From John Hayes…
Photo credit OMM and John Hayes…
There are now two OMM Mountain Marathons per year in the UK. The main one in October involves two days in the hills, carrying all your kit (including tent and sleeping bag) and invariably being lashed by rain/hail/snow. The other is the “OMM Lite” held in May. This is still a 2-day event, but it is “lite” as (1) The weather is nicer; (2) At the end of the first day you head back to the start rather than a remote midway camp; and (3) This means you carry less and you can stay where you want overnight – tent, campervan or even (for the extravagant) in a local hotel. This year was a family affair for us. Sarah ran with Lucy and I ran with Daniel. We entered the Short Score. This involves collecting as many points in 5 hours on Saturday and in 4 hours on Sunday. If late back, you lose points pretty rapidly which adds a bit of pressure to the whole thing. The courses were well planned with a wide variety of options and a choice between the high fells and more low-lying flags.
One of the flags was on an island, presenting a particular challenge (see contrasting photos of Daniel (mid jump) and Lucy (aftermath!)
Team John & Daniel came 13th and team Sarah & Lucy came 70th (out of 117 finishers).