will be some photos to accompany this report in due course (there now are: see below! (ed.). They at least will show the terrain but may not give you full sense of what it is like to try and run over. The rocks and stone are slippery when wet (it was raining), the peat bogs are, well, peat bogs, there is tussock grass, heather, streams, rivers, and very steep ascents and descents. So, running was reserved for the occasional burst unless you were one of the stick thin elite runners who appear to be able to run up and down anything and have x-ray vision.
As for the competition it is all about points and gaining as many as possible in the time available. The first day gives you 6 hours and the second day 5 hours. If you go over the time limit you start to lose points and if you are more than 30 minutes over you lose all the points.
During the day you have no idea how any one is faring save for your own team (or two!). I have to say on the first day we also had no idea of how much time we had, which may explain why we finished about one hour early. I think we were having a Zen moment and so rejected all external goals, or something.
Anyway we had the benefit of choosing the prime location on the camp site, which in itself was in a prime location. A beautiful valley with a river running through it, which was helpful given that that was where we had to get our water from. By this time the weather had turned around to a warm and sunny afternoon and evening, and we had the pleasure of being able to sit in the sunshine and hear the tales of ‘who did what’ that day.
Sunday morning dawned warm and bright and so it was back to the hills for day two. On this day we took on the ‘external goals’ and actually knew what time it was and what course we wanted to attempt, so much for ‘Zen and the Art of Mountain Marathons’.
My route choice took us up the steepest way out of the valley which involved crawling up part of the hill, and who was it who said that the direct approach is not always the best? However, going up steep hills was what we did for most of Sunday and what a great day it was. We four really got in to the swing of it and actually scored some points too. We also got the timing right finishing with a long downward run in to the finish with just 5 minutes to spare.
I am pleased to say that all the Harriers returned intact and to a warm welcome at the finish. As for Dave and Katie I think they are now converted to the sport given that they were discussing the next event (even though still covered in peat bog and sweat, that was just Katie) only a few minutes after the finish.
So, thank you to Bob K and Paul and Sue for inspiring Lorraine and I to return to the hills and for introducing Dave and Katie to the delights of the electronic dibber. Don’t ask!...'
Terry Oldham.
All together now: WHAT IN THE BLUE BLAZES IS AN ELECTRONIC DIBBER? (And most importantly - is it legeal?!)
Pre-event carbo loading in camp!
Just a small hill to start with...
Beautiful Welsh weather for the event!
Slippery when wet! Terry and Lorraine pick their way over the wet rocks with intredipation!
Chairman Bob Keast leads his fellow Harriers through a river crossing
A peat bog! This stealth-like silent killer lay waiting in ambush for Katie to pass and then sucked her in, up to her waist! (Luckily Lorraine was on hand to mount a rescue!)
Lost?
Go climb that mountain just for fun fun fun!
No, I haven't gone mad, this little ditty is just to set the theme of the weekend of 24th/25th September, in which 9 Exmouth Harriers made the long trek up to Bethesda in North Wales to participate in the RAB Mountain Marathon. Amongst them was Terry Oldham who has written the following report which gives a real 'flavour' of the event and what our intrepid 9 Harriers had to tackle over the two days!
‘What you doing here then?’
'Taking part in a Mountain Marathon', I replied.
‘Where’s that going to be then?’, was his next question.
‘On a mountain, isn’t it!’, his friend interjected.
Well, the local teenagers wandering around the Dyffryn Ogwen school playing field in Bethesda, North Wales, as it was turning rapidly into a camp site, may not have been the brightest buttons in the box, but I could not deny that mountains play a role in a mountain marathon. And at the RAB Snowdonia Mountain Marathon on the 24th and 25th September, 2011, that role was as principal lead.
My exchange with them occurred while I was trying to erect, (no sniggers there!), David Backway’s tent, in a gale blowing down from the mountains that form such a dramatic backdrop to Bethesda. However, at 9 pm, it was dark, it was raining, I had never seen Dave’s tent before, and I was trying to engage a group of teenagers in conversation made difficult by their strong Welsh accents. I could see that this weekend was going to be about challenges.
For those that are not familiar with the sport, this is essentially a giant orienteering course played out over two days with an overnight camp in the middle. All competitors have to carry all that they need for the camp, including food, and return to the finish with their kit (minus the food!).
So, add to that a course that can take you over 26 miles on each day, with an extraordinary amount of climb, then this is something not to be taken lightly. It has to be said that the elite runners are usually the only ones who cover this sort of distance. For those classed as ‘standard’, then the average mileage is about 13 to 15 miles each day. It will come as no surprise that I was in the ‘standard’ class.
There were a large group of Harriers at the event, with Bob Keast, Paul Champion, Sue Wilkins, Dave Backway, Katie Comer, Lorraine Gilson, Jon and Lorraine Croome, and me, Terry Oldham, all on the start line on the Saturday. The weather on the Saturday morning had not improved much from the overnight strong winds and rain showers, so a challenge indeed.
Lorraine Gilson and I formed one team and we were joined throughout the event by Dave Backway and Katie Comer who formed another. Dave and Katie were new to the sport and so wanted to see a master at work. Why they were running with me I am not sure.
It is difficult to describe the terrain and the competition, and so I hope that there will be some photos to accompany this report in due course (there now are: see below! (ed.). They at least will show the terrain but may not give you full sense of what it is like to try and run over. The rocks and stone are slippery when wet (it was raining), the peat bogs are, well, peat bogs, there is tussock grass, heather, streams, rivers, and very steep ascents and descents. So, running was reserved for the occasional burst unless you were one of the stick thin elite runners who appear to be able to run up and down anything and have x-ray vision.
As for the competition it is all about points and gaining as many as possible in the time available. The first day gives you 6 hours and the second day 5 hours. If you go over the time limit you start to lose points and if you are more than 30 minutes over you lose all the points.
During the day you have no idea how any one is faring save for your own team (or two!). I have to say on the first day we also had no idea of how much time we had, which may explain why we finished about one hour early. I think we were having a Zen moment and so rejected all external goals, or something.
Anyway we had the benefit of choosing the prime location on the camp site, which in itself was in a prime location. A beautiful valley with a river running through it, which was helpful given that that was where we had to get our water from. By this time the weather had turned around to a warm and sunny afternoon and evening, and we had the pleasure of being able to sit in the sunshine and hear the tales of ‘who did what’ that day.
Sunday morning dawned warm and bright and so it was back to the hills for day two. On this day we took on the ‘external goals’ and actually knew what time it was and what course we wanted to attempt, so much for ‘Zen and the Art of Mountain Marathons’.
My route choice took us up the steepest way out of the valley which involved crawling up part of the hill, and who was it who said that the direct approach is not always the best? However, going up steep hills was what we did for most of Sunday and what a great day it was. We four really got in to the swing of it and actually scored some points too. We also got the timing right finishing with a long downward run in to the finish with just 5 minutes to spare.
I am pleased to say that all the Harriers returned intact and to a warm welcome at the finish. As for Dave and Katie I think they are now converted to the sport given that they were discussing the next event (even though still covered in peat bog and sweat, that was just Katie) only a few minutes after the finish.
So, thank you to Bob K and Paul and Sue for inspiring Lorraine and I to return to the hills and for introducing Dave and Katie to the delights of the electronic dibber. Don’t ask!...'
Terry Oldham.
All together now: WHAT IN THE BLUE BLAZES IS AN ELECTRONIC DIBBER? (And most importantly - is it legeal?!)
Pre-event carbo loading in camp!
Just a small hill to start with...
Beautiful Welsh weather for the event!
Slippery when wet! Terry and Lorraine pick their way over the wet rocks with intredipation!
Chairman Bob Keast leads his fellow Harriers through a river crossing
A peat bog! This stealth-like silent killer lay waiting in ambush for Katie to pass and then sucked her in, up to her waist! (Luckily Lorraine was on hand to mount a rescue!)
Lost?
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