Read more

getoiunntotain
m thons
mara
2 DAYS
26
MILES
1 PA
IR OF PANTS
Want to take your running to the next level?
Here’s everything needed to tackle your first
mountain marathon: the kit, training and skills
66
TRAIL RUNNING
TRAIL RUNNING
67
getoiunntotain
m thons
mara
“
THERE ’ S NOTHING TO BEAT THE
FEELING WHEN IT ’ S ALL GOING
WELL AND YOU ’ RE RUNNING
ALONG SOME WILD HILLSIDE...
here are we
Ollie?” I ask
wearily. I look
blankly at the
flat hilltop we
are on that
bares no
resemblance to anything on
our map. We are somewhere
in the Lake District “taking
part” on day two of our first
Saunders Lakeland Mountain
Marathon but we might as
well be on the moon. “I don’t
know,” my teammate shrugs.
“What do you think?” “I think
I’m going to ask another
competitor,” I say, swallowing
my pride with another chunk
of energy bar.
I’d agreed to take part in the
Saunders a few months
earlier but I can’t have been
paying attention when I said
yes. I mean, the phrase
“mountain marathon” – it just
sounds like hard work doesn’t
it? Standing lost in the Lake
68
TRAIL RUNNING
District, a chill wind whipping
around our aching legs, we
were fast finding out what
they were all about; fitness,
navigation and teamwork.
So far, we hadn’t shown
competence in any of these:
a) we had assumed we were
fitter than we actually were,
so much so that after five
hours I had got cramp in my
shin (yes, I didn’t know it was
possible either); b) at the
start, we failed to analyse the
route options properly and
hared off along a tricky, rocky
traverse, which cost us (and
someone who had opted to
follow us – fool!) time and
energy; c) well... we’ll come to
this later on.
A mountain marathon,
whether it be the Lowe Alpine
(LAMM), Original (OMM) or
Saunders, is a simple format
– a two-day race for teams of
two during which you have to
find a series of
5
1
“
w
Words: Flemmich Webb Photos: Jon Brooke
KEY NAVIGATIONAL
SKILLS FOR ROOKIES
FOLLOW THE MAP NOT
THE PEOPLE IN FRONT
Good navigation taking you
n is
steadily in the right directio
travel.
to
way
t
cien
effi
t
mos
the
A competent “tor toise” will
ke”,
always beat a “racing sna
of a
especially over two days
ver
mountain marathon. “Ne
might
follow anyone else. They
ga
be in a different class goin
ht be in
different way or they mig
”
the same class but lost too!
ntain
says Yiannis Tridamis, mou
marathon veteran.
2
uld
soon as you can (you sho
g nex t
decide where you are goin
up
before you get to it) and pick
h as
your “handrail” feature suc
track,
a ridge, valley bott om or
point.
taking you to your attack
ne-tune
From here, you have to fi
your navigation to find that
in a
elusive control. Travelling
the
straight line is not usually
bes t route.
CONTOURS ARE KEY
Countours are by far the
mos t reliable and useful
information on the map and
define the shape of the
routes
mountains and thus, the
’t
you will be talk ing. You can
anding
navigat e without underst
many
contours. There won’t be
where
paths, tracks or forests
major
you are going. Rivers and
level of
ond
sec
the
are
ams
stre
information.
HAVE A SOLID
3 NAVIGATIONAL PLAN
route
You have got to choose a
middle
t,
star
a
have
t
mus
you
—
e away
and end to your plan. Mov
oint) as
from the control (checkp
4
THE COMPASS: THE
ORIGINAL MULTI-TOOL
Use it
Often greatly over -rat ed.
ance
and trus t it, but an over -reli
s not
on compass bearings doe
compensate for good map
reading and contour
work is
interpretation. Compass
ors
a key skill but good navigat
map
are constantly reading the
detail.
EAT ON TH E MOVE,
SORT YOUR GEAR,
5
NO FA FFI NG
for
You should not have to stop
at
more than a few seconds
e than
each control, and no mor
a minute or two to collect
move
drinking wat er. Eat on the
is to
— the greatest faux pas
a
settle down for a picnic at
control. That’s very bad
e.
mountain marathon etiquett
TRAIL RUNNING
69
getoiunntotain
m thons
mara
checkpoints (linear course) or as many
high scoring checkpoints as possible
within a set timeframe (scoring course)
over mountainous terrain. You have to
carry everything you need for the two
days and the overnight camp at the
midway point, including tent, stove,
waterproofs, sleeping bag, compass
and food.
The races are not often marathon
distance – a typical elite course might
involve 40 miles, 5,000m of ascent,
11-18 hrs racing over two days, while
novice courses, which you can walk if
you want to, comprise about 20 miles,
2,500 miles of ascent, 9-18 hrs racing
over two days – but are probably more
knackering. Throw in the fact you have
to carry your own kit, deal with bad
weather and soothe an angry
teammate, and traditional marathon
running seems a breeze – even dressed
as a rhino.
The race organisers don’t make it
easy either. The exact race location is
kept secret until a few days or weeks
before the race, and it’s only on race
morning that you receive a map with all
the checkpoints on. They are often
located in tricky spots to find, so your
orienteering has to be spot on.
“Often, checkpoints are about two to
three miles apart, so it’s best to use
some rough navigation aids to get into
the vicinity of the next one – round a hill,
down a valley, along a track because it’s
easier going,” advises 44-year-old
Steve Pyke, a renewable energy
scientist and top five finisher in
mountain marathon elite classes.
“Then you need to use fine navigation
skills to find the checkpoint.” That’s
sometimes easier said than done. Once
Steve and his race partner Tim circled
a hill in its entirety while trying to
partially contour round it to take a
bearing north.
It’s important to look after yourself
too – drop out rates during races can
be between 15-50% depending on the
weather – so it’s important to keep fed
and hydrated during the day. Steve
advises eating and drinking something
every 20-30 minutes – energy or
70
TRAIL RUNNING
OUNTAIN
M
L
A
I
T
ESSEN
EAR
MARATHON G
u enjoy the
TENT
tition
Laser Compe
Terra Nova
£280
r two
cient room fo
Look for suffi
d lie flat, two
an
up
sit
to
people
nd to
layer tent s te
layer s (single
sation), and
en
nd
co
m
suffer fro
st ore your
rch room to
sufficient po
pu tting it up
e
tic
ac
Pr
.
ok
bags and co
in and wind.
ra
e
th
in
d
an
in the dark,
how much yo
difference to
shoe
r fell and trail
event. (See ou on p34 and p76.)
g
tin
reviews st ar
R
BASE LAYE base layer top is a
hl y wick ing
ng
A hig
se fitti
hing wi th loo
mus t. Somet
lping to
he
r
fo
t
ea
gr
is
long sleeves
zip neck
A
.
re
tu
ra
pe
regulate tem
re
r temperatu
also helps fo
n.
tio
regula
MID LAYER jacket /Gazelle
yx
ale
Montane Or
or for a fem
5
£4
15
a
en £50
OMM Ultr
lomon XA
cket for wom
Sa
camp is
ja
e
th
n,
sig
er to wear at
lay
id
m
body shape de
rm
wa
t
A
igh
we
05
£5
lar tec 10
20 W pack
squeeze
essential. Po
rb warmth.
will generally
pe
s
su
er
nn
ide
to
ru
t
ov
te
Eli
pack bu
fleeces pr
to a 15-lit re
ever ything in
y the
u’ll need to bu
yo
is
th
ve
SHELL
achie
uld be
p £150,
30l pack wo
d Pull on to
Rab Deman
s
light es t kit. A
or
tit
pe
nts £100
com
pa
t
a
os
ik
m
le
r
m
fo
Ka
OMM
the
sufficient
e wi th
te will exceed
r the firs t tim
Your sweat ra
taking part fo
breathable
ecialist
t
sp
os
t
m
no
e
t
th
bu
capacit y of
good quali ty
choose a
hip
this reason,
Left and right
fabrics. For
ou tdoor kit.
t firs t.
accessing
r
igh
fo
we
ial
on
nt
p
se
es
waterproof to
ll save
pocket s are
ttle holders
ock as this wi
the move. Bo
Consider a sm
port ant,
food et c on
.
im
od
is
go
e
od
ar
ho
cent
st raps
weight. A de
g zip are
on shoulder
lon
a
d
an
loops
while thumb
G
A
B
.
SLEEPING
g Highlite
good feat ures
ountaineerin
Western M
STOVE
£220
to tuck
ever y time
ux £50, folds
er sy nthe tic
in
Optimus Cr
canis ters
Down wins ov
ion
s
ct
ga
du
th
re
ea
rn
e huge
ay flush unde
aw
ight. A
.
because of th
th
we
rm
ve
sa
wa
to
reased
ux Lite £40
Cr
so
/
y
weight and inc
0g
dr
it
10
a
ove wi th
u mus t keep
gas
small gas st
However, yo
pack. An
ve plent y of
it wi thin your
ge should lea
rid
rt
e
ca
“double bag”
m
so
s
ide
ov
pr
at
th
for two.
ou ter fabric
Pert ex
nce such as
water resis ta
ring.
ide
ns
co
h
rt
wo
PAN
Endurance is
y
Kettle or an
e
MSR Titanium
um pan is th
ini
m
alu
d
t
ea
SHOES
igh
tr
o
ly
light we
aw £75 - Tw
and a perfect
n
is
tio
0
lu
so
27
Inov8 Mudcl
e
st
: th
cheape
ns currently
tio
n.
op
tio
n
e
th
er
op
,
tt
le
er
pa
bb
serv iceab
wi th stick y ru
a lit tle light er
pers
keting
e durable up
or
m
ts
or
sp
ane Ohly, mar
as
330
Verdicts by Sh
mountain
women, Adid
r
te
Fo
eli
.
d
er
an
bb
v-8
s)
and ru
anager at ino
rough cour se
m
r
ts
(fo
uc
5
od
Pr
£6
.
Swoops
mpetitor
r more
marathon co
Pro’s £90 (fo
nner
Ru
s
ke
Salomon XA
La
by
suggested
Gear for
cushioning)
n in road
ner.com) and
u do, don’t ru
(www.lakesrun
k)
f
.u
of
co
s.
ty
irl
ali
What ever yo
rg
qu
e
earfo
sting in som
Girls (www.g
trainer s. Inve
ake a huge
shoes will m
ing
nn
ru
ail
tr
SACK
TRAIL RUNNER
71
getoiunntotain
m thons
mara
N
MOUNTAI
MARATHON
TIMETABLE 2010
12-13 June
The Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon
Known as the “connoisseurs mountain
marathon”, the LAMM is a two-day
mountain orienteering event that takes
place in the Scottish Highlands. The venue
is kept secret and the emphasis is always
on challenging routes in classic high
mountain country.
3-4 July
Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon
The SLMM is a two-day mountain navigation
in the Lake District, which made the
headlines in 2008 for the appalling weather
that caused its abandonment for that year.
���www.slmm.org.uk
24-25 July
Endurancelife Dartmoor
Mountain Marathon
cereal bars, gels, malt loaf, jelly babies
– stuff you can grab quickly and eat on
the move. The evening meal is
determined by the need to keep the
weight down but instant noodles,
rehydrated food packs, pasta, angel
delight and instant custard are all
favourites. I was so ravenous after my
first day’s racing, the insole of my
running shoe would probably have
tasted delicious.
If it sounds like a massive challenge, it
is – and that’s what is so appealing.
You’re working hard, totally selfsufficient, in beautiful, wild mountain
areas and among a set of like-minded
fellow competitors.
“There’s nothing to beat that feeling
when it’s all going well and both of you
are just running along some wild hillside
somewhere – no need to talk too much,
just both enjoying the moment and the
clarity of thought that hard exercise
gives you,” says Tim Higginbottom, 37,
a technology teacher and winner of
seven elite mountain marathons,
running for Haglofs and inov8.
“It’s both a mental and physical
challenge,” adds Peter Rostron,
72
TRAIL RUNNING
marketing manager at Mountain
Hardware, who has run five or six
events. “You’ve got to be able to
navigate and route plan well, even when
you’re really tired. And it’s a team event
– you can’t run off and leave your
teammate struggling.”
Or lose them either. Yiannis Tridamis,
65, a lecturer in chemical engineering
at Liverpool John Moores University,
and a veteran of dozens of events,
recalls a race seven years ago.
“Sometime after setting off I looked
round and couldn’t see my partner,” he
says. “I’d lost him! He’d taken a silly turn
and gone off in the wrong direction.
Luckily I found him, and we continued
the race.”
Since the inaugural mountain
marathon in 1968 – the Karrimor
Mountain Marathon or KIMM (now the
OMM) – the sport has grown in
popularity, attracting all sorts of people
from fell runners, walkers, servicemen
and women to orienteers, and these
days a fifth of competitors are women.
And while there are some that take the
racing very seriously, sawing
toothbrushes in half to save weight
This is its inaugural year so no-one knows
what quite to expect but Dartmoor’s
landscape is defined by more than 160
granite tors and is punctuat ed with mires,
rivers and pockets of ancient woodland, so
your navigation will have to be spot on.
18-19 September
Mourne Mountain Marathon
The Mourne MM is Ireland’s only two-day
endurance and navigation event, held each
year in the beautiful mountains of Mourne in
Northern Ireland.
���www.mourne2day.com
25-26 September
The 4th Rab Mountain Marathon
Two days of fell running in the North of
England — exact venue to be confirmed one
month before the event. A scoring course
with rolling starts.
���www.darkandwhite.co.uk
Date tbc October
The Original Mountain Marathon
Founded in 1968, the OMM is the originator
of the two-day mountain marathon. This year
it will take place in South West Britain.
There’s a new class this year, which will
combine linear and score courses in one.
���www.theomm.com
14 November
RAB Mini Mountain Marathon
These are good tasters to find out what the
events are all about. Each autumn or winter
Dark & White organises a series of shorter
mountain marathons (mini-MM’s) in the Peak
District — three-hour events aimed at
testing legs and brains.
���www.darkandwhite.co.uk
getoiunntotain
m thons
mara
Prepare to get muddy.
Very, very muddy. A
mountain marathon is no
walk in the park. Did we
mention the muddiness?
for example, the atmosphere is
welcoming whatever standard you are.
“There’s a great sense of camaraderie
among the racers; it’s not all about
ruthless competition,” says Martin
Stone, organiser of the LAMM. “People
seem to like the freedom that comes
with competing in the mountains, while
being totally self sufficient.”
But however experienced you are, it’s
easy to make a mistake: Steve Pyke
once folded his map on a checkpoint
and so never spotted it and Yiannis
missed a checkpoint 100 metres from
the finish and was disqualified.
Conclusion: even the best mountain
marathon runners make mistakes –
which brings me neatly back to point c).
After Ollie and I stumbled into the
overnight camp, I wandered over to the
organisers’ tent to see where we had
placed at the halfway stage. I noticed
we were in a distinct group at the
bottom of the list. “What does this
mean?” I asked the race official.
“Disqualified – failing to clock in at the
right checkpoint,” came the reply. It
turned out that the final checkpoint of
the day was close to another one for a
different class of competitors. Tired,
we’d made a rushed decision and
plumped for the wrong checkpoint.
So when I’d asked that other race
competitor where we were, it hadn’t
mattered. Our race was over before
we’d even set off for day two. When
we’d rounded the final corner, cheered
by enthusiastic onlookers, we felt like
frauds. The Saunders had beaten us
and had taught us a good lesson. One
that will stand me in good stead for this
TR
year’s OMM. ■
GETTING FIT FOR A MOUNTAIN MARATHON
You need 10 weeks of preparation if you can run eight miles
without difficulty. If not you should complete general running
and cross training to get you to that level of fitness.
WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Rest or easy
gym session
Run 45 mins
continuous
with weighted
rucksack
5-8
Rest or easy
gym session
Increase to
60 mins, add
navigation
practice
9
Rest or easy
gym session
Increase to
60 mins, add
navigation
practice
1-4
10
Rest
Complete 3x3
minutes steady
running at
15% incline on
treadmill
Marc Laithwaite — coach, sports scientist and founder of
The Endurance Coach (www.theendurancecoach.com) and
organiser of the Lakeland 100 (www.lakeland100.com).
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
Gym session on
strength work
for major muscle
groups plus core
exercises: 3 sets
of 12-15 reps to
include squats
Treadmill: 3x5
minutes jog on
9-15% incline
with 2 mins flat
walk recovery.
Warm up and
cool down 10
minutes jogging
Add weight and Treadmill session
4x5 mins jog/
complete 3 sets
run on 15%
of 8-10 reps
incline with
and focus on the
“lowering” part of 2 mins flat walk
recovery
the squats
between each
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Rest or easy
gym session
Run steady
45-60mins
focusing on
navigation.
Plan a series
of checkpoints,
either urban
or rural
Run 1.5-3 hours
off-road (increase 30mins
per week) with
a pack. Practice
feeding and
hydrating on
the move
Rest or easy
gym session
Run steady
45-60mins
focusing on
navigation.
Plan a series
of checkpoints,
urban or rural
Run 3-4.5 hours
off-road and
hilly (increase
30mins per
week) focus on
navigation skills
As above
As above
Rest or easy
gym session
Rest
Walk/run 2
hours off road
Rest
Run 20 mins
easy with
rucksack
Rest
The event!
Good luck!
The event!
Good luck!
TRAIL RUNNING
75